South Lake Tahoe Police Sgt. Travis Cabral graduates from leadership institute

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The job of a police sergeant is a multi-faceted one as they play many different roles in the course of an average day with expectations they excel at each of them at all times.

An article on PoliceOne.Com calls the sergeant a police force's MVP, one who leads by example, enforces agency policies and procedures, and communicates and supports agency policy, all while being the linchpin between the community, management, and line personnel.

In order to accomplish these big duties, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) sends their sergeants through an eight-month-long nationally renowned program at the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute (SBSLI).

Sgt. Travis Cabral is the newest member of the SLTPD to graduate from the time-intensive program. There is a strict vetting process at the Institute and it took Cabral over two years to get a spot at the elite SBSLI. For the past eight months, Cabral has spent one week a month at the Institute completing an analysis of management (planning, organizing, directing, etc.) and leadership (inspiring, challenging, developing, etc.), and learning how each discipline compliments the other. The course progresses from self-evaluation to interpersonal evaluation, to organizational relationships. He received above average marks on his way to last week's graduation.

While there, participants in the program must complete a project.

"My project was on community support, as well as outreach to the community," said Cabral. He is bringing all he learned back to South Lake Tahoe and is inspired to have the public get to know police staff better, and vice versa through different methods. Besides learning how to connect to the community and media, the participants also learn the value of the supervisory role.

"It protects agencies too with properly trained supervisors who are at the front lines 24/7," said South Lake Tahoe Police Chief Brian Uhler said of the program. "They have to be properly trained on documents too. It ensures our police services are top notch."

"Travis has certainly represented the agency very well, he goes above and beyond when needed," added Chief Uhler. "He restructured schedules electronically and took a role in helping with an anti-crime preventative initiative where all bikes sold in the basin are registered. He has also taken on a leadership role with our drone program."

Cabral, a 2001 South Tahoe High graduate who has been with the department since 2008, said local residents should know the training SLTPD gets to better serve and support the community.

All sergeants go through SBSLI sooner or later, said Cabral. "I have a lot of faith in the training, it's a real high-quality program," he said.

Not only was it an investment of personal time and energy for Cabral to go through the program, but SLTPD also had to support him by covering his schedule for the week away each month.

The Institute is paid through the SLTPD training budget with expenses for travel, lodging, meals, tuition, and replacement staffing reimbursed to City from POST, the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.