The Increasingly Critical Role of Sergeants: Challenges, Realities, and Practical Solutions

Dr. Marshall Jones leverages his combined experiences as a law enforcement practitioner, consultant, coach, and applied researcher to explore problems impacting policing. A practitioner at heart, Dr. Jones considers himself an “accidental academic,” who has earned much of his graduate education in criminal justice and industrial-organizational psychology while working full-time in law enforcement, mostly as a supervisor. Marshall holds a doctorate in business administration. He has presented on a variety of policing topics at state and federal levels, including regional Police Chief's and Sheriff's Associations, the FBI-NA, FBI, and NAC.  Marshall is currently researching police recruiting and retention as well as exploring implicit bias through a human cognitive and behavioral lens. Marshall consults and coaches police executives on organizational issues and other challenges. Dr. Jones is co-author with Deputy Chief John Blackledge (ret.) of Law Enforcement Leadership, Management and Supervision published by BLUE360 Media.

John Blackledge, Palm Bay Police Deputy Chief (ret.), has served in virtually every capacity from patrol officer to executive management with over 40 years of full-time law enforcement experience. John is the co-author of BLUE360 Media's flagship leadership book - Law Enforcement Leadership, Management and Supervision. John graduated from UCF with a Pre-Law Degree-Summa Cum Laude in addition to attending the FBI-NA. During his full-time law enforcement tenure John received numerous awards for leadership and innovative law enforcement programs.

At Blackeldge Enterprises, LLC, John provides leadership training, executive coaching, organizational consultations, expert witness services, and his own unique "Legal Tactics" training. John has been the lead legal and leadership course instructor at Eastern Florida for more than three decades. John is known for applying practical real-world approaches and experience to support police clients. Today, John is Vice President of Bansbach Tactical, a private sector company, specializing in Aerospace and Defense. He also serves as a Reserve Sheriff's Sergeant for the Training Unit at Brevard Sheriff's Office.

Jack E. Enter has been associated with the field of law enforcement since 1972 when he began his career as a police officer. Since that time, he has held a variety of positions in the field in both the military and civilian law enforcement professions including management and a command position of an agency in the suburbs of Atlanta. He earned his Ph.D. in 1984 and held teaching and administrative position in the University setting and was one of the Security Planners for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He has lectured throughout the United States and abroad on the topics of profiling violent offenders, the future of crime, and leadership. He has written two books, Challenging the Law Enforcement Organization (2006/Updated 2022) and Leadership in the Midst of Change - Principles That Do Not Change (Blue360Media)(2022).

Attorney Daigle is the principal and founder of Daigle Law Group, LLC, a firm that specializes in law enforcement operations, with an emphasis on management operational consulting services. His experience focuses on civil rights actions, including police misconduct litigation and employment actions.  Mr. Daigle acts as legal advisor to police departments across the country, providing legal advice to law enforcement command staff and officers in the areas of legal liability, policy development, employment issues, use of force, laws of arrest and search and seizure. His experience focuses on internal affairs operations and use of force, specifically in the training, investigation, and supervision of force and deadly force incidents. Attorney Daigle speaks at seminars and conferences across the Country focusing on legal standards for effective and constitutional police operation. He has served as a member of the Independent Monitoring Teams for Oakland CA and formally for Niagara Falls NY.  He has worked with Law Enforcement Agencies who are under investigation of a Consent Decree by the Department of Justice Civil Rights Litigation Section.  Attorney Daigle developed the DLG Policy Center which provides consulting services on policy development to departments across the Country.  Attorney Daigle is General Counsel for FBI- Law Enforcement Executive Development Association and a member of their instructor cadre teaching Supervisory Liability.  He is a member of the Board of Directors for American for Effective Law Enforcement, he holds his Certified Litigation Specialist Certificate and is a member of their instructor cadre  He was the Chair of the IACP Legal Officers Section and instructs at the IACP conference.  Attorney Daigle is the Chairman of the Legal Section for the National Tactical Officers Association. He has completed the Force Science Institute Certification and Advanced Specialist training programs. He is a former member of the Connecticut State Police and now maintains his certification as a reserve officer. 

William B. Berger is the US Marshal for the Middle District of Florida since 2011. Marshal Berger served as President of both IACP in 2001/02 and the Florida Chiefs of Police Association in 1996/97. He was Police Chief for the City of Palm Bay, Florida (2004-2011) and City of North Miami Beach (1989-2004). Marshal Berger began his law enforcement career at the Miami Police Department in 1974, working in virtually every section of the agency. He was the Commander of the Training Unit, Police Academy, and Homicide, Robbery, and Sexual Battery Units.   

Marshal Berger holds a JD Degree from Shephard Broad Law Center-Nova Southeastern University, Master’s degree in Public Administration, and Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from St. Thomas Villanova University.  Marshal Berger was awarded Florida Police Chief Association’s Director’s Choice Award in 1992, 2003, 2006 and 2016 and the FPCA President’s Award for Distinguished Service in 2008 and 2017. He was inducted into the Florida Department Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2017. During his career, Bill Berger has mentored, coached and watch as over 10 of his subordinates hve risen to the rank of Chief of Police.