The Increasingly Critical Role of Sergeants: Challenges, Realities, and Practical Solutions

Tuesday, October 17, 2023

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM PST

Location: Room: 5AB

Submitter and Speaker(s)

Marshall Jones

Researcher, Author, Trainer, & Retired/Reserve
Florida Institute of Technology/Palm Bay Police Department, Florida
Melbourne, Florida, United States

Speaker(s)

John Blackledge

Deputy Chief of Police (Ret.)
Palm Bay Police Department, Flordia
Palm Bay, Florida, United States
Jack Enter, PhD

Trainer and Author
Jack Enter and Associates
Dacula, Georgia, United States
Eric Daigle, JD

Attorney/Principle
Daigle Law Group LLC
Southington, Connecticut, United States

Moderator(s)

William Berger

U.S. Marshal/Chief of Police (Ret.)
U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), United States

The panel discussion centers around the critical role of the line supervisor. Police leaders recognize sergeants live where the rubber meets the road and are either an agency’s lifeblood or the death nail. The evolving complexities of policing, increasing technology demands, and generational differences are often exacerbated with necessary fast-track promotions. The panel will address both the practical leadership and legal issues, such as failure to supervise, liability issues, accountability, duty to train, loss of interest in promotion, inconsistent or absent mentoring, leadership pipeline failures, lack of training, imposter syndrome, and fear. Practical solutions will be reviewed for developing and improving individual skill sets and agency culture with time for audience engagement.