Course Description

Conducting routine traffic stops has been an accepted part of police operations for generations. These stops have served the dual functions of enforcing traffic laws and minimizing dangerous driving while also leading officers to the discovery of evidence of much more serious crimes.

However, traffic stops also pose a serious safety risk to law enforcement officers who often have no way of knowing what awaits them when they affect a stop. Furthermore, many communities and elected officials have shown an unwillingness to support police traffic stops that they believe are racially disparate in their impact and may lead to officer use of force.

In this two-hour webinar, Chief Harry P. Dolan will discuss the future of traffic stops across the country in light of each particular community’s willingness to accept the risks associated with this proactive policing practice.  

Topics discussed will include:

  • Examining the data on the effectiveness of traffic stops in deterring and detecting crime
  • Gauging community priorities and political support for traffic stops
  • Giving officers clear guidance re: disengagement in the face of non-compliant drivers
  • Exploring options for officer documentation of traffic violations without conducting traffic stops

Instructor

CEO, Dolan Consulting Group

| Chief Harry Dolan (Ret.)

Harry P. Dolan is a 32-year police veteran who served as a Chief of Police since 1987. As one of the nation's most experienced police chiefs, he brings 25 years of public safety executive experience to Dolan Consulting Group. He retired in October 2012 as Chief of Police of the Raleigh (N.C.) Police Department, an agency comprised of nearly 900 employees in America's 42nd largest city.

Chief Dolan began his law enforcement career in 1980 as a deputy sheriff in Asheville, North Carolina and served there until early 1982, when he joined the Raleigh Police Department, where he served as a patrol officer. In 1987, he was appointed Chief of Police for the N.C. Department of Human Resources Police Department, located in Black Mountain. He served as Chief of Police in Lumberton, N.C. from 1992 until 1998, when he became Chief of Police of the Grand Rapids, Michigan Police Department. He served in that capacity for nearly ten years before becoming Chief of the Raleigh Police Department in September 2007. As Chief, he raised the bar at every organization and left each in a better position to both achieve and sustain success.

Harry Dolan has lectured throughout the United States and has trained thousands of public safety professionals in the fields of Leadership & Management, Communications Skills, and Community Policing. Past participants have consistently described Chief Dolan's presentations as career changing, characterized by his sense of humor and unique ability to maintain participants' interest throughout his training sessions. Chief Dolan's demonstrated ability to connect with his clientele and deliver insightful instruction all with uncompromising principles will be of tremendous value in the private sector.

Chief Dolan's unbridled passion to achieve service-excellence is a driving force behind Dolan Consulting Group. He is a graduate of Western Carolina University and holds a Master's Degree in Organizational Leadership and Management from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Before You Start

    • Consent Questions

    • Download Webinar Workbook

  • 2

    Webinar

    • The Future of Traffic Stops | Hour 1

    • The Future of Traffic Stops | Hour 2