The vast majority of chiefs, sheriffs, and other police executives in the United States are responsible for leading relatively small agencies, and yet much of what is written and taught to new law enforcement executives draws lessons from major city agencies with hundreds or thousands of sworn personnel.
Over the course of a 32-year career in law enforcement, and before serving as chief of two major city police departments, Chief Harry P. Dolan (Ret.) led two smaller agencies—one agency with fewer than 20 sworn over the course of 4 years and another with fewer than 70 sworn over the course of 6 years. During that decade, he learned lessons that are unique to the challenges that come along with the “close contact” nature of leading a smaller agency. In many respects, the smaller agency leadership challenges were significantly more difficult than those he would experience as a major city chief.
In this two-hour webinar, Chief Dolan will discuss:
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.
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Download Course Materials
Small Agency Leadership Lessons for Police Executives | Hour 1
Small Agency Leadership Lessons for Police Executives | Hour 2
