Jacksonville State University this week hosted the first Southeastern Leadership Command College for law enforcement officers from across Alabama.

The program's strategic purpose is to provide professional development to senior officers while training sergeant- or lieutenant-level officers to later become department or agency leaders.

The curriculum focuses on general management and leadership principles, including conflict resolution, fiscal responsibility, and the political, legal, and social environment in law enforcement.

The nine-week program has already attracted 44 employees from 25 agencies across the state.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall praised Jackson State for hosting the event.

“When you look at the value of what JSU has done, it's not just an investment in law enforcement; it's about telling a mother whose child is a victim of a violent crime that we're going to support you. It’s true.’ Find the person who committed that crime and find justice,” Marshall said.

“You have had a broad impact on the people who have walked through these doors, but your greatest impact is on the communities they come from.”

RELATED: Jacksonville State opens Law Enforcement Command College

Caleb Littlejohn, director of the Center for Law Enforcement Best Practices, expressed excitement about the momentum behind the program.

“It's going very well,” Littlejohn said. “I couldn’t be happier with the way they communicated.”

JSU President Don C. Killingsworth Jr. emphasized the school's tradition of partnering with law enforcement at the program's ribbon cutting in January.

“For more than 50 years, Jacksonville State has been a pioneer in police education and training in Northeast Alabama,” Killingsworth said. “Over the past decade, the university has expanded its reach to provide comprehensive training and resources to support police officers at every stage of their careers across Alabama.”

The Command College is one of several programs and initiatives Jacksonville State has established over the past decade to support Alabama law enforcement. Comparable programs include the Center for Applied Forensic Science, the Center for Best Practices in Law Enforcement, the Alabama Academy of Investigators, and the Jax State Cold Case Program.

JSU is also home to the Northeast Alabama Law Enforcement Academy.

Austin Shipley is a staff writer at Yellowhammer News.