USD Master of Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership Online

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USD Master of Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership Online

Gain the leadership and management skills to command your unit & advance your law enforcement career.

The 100% Online Master of Science in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership provides you with an education that goes beyond a typical criminal justice degree. Unlike other programs, USD’s degree focuses on a multi-faceted law enforcement education that examines leadership, management, organizational theory, critical issues, community assessment, budget and finance, public safety law, and conflict resolution in addition to criminal justice topics. All courses provide real-world, skills-based learning and practical application in a 100% online environment that accommodates busy schedules.

09/15/2026

Congratulations to LEPSL alumnus Luis Martinez on his appointment to the role of Deputy Chief, Operations Bureau, for the Anaheim Police Department

Luis's rise to Deputy Chief reflects over two decades of caring and compassionate leadership across nearly every corner of police work. He joined the Culver City Police Department in 2003 and worked his way up through Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, and Detective roles, including a stint with the LA IMPACT Narcotics Task Force. He became the first Sergeant to lead Culver City's Special Enforcement Team, was promoted to Lieutenant and then Captain (while earning his MS-LEPSL!), and went on to lead the Patrol Bureau and Special Operations Bureau. After a run as Captain of Patrol for the Torrance Police Department, he has now stepped into his new role in Anaheim.

Luis earned his MS-LEPSL in 2023, part of a career built on continuous growth and learning that also includes the FBI National Academy (Session 290), POST California Command College (Class 70), and the LAPD's West Point Leadership Program. He even has a Master's in Public Administration that he earned prior to enrolling in the LEPSL program.

While in the LEPSL program, Luis was voted Discussion Board MVP for his extraordinary level of engagement in the LEPS 510 course on Communication Skills for Law Enforcement Leaders. He was profiled as an exemplary graduate of the University of San Diego Class of 2023, and later that year was a featured guest on the Blue Leadership podcast. He is also a volunteer ambassador for the MS-LEPSL program, speaking to prospective applicants about the value of education and how the LEPSL program can help them achieve their goals.

From all of us in the LEPSL program, congratulations, Deputy Chief Martinez. We are so happy for your continued career success!

Anaheim Police Department

09/12/2026

In September 2021, Sergeant Zach Eaton from the Sacramento Police Department started his first semester in the MS-LEPSL program. He quickly stood out as a leader among leaders, earning recognition as the Discussion Board MVP for the Summer 2022 LEPS 500 course. He later participated in a recorded panel presentation for new students, providing tips and strategies for time management and work-life balance and more recently he has served as a subject matter expert on front line leadership in the LEPS 560 "Effective Leadership" course. All that to say, like many of our LEPSL graduates, Zach has made a lasting impact on the LEPSL program, and we hope you'll join us in celebrating his appointment to Chief of Police for the city of Lincoln, CA. What an incredible career trajectory for a truly effective and impactful leader. 🎉🫡

City of Lincoln, Local Government

09/11/2026

At the Rise Conference in San Diego this week, conference co-MC and podcast host Captain Julie Cochran from the Livermore Police Department department surprised the audience with an impromptu and very informal commencement ceremony. In 2020, she earned her Master’s degree in Law Enforcement and Public Safety leadership from University of San Diego, but like all 2020 graduates, her opportunity to walk across the stage was canceled by the pandemic. So when MS-LEPSL program director Dr. Erik Fritsvold took the stage to make a presentation, she had the ideal opportunity to finally celebrate her accomplishment! What a way to kick off the conference!! 🎓🎉🤣

Rise: Women in Policing

08/28/2026

The "Glendale Six": Six leaders from one department, focused on a single goal of becoming the best leaders they can be. Together, from day one.

Six members of the Glendale, CA, Police Department journeyed through the MS-LEPSL program together, and out of that remarkable cohort, one stood out as a leader among leaders. We are proud to announce Lieutenant Pete Robinson as the recipient of the Jim Davis Lighting the Way Forward Award for the Summer 2026 Data Fluency course.

Pete's path to this moment wasn't a straight line. Like many students in the LEPSL program, he started college right out of high school, then set it aside to support his family, build a career, and buy a house. Nineteen years later, he came back to finish his degree, and he says the leadership experience he'd gained in the meantime changed everything about how he approached it.

That showed up in how he led. Faculty member and Retired Chief Timothy Albright shared that Pete leveled the playing field in every discussion board, setting rank aside and creating space for honest, genuine conversation, learning as much from his classmates as they learned from him.

True to form, when told about the award, Pete's answer was simple: "This shouldn't be about me. It should be about others." And so the LEPSL faculty is especially thrilled to salute and honor the entire Glendale Six, their supportive chief, and - especially - Lieutenant Pete Robinson: the latest recipient of the Jim Davis Lighting the Way Forward Award. 🔦 🫡

Glendale Police Department

08/11/2026

What does true leadership look like? It’s serving, supporting, and empowering others. 🤝

We are pleased to announce the recipients of the prestigious Phillip Collum Award for the Summer 2026 Data Fluency and Analysis for Law Enforcement Leaders Course. This recognition honors students who demonstrated extraordinary dedication to their classmates through active engagement, peer coaching, and mentorship.

Congratulations on this well-deserved achievement and for exemplifying the best of the LEPSL program! 👏

🏆 Captain Jonathan Baxter, San Francisco Fire Department (CA)
🏆 Officer Lindzie Laughridge, Brentwood Police Department (CA)
🏆 Major Ryan Lazisky, Fairfax County Police Department (VA)
🏆 Officer Victor Masters, Tukwila Police Department (WA)
🏆 Deputy Chief Randon Matthews, Bloomfield Police Department (NM)
🏆 Investigator Sean McVickers, Washoe County District Attorney's Office (NV)
🏆 Commander Scott Pendleton, Aurora Police Department (CO)
🏆 Lieutenant Peter Robinson, Glendale Police Department (CA)
🏆 Lieutenant Carlos Sanchez, Orange County Sheriff's Department (CA)

Menlo Park PD San Francisco Fire Department City of Brentwood - Police Department Fairfax County Police Department Tukwila Police Department Tukwila Pio Bloomfield Police Department - New Mexico Washoe County District Attorney's Office Aurora Police Department FBI-LEEDA Glendale Police Department Orange County Sheriff's Department, CA

07/22/2026

07/17/2026

This week, LEPSL lost a treasured member of our family with the passing of Chief Marlon Washington from the Marin County Probation Office , a LEPSL graduate from the Fall 2024 class.

Chief Washington's 29-year career in probation and juvenile justice was defined by the same qualities his LEPSL classmates and instructors came to know him for: calm leadership, genuine care for people, and an unshakable belief that public safety and second chances belong together.

In his very first course in the LEPSL program, Chief Washington was voted Discussion Board MVP by his classmates, a small honor that speaks to how he showed up: engaged, generous with his perspective, and genuinely invested in the people around him. You can read more about Chief Washington's impressive career and leadership legacy in the news release linked in the comments.

Rest easy, Chief. May your family find peace in the countless lives you changed, and may your legacy carry forward in the leaders you helped build.

Marin County Probation

07/15/2026

Most people in public safety choose one calling. Captain Jonathan Baxter chose two.

He's the Public Information Officer for the San Francisco Fire Department, and a fully sworn police officer with Menlo Park PD. And then (in his spare time?) he decided to earn his graduate degree, and that's how he came to be enrolled in LEPSL.

Now in his fifth and final term of the program, Captain Baxter is the latest recipient of the Jim Davis Lighting the Way Forward Award, recognizing a LEPSL student whose leadership stands out beyond the classroom. Faculty describe him as a model for his classmates, bridging fire, EMS, and law enforcement perspectives few others in the program can offer, and putting what he learns in class into practice back at work the same week.

Two departments, one mission, and one honor of distinction. Congratulations, Captain Baxter. We couldn't be more impressed with your dedication to service and example of leadership.🚒👮

06/26/2026

Six leaders. Six states. One shared commitment to excellence. 🏆

Big congratulations to our Summer 2026 Phillip Collum Award winners for the Organizational Leadership for Law Enforcement course! From California to Florida, Hawaii to Virginia, this term’s honorees span the entire nation, bringing diverse perspectives to our digital classroom.

Selected by the LEPSL faculty for their academic excellence and peer mentorship, these public safety executives truly went above and beyond by engaging robustly in course discussions and setting an example for their peers throughout the duration of the course.

Please join us in recognizing these dedicated, coast-to-coast leaders:

⭐ Captain Jonathan Baxter, San Francisco Fire Department (CA)
⭐ Assistant Chief of Police Ryan Dale, Lincoln PD (NE)
⭐ Deputy Chief Robert Hines, Fairfax County PD (VA)
⭐ Lieutenant Sterling Kihei, West Palm Beach PD (FL)
⭐ Commander Scott Pendleton, Aurora PD (CO)
⭐ Lieutenant Koa Saul, Honolulu PD (HI)

Lincoln Police Department Fairfax County Police Department Honolulu Police Department (Official Site)

06/05/2026

When a member of our LEPSL community earns national recognition, we celebrate. 🎉

Congratulations to Pasadena Police Chief Gene Harris (a LEPSL OG from the Class of 2017 and a program ambassador) who was honored with the Who's Who in America's Neighborhoods Award from Neighborhoods, USA.

The award celebrates leaders who bring communities and local government closer together. For Gene, that's how he's led for more than three decades, from Marine Corps forward observer to Chief of Police, building trust, partnerships, and youth engagement across Pasadena.

As he said of the honor: "Building trust and strengthening neighborhoods is a shared responsibility."

Compassion, collaboration and humility...that's been Chief Harris his entire career. We're proud he's part of the LEPSL family. 👏

Full story in the comments. 👇
Pasadena Police Department

Address

5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA
92110

Telephone

+16192604580

Website

http://criminaljustice.sandiego.edu/

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