IACP Foundation National Fellowship
Fellowship Testimonial
Letter from Sergeant Ed Dadisho of the Los Angeles Police Department to the IACP Foundation:
First of all, I would like to personally thank the Foundation for the support provided to me during my stay in the Washington DC area. This support allowed me to expand my overall law enforcement experience and most importantly, allowed me to completely focus on the projects assigned to me by the Research Center.
I came to the IACP as a 23-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, 12 years of which as a sergeant having a variety of assignments from a Gang Unit supervisor to Internal Affairs investigator. I also came to the IACP as a student at California State University, Long Beach studying in a Master’s Degree program in Emergency Management Administration. With all of my vast law enforcement and educational experiences, I had limited experiences with policy research, development and implementation. In fact, my experience in this area was theoretical at best. The six-month fellowship provided me with new knowledge and the experiences in this area.
I was exposed to a variety of projects by the Research Center, each providing me with unique perspectives in practical application of policy research. Some of these projects included:
- Improving Partnerships between Law Enforcement Leaders and University-Based Researchers.
- In-Car Video Camera evaluation.
- Protecting Citizen’s Civil Rights.
- New Police Chief Mentoring.
- Violence Against Women.
- Identity Theft.
All of these projects gave me a greater appreciation to executive level decision-making in law enforcement. The project on Identity Theft allowed me to completely immerse myself in research on the subject, culminating in a three-part article in the Police Chief magazine. This research and subsequent article has made me a Subject Matter expert in the area of Identity Theft. I have been invited to several National forums and roundtable meetings in Identity Theft, and presently teach a California POST course on Identity Theft.
Although the Fellowship had a direct value to me, I believe it was also a value to the IACP. I was the first officer selected for the fellowship from the West Coast, or the LAPD. Prior to this, most of the Research Center’s information was coming from the East Coast law enforcement perspectives. I was able to give a different viewpoint on law enforcement. I also believe that my research in the Identity Theft project elevated the status of the IACP in this area.
My fellowship also had a direct value to the Los Angeles Police Department. I represented the LAPD during a time of transparency. Chief Bratton made it clear that he wanted the LAPD to broaden its knowledge and become more involved with other agencies and organizations. I believe that I was an ambassador for the LAPD during my time at the IACP, and represented the Department well. I also believe that my article in the Police Chief magazine on Identity Theft resulted in a positive representation of the Department.
Again, I would like to thank the Foundation for this opportunity of a lifetime. I will forever be a member of the IACP and a stronger defender of its causes.
Ed Dadisho
