Atlanta Police Leadership Institute

The Atlanta Police Leadership Institute is a five-tiered, leadership-focused curriculum designed to prepare APD officers to effectively assume ever-increasing levels of responsibility for law enforcement management.

Leadership training occurs throughout officers’ careers, ensuring their knowledge of APD operations is complemented by their capabilities of development in policy management, people management, and departmental leadership.

Over the course of a 20-year APD career, officers who move up to leadership positions will receive up to 650 hours of leadership training and 120 hours of volunteer community service, on top of APD’s regular training regimen. APLI enrollees are required to pass qualifying tests to move onto the next tier of law enforcement management within APD.

APLI is regarded as one of the nation’s premier programs of leadership development. Since its inception, more than 1,000 APD officers have matriculated through the program. Participants conduct focused research on complex public safety issues, are seconded to other City departments for broader exposure to local government, and spend time with senior executives from the business community who share their private sector management experiences.

In addition, APLI has a long-standing exchange program with other law enforcement agencies in the US and internationally which enables sharing of best practices and fosters a robust sharing of policy strategies and operational tactics.