American Magazine, July 2015

mastery
ILLUSTRATION BY PETER HOEY
1975
Joined his father,
Mohamed, in Alexandria,
Virginia. Began learning
English in summer school
before sixth grade.
1977
Had a chance encounter
with two Alexandria police
officers. “THERE WAS
A CAR ACCIDENT,
AND I WAS A NOSY
KID, SO I STARTED
TALKING TO
THEM. THEY WERE
GRACIOUS AND
EXPLAINED WHAT
WAS HAPPENING. I
THOUGHT, THAT’S
SOMETHING I’D BE
INTERESTED IN.”
1965
Born in Rome, Italy.
Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers: The Story of
Success offers a formula for success—being born
at the right place and time and investing at least
10,000 hours in pursuit of your goal. Hassan Aden,
SPA/MPA ’09, knew from a young age that he
wanted to be a police officer. But this son of an
Italian mother and Somali father couldn’t have
foreseen a career that has taken him from walking
the beat in Alexandria, Virginia, to the chief’s office
in Greenville, North Carolina, to the International
Association of Chiefs of Police, where he’s director
of research and programs.
1989
Was on the scene when
APD officer Charles Hill
was shot and killed during
a hostage situation. He
keeps a program from
Hill’s memorial service
and an etching of his name
from the National Law
Enforcement Memorial
Wall on display in his office.
“THAT BROUGHT
ON A WHOLE
DIFFERENT SET
OF REALIZATIONS
ABOUT POLICING
AND THE WORLD
WE LIVE IN.”
1988
Worked undercover in
the narcotics division
in the midst of the
crack epidemic.
1987
Joined the Alexandria
Police Department (APD),
where he worked alongside
those two officers.
1992
Became a
narcotics
detective.
1995
Volunteered to become
APD’s first-ever school
resource officer. “IT
WAS THE MOST
INTIMIDATING JOB
I’VE EVER HAD, BUT
WE CHANGED THE
WAY THE COMMUNITY
VIEWED THE POLICE.
WE WERE GOOD
AMBASSADORS.”
2000
Promoted to sergeant.
“IT WAS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO
IMPACT YOUNG
OFFICERS AND SET
EXPECTATIONS
FOR HOW PEOPLE
BEHAVE AND
POLICE.”
2001
Responded to
the Pentagon on
September 11. “THE
POLICE RADIO
WENT CRAZY.
I SAW SMOKE
AND QUICKLY
REALIZED WHAT
WAS HAPPENING.”
2010
Inducted into George
Mason University’s
Center for Evidence-
Based Crime Policy’s
Policing Hall of Fame.
2009
Promoted to deputy chief.
Helped bring crime rates
to a 43-year low.
Graduated from AU’s Key
Executive Leadership
program’s 36th cohort.
2008
Became district
commander for the
west end of the city.
2007
Invited to join the new
APD chief’s transition
team. Built a computerbased
system that holds
police accountable for
responses to crime.
2006
Promoted to captain.
Assigned to the
US Department of
Justice’s National
Institute of Justice as
a practitioner expert
in communications
and interoperability.
2002
Handpicked by
the chief of police
to join internal
affairs—the police
who police the
police.
2012
Hired as chief of police
in Greenville, North
Carolina. “THE YEAR
BEFORE, THEY
HAD 18 HOMICIDES
IN A CITY OF
100,000. THERE WAS
LOTS OF GANG
ACTIVITY AND IT
WAS RACIALLY
DIVIDED. BUT I VERY
QUICKLY FELL IN
LOVE WITH THE CITY.”
2013
Worked with the community
to develop a first-of-its-kind
strategic plan to improve
relationships between
civilians and the police.
2014
Selected by the Justice
Department to join its
Collaborative Reform
Initiative for the St. Louis
County Police Department.
Traveled to St. Louis
to train officers on
community engagement.
2015
Joined the International
Association of Chiefs of
Police, where he oversees
the organization’s research
arm. Partners with
academics and provides
research products for
22,000 members from
more than 100 countries.
“I LOVED BEING
POLICE CHIEF,
BUT THIS IS
MORE IMPORTANT
RIGHT NOW.”
DOWNLOAD the American
magazine app to hear more of
Aden’s story in his own words.
FOLLOW US @AU_AMERICANMAG 9