Much of Edward Poulson’s professional career has been devoted to the law enforcement community. He has a passion for serving the needs of the public, and has consistently demonstrated his commitment to public service over a 20 year career with the Oakland Police Department.

One skill that Edward Poulson developed over his extensive career was the ability to be prepared for critical situations, such as the need to ready oneself for the possibility of a riot. An innovator with a knack for both spotting and correcting department inefficiencies, Edward Poulson developed helpful policies and procedures for the Oakland Police Department that are an integral part of police response to this day.

During the trial of a former BART police officer, for instance, Edward Poulson was assigned the responsibilities of logistics chief. As logistics chief for the department’s response to the oncoming verdict, Edward Poulson was charged with the duties of preparing an adequate response to the possibility of civil unrest. He was assigned the task of assembling a team of professionals would be a part of both the planning and operational phases of the response.

As the logistics staff, Edward Poulson was responsible for providing direction to the team, and to ensuring that materials, services, facilities, communications and more were available and ready for the possibility of an incident. All in all, the logistics function involvement 14 primary areas that were to work in concert with one another in order to ensure the operation’s success. The operation, says Poulson, ended up being a success, and public safety and order were maintained throughout the event.

Edward Poulson: Innovation Within the Oakland Police Department

For more than 20 years, Edward Poulson experienced considerable and notable success as a career law enforcement professional within the Oakland Police Department. From very early on in his career, Edward Poulson demonstrated a knack for innovation and efficiency, two qualities that helped to continually lead him towards positions of increased influence and impact within the department.

Edward Poulson, who served the OPD in multiple positions and ranks throughout his career, became known for his ability to both design and implement programs that improved department efficiency and established him as an effective staff manager. In 2008, Edward Poulson served the department as a Police Lieutenant, a position that charged him with the responsibility of managing a crew of up to 55 people at any given time. His performance as a Police Lieutenant eventually earned him a promotion to Captain of Police.

As Police Lieutenant, Edward Poulson was charged with the responsibility of developing a new and efficient schedule for the rank and file officers under his management. At the request of the OPD Chief of Police, Edward Poulson developed a schedule that called for officers to work twelve hour shifts during every two week period; an effort to deploy officers in a more efficient manner than earlier shift models. This innovative idea was presented for and received approval from both the Mayor of Oakland and the Chief of Police.

Edward Poulson successfully defended the new schedule plan during arbitration between the department and the Oakland Police Officers Union. The innovative schedule was later implemented by the OPD.

Edward Poulson: The Twelve-Hour Shift

Edward Poulson has served the Oakland, California Police Department for more than twenty years, in a career that has many highlights. He has worked as a Patrol Officer, a Watch Commander, a Sergeant in Criminal Investigations, and a Captain in the Internal Affairs Division, among many other responsibilities.

As a Police Lieutenant in 2008, Edward Poulson completed a series of short-term assignments, during which time he managed a crew of up to fifty-five staff members. At the end of this period he was promoted to Captain.

One of Edward Poulson's duties at this time, which he did at the request of the Chief of Police, involved the creation of a new shift schedule for rank and file police officers. The new shift schedule, which called for police officers to work twelve-hour shifts every two weeks, was meant to deploy the staff more efficiently than did previous shift models. After the new model was created, it was presented to senior executives and approved by the Chief of Police and the Mayor of Oakland.

"I met and conferred with the Oakland Police Officers Union," Edward Poulson recalls. "They did not like the plan, and forced the issue to binding arbitration." He defended the plan during the arbitration process.

The arbitration was finally settled in favor of the Department, and the twelve-hour shifts were implemented. In a 34-page ruling, the Arbitrator said that the longer shifts best served the welfare of Oakland's residents. "I received a significant amount of praise internally for design, defense and ultimately deployment of the shift schedule," Edward Poulson says.

Edward Poulson: Analyzing The Situation

Edward Poulson is a senior manager with more than twenty years of experience in law enforcement with the Oakland, California Police Department. He joined the force as a Patrol Officer, and during his career has also been a Background Investigator, a Field Training Officer, a Sergeant in Criminal Investigations and in Internal Affairs, and as a Lieutenant, a Patrol Watch Commander. By 2008, Edward Poulson was a Captain of Police.

Edward Poulson also holds several degrees, not all of them relating to police work. He earned an Associate of Arts degree in Horticulture in 1983, several years before he joined the force. He later earned a Master of Public Administration degree, and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration. In 1999, he attended the FBI National Academy.

As a Captain of Police, Edward Poulson was in the department's Internal Affairs division, and he reported directly to the Chief of Police. His division took in, processed, and investigated up to three hundred complaints a year, alleging officer or staff misconduct. Many of the cases were highly sensitive, and high profile, priority projects. It was not uncommon for multiple projects to be underway at the same time.

In the Internal Affairs division, Edward Poulson managed the Department's an Internal Personnel Assessment System, which he describes as a highly effective and successful risk management system meant to reduce problematic behavior in police officers and staff. This was done under a Federal decree, under which the Oakland Police Department operates. When Edward Poulson examined technology then in use, he determined it was ineffective. "I took initiative to analyze the situation, identify the correct technology system and redesign the process." The new processes Edward Poulson helped put in place saved the department more than seven million dollars a year.

Edward Poulson: Trust But Verify

Edward Poulson is a veteran of the Oakland Police Department in California. He spent more than twenty years on the force, rising to the rank of Captain of Police, where his duties included managing the department's Internal Personnel Assessment System, a risk management system and program aimed at reducing problematic behavior of police officers and staff.

Edward Poulson is fond of a phrase usually associated with former President Ronald Reagan, "Trust, but verify." President Reagan often used the phrase when discussing U.S. relations with the former Soviet Union. The phrase is actually a translation of a Russian proverb, and is said to have often been used by Soviet revolutionary Vladimir Lenin. President Reagan's counterpart, Mikhail Gorbachev, once asked him why he used the phrase, to which Reagan replied, "I like it."

The phrase is usually interpreted to mean that while it is important to keep your guard up, you must also recognize the importance of working with others whose views may be at odds with your own. This, Edward Poulson knows, is at the heart of diplomacy, a skill he developed and used effectively during his years on the force Edward Poulson had a reputation for building relationships, motivating his staff and colleagues, and being able to influence them, even in situations where he may not have had full authority. He was also known as an innovative problem solver, known for his ability to find workable solutions to sometimes-complex issues, ensuring security and safety.

Edward Poulson holds a Master of Public Administration degree, a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration, and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

Edward Poulson: Internal Affairs

Edward Poulson spent more than twenty years with the Oakland Police Department in Oakland, California. He holds a Master of Public Administration degree, which he received from Golden Gate University in 2013; a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration from California State University in Hayward, which he earned in 2002; and is a 1999 graduate of the FBI National Academy.

Edward Poulson began his career in law enforcement as a patrolman. He rose quickly through the ranks as Police Officer, Background Investigator, Patrol and Field Training Officer, Sergeant in Criminal Investigations, Sergeant in Internal Affairs, and Lieutenant and Patrol Watch Commander. By 2008, he was a Captain in the Bureau of Administration, where he completed a series of strategic short-term assignments and managed up to fifty-five staff members.

After four months, Edward Poulson was promoted to Captain, and assigned to the Internal Affairs division. In that role, he reported directly to the Chief of Police. He led a division charged with intake, processing and investigation hundreds of complaints every year, that alleged officer or staff misconduct. Edward Poulson managed a staff of up to forty. He prepared and managed an operational budget of five million dollars.

The position required Edward Poulson to manage many highly sensitive, high priority projects at the same time. He managed to juggle all these projects, and still oversee the complex documentation, tracking and adjudication of cases. His responsibilities include making final recommendations for all disciplinary actions. Finally, he planned and implemented substantial improvements in quality of investigations and timely processing of complaints.

Edward Poulson: Identifying Serious Problems

Edward Poulson is a veteran police officer with more than twenty years of experience. He has a proven track record in managing critical incidents, developing and implementing policies, managing large programs and leading cross-functional teams.

Edward Poulson's experiences as a patrol officer, and later as a Sergeant and Lieutenant, served him well as he advanced in his law enforcement career. He planned, implemented and managed the logistics for a police response to large-scale incidents, including several riots. He developed policies and procedures that are still in use as examples for use in all such incidents. As an Area Commander, he provided field leadership for hundreds of critical incidents including riots, bomb threats, hate crimes and officer-involved shootings, making rapid decisions on best approaches to achieve optimal outcomes.

The Oakland Police Department (OPD) is under Federal Consent Decree.  As part of this decree, the department was required to acquire, deploy and use a technology system to track officer activity. Officers on either side of the bell curve received different degrees of remedial action in an attempt to bring their performance into line with the majority of officers. "I determined that the technology that was in place was not going to stand the test of time," Edward Poulson recalls. "I determined that the current technology would not meet the requirements of the Federal Consent Decree at the time or in the future.  I also identified serious workflow flaws in the OPD's early intervention system."

Edward Poulson took it upon himself to analyze the situation, identify the correct technology system and redesign the process. "I presented the recommendations to senior management," he says, and then initiated and managed the early design phase of a replacement system. The new processes are expected to save the organization over seven million dollars a year.