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The Signal System™

Practical Tools for Enhancing Police Culture and Leadership

Building a safe, respectful, and high-performing workplace culture in policing is challenging, but essential. Our evidence-informed, interactive workshops are designed to strengthen police supervision and culture in ways that directly improve performance, wellbeing, and morale.

✓ Developed through the University of Calgary

✓ Based on research

✓ Shaped by five years of real-world testing in a Canadian police service setting

✓ Positive results in real-world policing contexts

Customized design without the customized price tag

We’ll work with you to identify your needs and priorities, then draw from our existing library of proven content to build a workshop that fits your goals, timeframes, and budget. Whether you’re after a half-day, full-day, two-day session or more, you’ll be able to select from a range of topic options — and we’ll assemble a package tailored for your organization, without the cost of starting from scratch. Available topics include:

✓ Enhancing Frontline Culture

✓ Supporting Accountability Among Members

✓ Setting Expectations

✓ Giving & Receiving Feedback

✓ Preventing & Addressing Sexual Harassment

✓ Preventing & Addressing Incivility & Bullying

✓ Managing Conflict and Building Resilient Teams

These sessions can be adapted to any level of leadership, including constables, detectives, supervisors, and senior leaders.

Who We Are

Shift is a primary prevention research hub out of the University of Calgary. The team brings together research, design, and facilitation expertise — with a proven track record of engaging male-dominated workplaces to foster positive, respectful, and high-performing cultures while disrupting and preventing workplace harassment.

Elizabeth has worked with Shift for over 15 years, advancing practical, evidence-informed approaches to gender equity and violence prevention. Her work integrates behavioural science with real-world engagement to help individuals and organizations prevent violence and enhance gender equity. As project lead for The Signal System™, Elizabeth helps bring conversations about inclusion and psychological safety to the front lines, while supporting broader policy and systems change. She also designed Changing Contexts, a framework to help practitioners engage men and transform culture in male-dominated settings.

Melissa has worked with Shift for 5 years, advancing innovative approaches to strengthen workplace culture and prevent violence. Her work combines applied research with the facilitation of leadership development sessions for frontline police officers, focused on enhancing team performance, well-being, and accountability. Melissa is passionate about bridging research and practice to create learning experiences that are engaging, relevant, and pragmatic.

Lana Wells is an internationally recognized expert in gender-based violence prevention, social work, and public policy. As the Brenda Strafford Chair in the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Associate Professor at the University of Calgary, she founded Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence, Canada’s first primary prevention research hub and the organization behind The Signal System™. Wells has produced over 100 reports shaping policy across Canada and leads national work on engaging men and boys, rural prevention, and early intervention. Her research, leadership, and advocacy have earned numerous national awards and recognition.

What People are Saying

Our learning sessions were implemented and tested for five years within the Calgary Police Service – and the response was overwhelmingly positive.

“Incredible value. Not only did our folks value the training, they actually use the tools, which for cops is just about unheard of.” (Inspector)

“In my 24 years with CPS, I have never seen a program implemented where there was such acceptance from the patrol group, and I truly believe it had a lot to do with your delivery and approach in the sessions. I firmly believe this should be an ongoing program within [our organization].” (Staff Sergeant)

“[Gave us] more tools in the toolbox to help become better leaders.” (Sergeant)

“Very valuable information for sergeants. Good to do as a district group to possibly begin to have consistency across teams.” (Sergeant)

“Well done. Not preachy. Down to earth information that can be practically put into use.” (Constable)

Hear From our Founder, Lana Wells

Learn about The Signal System™ approach from a presentation Lana delivered at the Canadian Police Knowledge Network’s Stanhope 2025 Conference.

Interested in learning more?

For more information, please contact: shift.dv@ucalgary.ca

We can also put you in touch with members of the Calgary Police Service who have first-hand knowledge of our approach.

Shift: The project to end domestic violence