About VTP Leadership Solutions

Dr. Lestrange’s career spans some of the most pivotal moments in modern American law enforcement and national security, unfolding across four decades of historic change.

In the 1990s, his work intersected with the disruption and dismantlement of La Cosa Nostra organized crime and the exposure of major NYPD corruption scandals. He served during an era marked by the Rodney King beating in Los Angeles and the nationwide reckoning it sparked on police accountability, as well as the O.J. Simpson trial and acquittal, which became a defining moment in the intersection of race, media, and justice.

These years also brought the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993, the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, and the lasting reverberations from the kidnapping, torture, and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena in Mexico—an event that reshaped U.S.–Mexico counter-narcotics operations.

The early 2000s were dominated by the September 11 attacks, the launch of simultaneous wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the transformation of U.S. law enforcement into a counterterrorism-driven enterprise. These events demanded new levels of intelligence sharing, interagency cooperation, and adaptive strategy to meet rapidly evolving threats.

They also brought the birth of the Department of Homeland Security, an audacious attempt to knit together 22 agencies from across the federal landscape into a single mission. Those inside government at the time watched customs inspectors, border agents, immigration officers, transportation screeners, and emergency managers—people with wildly different histories and instincts—struggle to become teammates almost overnight.

Missteps were frequent: turf battles flared, systems failed to connect, and long-entrenched cultures resisted change. Yet each setback became a lesson, shaping clearer roles, stronger policies, and sturdier bridges between organizations. It was, in every sense, a case of “failing forward”—an imperfect but determined march toward a new model of homeland security, built on lessons learned in real time.

In the 2010s, while serving in senior roles at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Dr. Lestrange worked alongside and supported teams engaged in major transnational crime investigations—including the landmark case that led to the capture of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán by his agency.

This period also saw the tragic murder of HSI Special Agent Jamie Zapata in Mexico, which underscored the risks faced by U.S. personnel working abroad and shaped cross-border law enforcement cooperation. These events marked yet another strategic shift to the expansion of transnational organized crime investigations and the growing integration of advanced technology and data analytics into investigative work.

The 2020s brought a new wave of challenges, from the nationwide social and cultural reckoning following the death of George Floyd, to the COVID pandemic, to the unprecedented rise of foreign disinformation and misinformation campaigns undermining public trust. These forces culminated in the assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021—a stark reminder of the fragility of democratic institutions and the critical role of law enforcement in safeguarding them.

At the same time, the rapid introduction of artificial intelligence into policing and intelligence work marked a technological turning point—one in which Dr. Lestrange played a leading role through his work with METIS Intelligence, helping design AI-driven investigative solutions for public safety agencies while educating police leadership across the country to advance critical conversations on AI readiness, ethics, privacy, and the future of public safety leadership.

These events, combined with the many other challenges of modern policing—including rising violence, officer suicide, disinformation/misinformation, attrition, recruitment challenges, and diminishing community trust—have informed his leadership perspective. His commitment to officer wellness, evidence-based reforms, and transparent policing has driven him to become a thought leader in the field.

Drawing from decades of professional and academic experience, Dr. Lestrange brings a rare blend of practice and scholarship to the future of public safety leadership.

To prepare future leaders, Dr. Lestrange is also a Course Developer and Adjunct Professor in Criminal Justice Management, Leadership Studies, and Organizational Assessment and Design for Tiffin University’s masters and doctoral programs in Criminal Justice, and Global Leadership and Change Management; and an Adjunct Professor at Indiana Institute of Technology’s, College of Business and Continuing Professional Studies for MBA and undergraduate courses in Strategy, Criminal Justice, Sustainability, Homeland Security, and Emergency Management.

Passionate about the continued advancement of policing, and beyond the classroom, Dr. Lestrange has supervised doctoral research and dissertations on topics such as Police Recruitment & Retention, Adaptive Leadership, and Leading Multi-generational Workforces; through his frequent contributions to Lexipol: Police 1 and his nationally recognized plan, The Way Forward: A Bedrock (25-Point) Plan for Public Safety, Community Investment, and Criminal Justice Reform, developed in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.

His forthcoming book, The Next Watch: Four Guiding Leadership Principles for the Future of Policing, synthesizes his lived experiences, academic expertise, and forward-looking vision to prepare the next generation of leaders in public safety.