WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) of Washington, D.C., is shaping the future of law enforcement leadership through its DC Police Leadership Academy (DCPLA), a unique, interactive public safety curriculum focused on enhancing the skills of critical thinking; constitutional, evidence-based decision-making; and character-driven, leading-edge policing practices among present and future leaders.
MPD Chief Pamela A. Smith strongly supports the academy’s mission to cultivate a “legion of leaders” committed to excellence. Launched in 2023, the program has experienced significant growth, with its fifth cohort running from February 24-March 7, 2024, and April 28-May 2, 2025. The sixth cohort is scheduled for Fall 2025.
The DCPLA is a rigorous in-residence program. It is offered twice yearly, with each cohort divided into two timeframes: 2 weeks (session 1); a break of 5-7 weeks; and then a final capstone week (session 2). The break is designed for cohort members to return to their home departments and apply, test, and share their educational experience. By design, each academy brings together a diverse group of mid-level law enforcement professionals, with the current cohort (5) hosting 73 participants across 48 police departments and 10 international police agencies.
Grounded in management and leadership theories and practice, participants create innovative solutions to organizational problems and discuss important issues in managing law enforcement organizations effectively. The program explores the role of critical thinking, interpersonal skills, and transformational leadership in creating strategies that both improve organizational effectiveness and relationships with higher and lower ranks. To develop forward-thinking leaders, the program challenges participants to think through issues both internal and external to their agency.
Participants are fully immersed in experiential learning — including field trips, case studies, interactive discussions, small-group exercises, class presentations and applied research — founded upon lectures from distinguished instructors. Cohort members are often called on to co-facilitate select topics, and engage in practicums including formal debates, capstone research projects, and mock press conferences. The program leverages Washington, D.C.'s historic and operational landscape as a learning tool, offering guided leadership experiences at locations such as the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the Supreme Court, the Pentagon, and the Washington Monument.
The list of academy presenters is a veritable “who’s who” of police leaders, internationally recognized academic researchers, authors, scholars, scientists, experts in both personal and organizational health and wellness, and real-world decision-makers presenting their personal leadership journey (Lexipol’s Gordon Graham, for example, was a regular DCPLA presenter before his retirement last year).
The DCPLA — which regularly maintains a waiting list owing to high demand — is a testament to its value and impact. The academy is committed to continuously evolve, refine, and perfect its curriculum. In its initial year of operation, DCPLA received the IACP’s coveted Webber-Seavey Award for Excellence in Policing.
For law enforcement professionals looking to expand their leadership abilities and connect with a network of forward-thinking officers, DCPLA provides an unparalleled opportunity to learn, grow, and transform the way they lead. Investing in your leaders through DCPLA is an investment in the future of your agency and the broader law enforcement community. For more information on the program, its presenters, and future cohorts, click here.
