May 2026
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’ S REPORT
Continued from page 6
Leadership develops over time through a mix of experience, reflection, mentorship, and education. It’ s not something you’ re simply born with— it’ s something you build.
History is one of the tools that helps make that possible.
Our goal is to add something more— access to the insight of leaders you’ ve never met but can still learn from.
Through our staff rides and broader leadership programs, we invite today’ s police leaders to learn from those who came before— and, in doing so, lead more effectively today.
As Rudy Giuliani once wrote, leadership is largely a learned skill— and people don’ t just learn from those they know. They also learn from leaders they’ ve never met, simply by studying them. That idea rings true. We learn from the people around us— our colleagues, mentors, and teachers— but we can also learn from Washington at Valley Forge, Lincoln during the Civil War, Eisenhower managing coalition forces, and many others whose experiences still speak to the challenges we face today.
Making History Real What sets the staff ride model apart is that it brings history to life.
Participants don’ t just read about events— they stand where they happened. They analyze decisions at the moment they were made, debate alternatives, and draw direct connections to the challenges they face in their own roles.
For police leaders, the impact is immediate.
Staff rides sharpen critical thinking, expand strategic perspective, and encourage deeper reflection on leadership, ethics, and resilience— often in ways a traditional classroom can’ t.
Just as important, they reinforce a key idea: leadership isn’ t learned only through personal experience or formal training. It also comes from thoughtfully studying the experiences of others.
An Ongoing Invitation At its core, the NJSACOP’ s investment in staff rides and history-based leadership development reflects a simple belief: leaders improve when they engage with the enduring lessons of the past.
2026 NJSACOP GETTYSBURG LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
Staff Ride for Law Enforcement Friday, October 16 – Sunday, October 18
Sold Out
You already bring your own experience, your mentors, your peers, and the realities of the job.
New Jersey Police Chief Magazine / 24