UNM President Robert G. Frank and Albuquerque Mayor R.J. Berry signed a memorandum of understanding that fosters a new partnership between the university and the city. The agreement links the Albuquerque Police Department with the UNM School of Public Administration to create training opportunities for supervisory and leadership development at APD.
It follows other recent collaborations, including the CityLab, a downtown study environment for architecture students and an innovation hub concept to launch entrepreneurial efforts.
"UNM is pleased to once again partner with the city on a project that is key to making our community better," Frank said. "Our faculty at the School of Public Administration can offer innovative approaches to education and training for APD that will help develop and further the leadership skills of department managers and administrators."
"I am a big fan of UNM, my university," Mayor Berry said, as he signed the MOU. "It is important that we continue to leverage this relationship between the city and the university."
APD contacted the University about the training, after Chief Ray Schultz said the department identified a need to strengthen training for mid and upper level management.
"Our front line officers receive extensive training at our police academy, and our executives get advanced training at the FBI Academy, but we needed a way for our managers in the middle to advance in their career paths," Shultz said.
"The School of Public Administration (SPA) serves our community through professional education and applied research in public service, so the partnership seemed like a natural fit, Acting Dean of the SPA Amy Wohlert, said. "We're looking forward to learning from this collaboration, too, about innovative ways for us to expand our students' engagement in public programs, and promote understanding between our agencies," she added.
The MOU creates a framework for the professional development training. Now the two groups will meet to work out specifics of what courses will be offered. Initially the classes will be at the SPA facilities on campus, but Chief Shultz said some courses could be offered at the APD academy in the future.