From Police Officer to Pracademic: Dr. Jim O'Keefe's Journey in Policing, Academia, and Innovative Leadership

The CopDoc Podcast: Aiming for Excellence in Leadership

Season 5 - Episode 104 - The CopDoc Podcast

What if your experience as a police officer could uniquely inform your approach to teaching and leadership? Join our conversation with Dr. Jim O'Keefe, a professor at St. John's University and former Houston police officer, as we explore his journey as a pracademic and the lessons he's learned from working with innovative leaders like Bill Bratton and Lee P. Brown. Discover how trust can be a powerful commodity in police forces, and how the future of policing is evolving with technology and collaboration between universities and academies.
We'll discuss Dr. O'Keefe's transition from the Houston Police Department to the New York City Transit Police and his decision to pursue a doctoral degree. Learn how his time in the Houston jail taught him the importance of communication, and what brought him back to New York with the NY Transit Police and later, as Director of Training for NYPD. We'll also delve into the challenges he faced transitioning from a police officer to a Ph.D. scholar, and how his unique background has influenced his approach to teaching.
Finally, we'll examine innovative ideas for improving police training and leadership, looking beyond the traditional command and control approach. Discover the role of organizations like the Police Executive Research Forum in developing new strategies and the value of having university professors share their knowledge in police academies. Don't miss this fascinating conversation on the intersection of policing, academia, leadership, and Dr. O'Keefe's unique perspective on these interconnected fields.

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Website: www.copdocpodcast.com
If you'd like to arrange for facilitated training, or consulting, or talk about steps you might take to improve your leadership and help in your quest for promotion, contact Steve at [e-mail]