PHILADELPHIA--ASIS International's Law Enforcement Liaison Council developed a program here that is helping current law enforcement officers learn about, and secure, jobs in the private sector.

The seminar, delivered free of charge to those currently serving in a law enforcement role, brings a group of local professionals in to discuss transitions they have made into private security as well as employers to discuss the 'do's and dont's' of resume building, interviews and performance expectations, said Jim Birch, director of security and life safety for Comcast Center, Liberty Property Trust.

"There are so many police officers out there that may want to have a second career and may not know where to go to translate their skills into a competitive resume and a competitive interview in the private sector," Birch said.

Officers who enroll in a Deferred Retirement Option Program (a Philadelphia city council ordinance that gives those who have reached normal retirement age the option of placing monthly retirement benefit in a deferred account and continue to be employed with the city for up to four additional years) have been a target audience for the seminars and they, along with the Fraternal Order of Police, have given the seminar a "very enthusiastic buy-in."

Walt Smith, commander of Philly PD's Homeland Security Unit, said the DROP program has given officers more of an incentive to look for another career and the seminars have given them access to opportunities outside the department.

"This is presented in a format people can identify with," said Stacy Irving, senior director of crime prevention services with the Philadelphia Center City District. "We understand what the positions were from law enforcement and some of the cultural and emotional shifts that officers need to make, and how they would benefit from hearing what others had learned and what mistakes they made."

Irving said it was surprising that "most of the attendees in many ways doubted that their skills would translate" in a corporate environment. "They didn't understand the value they could bring ... but this program has been able to allow them to understand the value of these skills."

Birch pointed out that a law enforcement and military background has rigid rules, policies and set behavior that does not necessarily translate in the private sector. "I think police can make that transition if they understand but no one has ever told them that they have to sell their idea to senior management, for example. Everything isn't black and white in business principles."

Developing programs like this is key to the LELC's core objectives. Birch said the "goal of the LELC is to primarily look for initiatives that bridge the gap between public law enforcement and private security professionals" and promote these group's coordination.

Birch said the program has been so successful that attendees are asking the LELC to add additional components, such as mock interviews and a job fair. The seminar, originally piloted here, is also being conducted by local officials in New York. Boston is also looking to develop a similar initiative.

"There are different ways these can operate but it has to be homegrown by bringing people in from different local law enforcement agencies," Birch said. "It is very important that attendees feel they can identify with those people on the panel."

Birch said the program also dispels some of the "negative fictional perceptions" from both the private and public sectors about the other. "This is really about destroying those goofy perceptions that have been around for a long time. Each side has a tremendous amount to offer, but all of a sudden you forget where you came from and this is about getting the mutual respect up where it should be."

Smith concurred. "We all end up depending on each other and we need to break down glass ceilings and stereotypes of us vs. them and them vs. us," he said noting that with this program, "we are out to build a better mousetrap."