Life has a way of sneaking up on you and opening your eyes to things you never thought about before, but if you’re open to learning, you can evolve into a better leader for both your law enforcement agency and the community it serves.

It was 2005, and I was a 48-year-old police chief in Providence, Rhode Island, when I was diagnosed with colon cancer. The treatment was rough, I lost a lot of weight, and I spent a lot of my time recovering at Miriam Hospital, which I discovered was a teaching facility affiliated with Brown University’s Alpert Medical School. But I stayed as active as I could as chief, even holding regular meetings with my leadership team in my hospital room, replete with crime maps on the walls. 

Spending day after day in a hospital left me with a sense of irony. My dad, Paul Esserman, was not only a respected physician but also a faculty member at New York University’s School of Medicine. His influence, coupled with our family's dedication to social justice, shaped my aspirations from an early age. Summers were spent in countries like China, Ethiopia, and Guatemala, where I gained hands-on experience in medicine, even assisting in minor surgeries at the age of 11.

Thanks to the many realities of medicine being ingrained in us at a young age, I grew up with grand expectations to be a doctor. But then I headed off to Dartmouth College, where my carefully crafted plans began to change as I fell in love with history and philosophy while struggling with biology and chemistry. Then I did an internship with the New York City Transit Police, igniting an unexpected passion for law enforcement. I went on to law school, worked as a prosecutor, and eventually found myself at the helm of various police departments: Providence, New Haven, Stamford, and New York State MTA-Metro North.

So on the good days when I could get out of that hospital bed, I walked the halls and spoke - well, really, I listened - to everyone I encountered, from doctors to nurses to janitors. I was absolutely fascinated, having discovered the symbiosis of medicine and medical education. Now, I was never someone to miss a day of work, but here I was grounded from going to police HQ, so I set out to learn how this collaboration actually worked.

I spoke with hospital leadership and made a deal: their staff could sit in on my briefings if I could listen to their case conferences and mortality reviews. Ultimately, Miriam’s doctors and nurses were enlightened on crime reports and policing strategies while I and my staff learned how physicians discussed every aspect of their work, such as how to hand off patients at the end of their shifts. But the proverbial light truly went on while observing mortality conferences where everyone on staff involved in the case talked about what they did and what they could have done differently, and what they learned from this death that could be avoided in the future.

This was true teaching, true learning, and ultimately, a continuous evolution of their craft.

This structured approach to learning and improvement in a teaching hospital was enchanting: perhaps we could apply similar principles to law enforcement and create a teaching police department.

Following my recovery, I embarked on a mission to reimagine how police learn by incorporating educational methodologies inspired by the medical profession. Drawing on my experiences at Miriam Hospital, we implemented initiatives such as next-morning combined detective-patrol officer case briefings after a homicide, similar to those medical case conferences where officers learned to think like detectives. We also established a command college modeled after leadership programs in academia, that included visiting other police departments as a practitioner in residence, which fostered a culture of continuous learning and mentorship within the department.

One of the most innovative programs we launched was "Cops and Docs," where detectives and medical students came together to observe art and enhance their observational skills – a concept inspired by similar programs in the medical field. Each took their own notes and then all came together to share their observations. Through these initiatives, we aimed to break away from the traditional, stagnant culture prevalent in many police departments and embrace a culture of learning and improvement.

By adopting principles from the medical profession, such as continuous learning, critical thinking, and standardized training, we envisioned transforming policing into a profession that values knowledge and innovation over just local tradition. There is no coherence when it comes to a shared body of knowledge among law enforcement agencies and their police strategies nationally. Though challenging, at each agency I worked at from that point on, I remained committed to my vision of creating a teaching police department, believing that investing in our officers and embracing change would ultimately benefit the communities we serve.

I cannot help but draw parallels between the historical development of medicine and policing. Both professions had humble beginnings, with little emphasis on standardized training or professional standards. However, while medicine underwent a transformative process fueled by initiatives like Abraham Flexner's report on medical education, policing struggled to define itself as a profession.

Reflecting on the evolution of medicine, I understood that policing could benefit immensely from a similar paradigm shift. Just as teaching hospitals revolutionized medical education, I believed that teaching police departments could revolutionize law enforcement. However, achieving this transformation required more than just innovative programs – it required a fundamental change in mindset and culture within police departments.

In our quest to create a teaching police department, we encountered resistance and skepticism from some within the law enforcement community. The traditional, hierarchical structure of police organizations made it challenging to implement new ideas and methodologies. Still, we remained undeterred, drawing inspiration from successful initiatives like the CompStat system, which revolutionized crime tracking analysis and daily management of police departments.

One of the key challenges law enforcement faces is overcoming the parochialism inherent in American policing. With more than 18,000 police departments across the country, each operating independently, there was – and still is – a pressing need for greater standardization and collaboration within the profession.

Despite the challenges that remain for policing leaders today, I remain hopeful about the future of law enforcement. The success of initiatives like "Cops and Docs" and the command college demonstrated the potential for transformative change within police departments. By embracing a culture of learning and innovation, I believe that we would not only improve the effectiveness of law enforcement but also build stronger, more resilient communities.

Looking ahead, I see immense potential for technology to further enhance the educational experience within police departments. Body cameras, for example, could serve as valuable training tools, allowing officers to review and learn from their interactions in the field. Virtual reality simulations could provide realistic training scenarios, allowing officers to develop their skills in a safe and controlled environment. And police exchange programs could bring new and best practices to local police departments.

But beyond technology, the success of teaching police departments hinges on visionary leadership – leaders who are willing to challenge the status quo and push the boundaries of traditional policing. They must love their profession of policing - but love it critically. The question then becomes: who will be the next police chief to step forward and embrace this bold vision for the future?

Policing needs someone to be brave, someone who is willing to pioneer new approaches to law enforcement and build bridges between academia, medical education, and policing. It will require a leader with the courage to challenge convention and the foresight to envision a future where knowledge and innovation drive positive change.

In the end, my vision for a teaching police department was not just about improving law enforcement – it was about building a better society for future generations. And though the road ahead could be challenging, I am confident that by working together, we can overcome any obstacle and create a safer, more just world for all.

About the author: FPI Fellow Dean Esserman, JD is the former Police Chief of Providence, New Haven, Stamford, and the New York State MTA-Metro North Police Department.