Last year, USC launched a partnership with the Los Angeles Police Department to create the Law Enforcement Advanced Development (LEAD) program. LEAD is an online and classroom-based training program in which experts from the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy come together to train officers, teaching evidence-based techniques to reduce the need for force and helping officers develop communication skills for effective de-escalation.

The LEAD program culminates with the presentation of officers’ capstone projects, which are meant to present implementable solutions to specific community problems such as homelessness, domestic violence, mental illness and human trafficking. To celebrate the June 8 commencement of the inaugural LEAD class, we’re highlighting a few outstanding participants and their capstone projects.

“When young people have the opportunity to hear our stories and to tell us theirs, they recognize our humanity,” says LAPD lieutenant Michael Odle. “It changes the way they think about the police.”

As a high-ranking member of the LAPD, Odle saw the LEAD program as an opportunity to make a deeper connection with the community he serves. His capstone project centered around a collaboration with a local nonprofit youth program and will serve as a valuable (and heartening) training resource for generations of police officers to come.

USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work: Tell us a little bit about your career with the LAPD and what led you to apply for the LEAD program.

Michael Odle: I’ve been with the department for 39 years, 28 of which were spent on the SWAT team. In 2012, I was promoted to the rank of sergeant, and in 2014, I became a lieutenant. Since then, I’ve worked in our training division, training both recruits in the police academy and officers out in the field.

I first heard about LEAD at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, where I’m completing my Executive Master of Leadership degree. I believe in constantly seeking opportunities to expand my knowledge, so when the LAPD’s director of training asked if I’d be interested in participating in the program, it was a no-brainer. What solidified my decision was my familiarity with USC and its sterling reputation, and my hope of being able to help shape the program for future participants.

USC: What has been the most valuable component of the LEAD program for you personally?

MO: All of the communication skills and methods for dealing with populations like the homeless or the mentally ill are applicable to what we do as police officers.

However, it’s been a personal interest of mine for many years to launch a community outreach program, and the capstone project afforded me the platform and skills (and hard deadlines!) that I needed to make this dream a reality. For that reason, the most valuable part for me has been working on the capstone project.

USC: Can you tell us a bit more about your capstone project?

MO: The purpose of my project is to build a bridge between the police department and the community we serve and address pre-existing misconceptions about the police by shining a light on the values that we all share.

My project materialized as a result of a partnership between the LAPD and a local nonprofit organization called the Amazing Grace Conservatory (AGC). AGC is a school of performing arts that I learned about through a fellow member of my master’s program at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy.

I worked with AGC to create a video-recorded social experiment, in which a group of officers in casual, off-duty attire would meet with AGC students to participate in challenging conversations. We discussed social issues and the meaning of concepts such as trust, integrity and community. After telling personal stories and establishing meaningful connections with the students, the officers left the room and returned in uniform to reveal their identities.

When we emerged, the students were shocked. One said, “Oh, they’re in costume!” Many were smiling and laughing—honestly, it brought tears to my eyes because their reactions were so genuine.

However, what touched my heart most were the conversations that followed the reveal. The students agreed that since they’d gotten to know us for who we were before knowing our occupation, they could now see police officers in a more “human” way. One student said that the next time he encountered an officer, he would think of that person differently and consider his or her background rather than feeling fearful or intimidated.

USC: Do you think your capstone project fulfilled its mission of bridging a gap between the community and the police?

MO: I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. First of all, the social experiment itself proved to be successful. What’s more, the project that has come together, as a result, has been well-received. The LAPD is planning to use the footage for a community public service announcement, and it’s garnered some interest from both academics and community activists for use in the classroom.

More importantly, it’s demonstrated what I hoped it would: that LAPD officers and members of our community can come together and understand one another. At the end of the day, each and every one of us values the same things: trust, integrity and community.