District Detroit: Ilitch School and local police partner for safer city
For Lashinda Stair, 1st Assistant Chief at the Detroit Police Department, being a good law enforcement officer includes good management skills. That’s why Stair jumped at the opportunity to join the first-ever class of the Detroit Police Department’s Leadership Academy at the Mike Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University.
“The classes will give people involved better insight into how to do the job better and more efficiently and how to make the best out of what we do,” said Stair, who was named among the annual 40 Women To Watch Over 40 list last year. “Hopefully, it will inspire the next cohort to come.”
The new certification program is a partnership between the Mike Ilitch School of Business and local law enforcement agencies with support from Deloitte LLP. More efficient leadership and better management of resources can lead to more patrol time for officers.
For the next five months, Stair and about 20 other members from various levels of the Detroit and WSU police forces will study business topics like finance, budgeting, human resource management and communications. Upon graduation from the intensive program this spring, the officers will have earned a 16-credit hour certificate which can be applied to an MBA. Program directors hope students will continue their studies on their own to earn the graduate degree.
The program aims to train 100 officers over the next three years. Leaders of the local police forces, including WSUPD Chief Anthony Holt, said the program will help attract and retain new officers seeking a pathway to career advancement and growth.
Detroit Chief James E. Craig and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said the new business school program will be instrumental in sustaining the city’s ongoing crime reduction. Thanks to its 24/7 police force, data-driven crime reduction strategy, CompStat and its collaboration with Detroit police, Wayne State University is one of the safest campuses in Michigan and the nation while the city of Detroit has seen a significant drop in violent crime.
“Having effective leadership in these departments has been a key reason for this success. The new academy will allow us to train the future leaders who will be able to continue this progress,” Duggan said earlier this month.
Stair added that Detroit police recognize residential, institutional and commercial development in the city is growing. Because of this, the agency wants to better serve the city residents and visitors.
About The District Detroit
The District Detroit is one of the largest sports and entertainment developments in the country. Located in the heart of Detroit, this 50-block, mixed-use development led by the Ilitch organization unites eight world-class theaters, five neighborhoods and three professional sports venues in one vibrant, walkable destination for people who want to live, work and play in an exciting urban environment. Home to the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Pistons and Detroit Lions - The District Detroit represents the greatest density of professional sports teams in one downtown core in the country.
Current data from the University of Michigan demonstrates that The District Detroit will account for an economic impact of more than $2 billion by 2020 and create more than 20,000 construction and construction-related jobs and 3,000 permanent jobs.
