EXPERT EVALUATIONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT PROMOTIONS

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Law enforcement agencies across the United States continue to face challenges in developing promotional processes that are fair, consistent, legally defensible, and directly related to supervisory and command responsibilities. These processes must reliably identify and promote the most qualified officers into leadership roles that support organizational effectiveness and continuous improvement.

In addition to designing and administering assessment centers, agencies must select panel members who are experienced, knowledgeable, and able to evaluate candidates objectively and consistently. Achieving a credible promotional process requires careful planning, precise execution, and customization to each department’s needs. Any deficiency can compromise outcomes and hinder long-term organizational progress.

Despite the critical importance of promotional assessments, some agencies assign this responsibility to internal personnel who lack specialized experience and must manage the process in addition to their regular duties. 

Others outsource assessments to external providers that rely on virtual interviews or evaluations, limiting an assessor’s ability to observe body language, posture, situational awareness, and interpersonal presence—key indicators of leadership, command presence, and credibility. In many cases, these providers further weaken the process by relying on last-minute panel selections or inexperienced evaluators, undermining consistency, reliability, and defensibility.

Professional Promotions Assessment Group is led by seasoned law enforcement executives and supervisors with distinguished careers in leadership development, promotional assessments, and organizational excellence.

Collectively, our assessment team brings more than 115 years of combined law enforcement experience, including command-level leadership as deputy chiefs, lieutenants, sergeants, academy directors, and specialized unit commanders. Our founder is a graduate of the FBI National Academy (Session #298) and has overseen the entire promotional process for the Las Cruces Police Department in recent years, providing firsthand expertise in designing and administering fair, objective, and legally defensible assessment processes.

Our panel members possess extensive experience evaluating and developing leaders while serving in or overseeing patrol operations, SWAT, criminal investigations, internal affairs, traffic operations, training and recruitment, field training and evaluation programs, police academies, street crimes units, K-9 operations, crisis intervention teams, use-of-force review, tactical operations, and executive administration. Several members have also served as academy instructors, tactical commanders, and organizational leaders responsible for mentoring and promoting the next generation of law enforcement professionals.

This breadth of operational and executive experience enables our assessors to evaluate candidates through the lens of real-world leadership expectations. Every promotional exercise is conducted with professionalism, consistency, and integrity, ensuring agencies receive objective, credible, and defensible evaluations that identify the most qualified leaders for advancement.

Lt. Samuel Cody Austin brings over 17 years of progressive law enforcement leadership with the Las Cruces Police Department, demonstrating extensive experience in supervision, organizational management, and personnel development. Throughout his career, he has advanced through patrol, specialized assignments, and executive leadership roles while consistently mentoring officers and leading high-performing teams. 

As the department’s Specialty Lieutenant, he oversees multiple specialized units, including the Traffic Division, K-9 Unit, Street Crimes Unit, Field Training Program, Transport Officers, Police Service Aides, and Retired Officers Program. He works closely with federal, state, and local partners, collaborates with city leadership, and supports community engagement initiatives. 

In prior leadership assignments as Patrol Lieutenant, Academy Sergeant, Traffic Sergeant, and Patrol Sergeant, Lt. Austin supervised sergeants, officers, and recruits; managed training and hiring programs; conducted assessment centers; investigated complaints; evaluated employee performance; and provided mentorship to develop future leaders. His responsibilities have required strategic decision-making, accountability, and effective oversight of complex operations. 

Lt. Austin also served as a SWAT Team Leader, directing tactical personnel, coordinating joint operations, and helping maintain operational readiness through rigorous training and leadership. In addition, he holds numerous instructor certifications in use of force, firearms, de-escalation, and physical training, reflecting his commitment to professional development and organizational excellence. 

His breadth of supervisory experience, leadership under pressure, and dedication to mentoring and evaluating personnel make him exceptionally qualified to serve as a promotional assessment board panel member. 

Lt. Adrian Alva is an experienced law enforcement leader with more than a decade of progressive supervisory and command experience at the Las Cruces Police Department. His career reflects a strong commitment to accountability, operational excellence, personnel development, and organizational leadership across patrol, internal affairs, tactical operations, and specialized assignments. 

As the department’s Internal Affairs Lieutenant, Lt. Alva oversees Internal Affairs investigations and CALEA accreditation, manages policy review and revisions, trains supervisors on investigative processes, analyzes use-of-force and citizen complaint data, coordinates with independent auditors, and serves as the liaison with Human Resources on employee discipline. His role requires impartial decision-making, policy expertise, and oversight of sensitive administrative investigations. 

Previously serving as Patrol Lieutenant and Traffic Sergeant, Lt. Alva directly supervised sergeants and officers, managed budgets and staffing, completed performance evaluations, reviewed reports and use-of-force documentation, and implemented strategic crime reduction and traffic safety initiatives. He also supervised specialized teams and public safety programs while ensuring compliance with operational standards and organizational goals. 

Lt. Alva’s leadership extends to his service as a SWAT Team Leader and Tactical Commander, where he led training initiatives, coordinated multi-agency operations, and participated in more than 200 high-risk missions. As a Patrol Sergeant and Field Training Officer, he mentored officers, managed critical incidents, and developed personnel through coaching and performance evaluations. 

His extensive supervisory experience, background in internal investigations and policy compliance, and dedication to mentoring and developing future leaders make Lt. Alva a valuable member of our promotional assessment board panel.

Col. Stanford Mack is a highly accomplished military and law enforcement leader with more than 30 years of service in the U.S. Army and over 25 years in civilian policing. Currently serving as a Colonel in the U.S. Army and a Patrol Sergeant with the Las Cruces Police Department, he brings exceptional experience in executive leadership, organizational management, personnel development, and operational planning. His career reflects sustained success, leading large organizations, mentoring leaders, and managing complex missions in both domestic and international environments. 

In the U.S. Army, Col. Mack has held numerous senior command positions, including Battalion Commander, Chief Observer/Trainer, and Operations Officer, where he was responsible for leading and training hundreds of personnel, overseeing mobilization and deployment operations, mentoring subordinate leaders, and ensuring organizational readiness and accountability. His assignments required strategic planning, resource management, interagency coordination, and executive-level decision-making in high-pressure environments. 

Within the Las Cruces Police Department, Col. Mack has served as Patrol Sergeant, Traffic Sergeant, Academy Sergeant, Police Academy Coordinator, Tactical Team Leader, and Field Training Officer. In these roles, he supervised officers, conducted performance evaluations, managed hiring and academy operations, coordinated large-scale training programs, reviewed investigations, represented the department in community and governmental meetings, and assumed lieutenant responsibilities when required. He also led numerous high-risk tactical operations and trained the next generation of law enforcement professionals. 

Col. Mack’s distinguished record of executive leadership, extensive supervisory experience, and commitment to mentoring and developing personnel make him exceptionally well qualified to serve as a promotional assessment board panel member. His ability to evaluate leadership potential, uphold professional standards, and guide organizational excellence is grounded in decades of command experience across both military and civilian law enforcement.