AN INSPIRING TRIP“ OVER THE POND” FOR TWO FEMALE NEW JERSEY CHIEFS OF POLICE
March 2026 | The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine 11
AN INSPIRING TRIP“ OVER THE POND” FOR TWO FEMALE NEW JERSEY CHIEFS OF POLICE
It is about 3,260 miles from New Jersey to Belfast, Northern Ireland. And it can certainly feel like a world apart.
In Northern Ireland, you ' ll get directions like " turn left at the old Murphy farm, God rest him." In New Jersey, you ' ll get directions entirely in highway numbers— " take 78 to 287 and look for 1 or 27. Avoid 514.”
And while Northern Ireland has its pubs, and New Jersey has its sports bars, there is one area of consistency: challenges that law enforcement faces every day.
That fact was evident February 2-6, when two female police chiefs from New Jersey were part of an international delegation to Northern Ireland for a leadership training program, hosted by the Police Service of Northern Ireland( PSNI) and sponsored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police( IACP).
Representing the NJSACOP at this conference, Newark Police Chief Sharonda M. Morris and North Wildwood Police Chief Katherine C. Madden joined female police chiefs from such places as Cyprus and Bermuda for a week of learning, interacting and networking.
And after a week of leadership training? Chief Morris and Chief Madden were quick to agree that police chiefs across the globe may have different cultures and ways of getting things done. But they all face the same issues when it comes to protecting and serving. Because people, well, are people.
“ Wherever you are, there are issues of, say, public intoxication or protesting or immigration or racial profiling,” Chief Madden said.“ We all learned that we are facing the same issues. Law enforcement can often be so similar.”
Chief Morris agreed, saying other delegates talked about issues regarding officer recruitment or people in their communities committing the same crime, over and over. But she did note a stark difference between Newark and Belfast. In Newark, she said, residents accept the role of police and their commitment to serving the public. In Belfast, she was told, the public does not seem to appreciate the police force at the same level, noting that officers have to look under their cars each morning to scan for bombs.
“ I was shocked by that,” Chief Morris said.“ Sure, there are some people in our community who may not like us. But not that much.”
And that anecdote was just one of the eye-openers during the week of great conversation, where the 45 police chiefs met over fish and chips and some other local delicacies to address an array of subjects that affect their daily lives as law enforcement leaders.
The program opened with a welcome from PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher and concluded with an inspiring panel discussion featuring trailblazing women leaders who shared their personal journeys, hard-earned insights, and advice on navigating leadership in law enforcement.
A sample of seminars included:“ Leading High Performing Individuals,” the“ Art and Science of Effective Communications,” and“ Emotional Intelligence.” There was also ample time for mentoring and networking through interactive sessions running from 8 a. m. to 4:30 p. m. each day.
Chief Morris noted a significant focus of the conference was mentoring. She noted PSNI has a version of a“ Big Brother / Big Sister” program as senior officers take new officers under their wing. It is not something commonly done in Newark, she noted, where officers undergo training, but do not have such a structured program.