National Public Safety Innovation Academy

Take the Next Step

The National Public Safety Innovation Academy (NIA) is an eight-week executive-level academy for law enforcement and corrections staff seeking to enter or enhance current or future command positions within their agencies.

NIA will give mid-level managers and future agency leaders the training to advance and become effective leaders in administrative positions. The training will not only benefit participants, but also their agencies and communities as they learn from renowned presenters and subject matter experts about effective leadership in today’s environment.

As technology and trends change, the course will evolve to meet the needs and address the challenges faced in the ever-changing world of public safety and criminal justice. Conveniently located near Interstate 4 in Polk County, Florida, NIA offers public safety and criminal justice leaders an affordable and innovative alternative to traditional leadership training.

Earning up to 12 college credits, participants will strengthen their expertise by attending classes at the state-of-the-art 101,450-square-foot Polk State Center for Public Safety in Winter Haven. They will also enjoy comfortable housing at the family-friendly all-inclusive Cabana Cottages in Auburndale, which features a business center, two swimming pools, laundry facility, and gym. Cabana Cottages was recognized as USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for 2022.

Participants who possess an associate degree or greater will be eligible for Public Safety Advanced Technical Certification. For participants already certified in the state of Florida, this course offers eligibility for Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Mandatory Retraining Elective Requirements.

1. + What to Expect

   Tuition and fees are highly competitive and more affordable than similar programs throughout the country. The course is $3,500.

   The rigorous curriculum examines contemporary issues, explores future trends in public safety and criminal justice, and provides participants with skills and knowledge to craft innovative policies and procedures to address and direct high-liability situations that agencies encounter in today’s climate.

   Participants will take part in a functional fitness program, led by Auburndale-based fitness center, Ultra Fit, which includes weekly physical training, and learn how to design and implement positive behavioral and lifestyle changes for personal growth, health, and wellbeing. Participants will also have partial access to Ultra Fit facilities and equipment with the opportunity to purchase additional access or services.

2. + Class Schedule

   Classes are from Monday through Friday, beginning on March 31, 2025. Participants will apply what they have learned during a Capstone Experience at the end of the eight-week course, which concludes on May 23. A second course for 2025 begins on Sept. 2 and runs through Oct. 24.

   Weekly Training Schedule
   Week 1: Orientation and Servant Leadership
   Week 2: Predictive Analytics and Legal
   Week 3: Media
   Week 4: Drone and Futuristics
   Week 5: Mental Illness and Trauma Awareness
   Week 6: Public Safety Integration
   Week 7: Law Enforcement/Corrections
   Week 8: Capstone Experience and Graduation

3. + Featured Speakers

   Eric Daigle
   The managing member of Daigle Law Group, Eric Daigle spent 10 years as a trooper and detective with the Connecticut State Police. Since 2005, Daigle has served as a reserve for the Southington Police Department. A certified instructor since 2004, Daigle has lectured on a wide variety of topics, including civil liability, search and seizure, use of force, and civil liability, among other topics. He serves as general counsel for multiple organizations, including FBI- Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (LEEDA). Daigle has had hundreds of articles published since 2004 and is a frequent contributor to FBI-LEEDA Insighter magazine.
   

   Andrea Dew
   An expert in strategic communications and irregular warfare, Andrea Dew currently serves as Division Head of Strategic Capacity Building Programs at Strategic Capacity Group, overseeing research and curriculum development. Dew has more than 20 years of experience in designing curriculum, previously serving as the Co-Director of the Center on Irregular Warfare & Armed Groups at the U.S. Naval War College and the T.C. Sass Chair of Maritime Irregular Warfare. A Ph.D. and published author, Dew has written four books and authored numerous articles on communications, irregular warfare, and lone-act terrorism among other topics.

   Steve Gregory
   Steve Gregory is California’s first working journalist to become a Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST)-certified instructor. Gregory has worked with iHeartMEDIA since 1993 and is an expert on media relations and crisis communications. In 2016, the California State Legislature presented him with a resolution acknowledging his contributions to journalism and the community. Throughout his career, Gregory has provided on-the-scene coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial, Hurricane Katrina, and riots in Ferguson, Missouri, following the death of Michael Brown. Gregory has given presentations at many trainings throughout the United States.

   Dawn Reeby
   The founder of Excellence in Analytics, Dawn Reeby is a subject matter expert, keynote speaker, trainer, seasoned law enforcement analyst, and coach with nearly 25 years of experience in the development, integration, and growth of data-driven strategies in law enforcement. Recognized for her contributions to the analytical community with the 2021 Bryan Hill IACA Memorial Scholarship, Reeby has worked with law enforcement agencies at all levels as a strategy specialist. An Amazon best-selling author, Reeby’s books, “Bigger Than Data – A Law Enforcement Analyst’s Roadmap to Marketability, Professional Development, Fulfillment & Joy” and “Building a Crime Analysis Legacy: A law enforcement supervisor’s roadmap to building long-lasting, high-quality analytical capacity” have highlighted and helped advance the role analytics play in law enforcement.

4. + Graduate Testimonials

   Below is what graduates of Polk State’s National Public Safety Innovation Academy said about the course.

   To ensure honest feedback, all graduate submissions are anonymous:

   “I felt this was an amazing training course. It is far better than I expected…My goal is to be an ambassador for NIA. I truly want to see this school succeed.”

   “This program is by far the best training program I have attended in my career. The knowledge and atmosphere of the classrooms and the training presented will be something I will never forget. What makes this program succeed above the other executive-level training programs is the diverse learning that they present from renowned instructors across the county. The class size and diverse group that attended this program were part of the amazing experience. Not only did we get great instruction from the instructors, I learned just as much knowledge from my classmates who all had different levels of experience and job titles. The overall balance of the learning material was organized extremely well. The balance offered just the right amount of instruction, but did not cause the class to lose focus on the topics.

   “This class has not only provided training that everyone can use when they return to their agencies, it also created friendships that we will always have across the country. I do not have one negative thing or a recommendation that I can provide because I think this class was simply amazing and will be one of the most recommended programs in the years to come. There is not one thing that I learned from each block of instruction that I am not excited to take back to my agency and share with our staff.”

   “The entire experience was a benefit and a once-in-a-career type of opportunity. I gained more insight of the (law enforcement) world and have a better experience of what (law enforcement) deals with on a daily basis. Great instructors.”

Become a Leader

Public safety and criminal justice organizations are operating with a diverse, multi-generational workforce. NIA will give participants the knowledge to inspire others, transform organizations, and deliver results.

Inspire others: Never has it been more important to inspire and influence those delivering law enforcement and correctional services in our communities. NIA will introduce and train participants in leadership tools and techniques to lead their teams proactively, strategically, and ethically.

Transform organizations: Using science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), NIA will give participants the tools to surpass their goals, enhance their leadership skills, and excel in adopting leading-edge strategies that further the mission of their rapidly changing organizations. Participants will graduate with a wealth of practical skills to facilitate change and transform their organizations by implementing futuristic strategies.

Deliver results: NIA will prepare an exceptional group of public safety and criminal justice executives whose influence will forever change law enforcement and corrections services through unprecedented professionalism. Participants who complete the course will be fully prepared to take the next step in their careers and become effective, innovative administrators.