Category Archives: Squad Culture

Shifting Gears in Policing

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Recently Harvard Law Review published an article by Seth Stoughton entitled “Law Enforcement’s ‘Warrior’ Problem.” It discussed the need for law enforcement to move beyond the idea of being “warriors” and accept the concept of becoming “guardians.” Stoughton wrote that the concept of being warriors started with the best of intentions, but has “created substantial obstacles to improving police/community relations.” Whichever side of the discussion you fall on, warrior or guardian, it is a huge over simplification to think that a single mentality can define the role patrol officers must play each shift to remain safe and protect the community. Law enforcement cannot be one or the other; we must have the ability to fill many different roles dependent upon the circumstances presented by the situation.

As a patrol sergeant with one of the youngest squads in the department, I knew that it would be vital to define the mentality I expected my officers to have while on the road. I could not support a singular mentality whose sole purpose was to either keep them safe or allow them to more easily interact with the public. Through this internal debate, I concluded that one of the biggest challenges facing law enforcement is getting away from any concept that takes a “one size fits all” approach. Patrol officers should not be asked or expected to be just warriors or just guardians. They should be expected to be and trained to be warriors, guardians, caretakers, counsellors, educators, enforcers, and community representatives with the ability to shift gears from one role into another seamlessly based upon the circumstances of the call.

Officers must possess the intelligence to quickly assess a situation, decide on the role they must play, and then execute it successfully while continuing to assess their ever changing environment. As law enforcement supervisors, we have to assist our officers in rectifying the conflict between showing compassion, empathy, and understanding while at the same time being ready to maintain control of the situation and possibly use force. Training the ability to show compassion, empathy, and understanding while also maintaining officer safety is the challenge law enforcement faces and the primary reason why a “one size fits all” mentality so easily took hold in the first place. One requires constant thinking, adapting, and assessing; while the other allows for simplicity.

Department training must adapt to this more complicated and effective style of policing. Just as it is critical for officers to have on-going training in firearms, legal updates, emergency driving, and defensive tactics; it is equally as important to find training techniques that emphasize problem-solving, de-escalation, and proper “gear selection” based upon a call’s circumstances. There must be an emphasis on finding solutions to problems and not just being a Band-Aid.

I understand that making training changes within a police department can be like turning around the Titanic; so here are 10 ways patrol supervisors can reinforce “gear shift” thinking within their squad.

  1. When officers call you with a question, walk them through your decision-making process by asking these 3 questions: 1) What do you know? 2) What do you want to do? 3) What is your intent with the chosen solution? Then affirm their answer or provide other options, but ultimately leave the decision up to the officer unless it endangers or violates rights.
  2. Take the time to train officers in all of the department’s available resources and referral services such as crisis lines, shelters, etc. Knowing the options available to them increases the number of possible solutions to a call for service.
  3. Debrief calls in detail and discuss alternative options at critical decision points.
  4. Send officers to outside trainings that build their knowledge base in other roles such as Crisis Intervention Training (CIT), negotiating, and de-escalation techniques.
  5. Be on the road as a resource to your officers, but refrain from taking over calls unless necessary. Help them to recognize opportunities to use the department’s available resources and referral services when making an arrest is not the best “gear” to be in. Remember, solutions not Band-Aids.
  6. Tabletop training scenarios in briefing with multiple acceptable endings: arrest, warning/discretion, use a resource, or make a referral. Just like reality, there is rarely a single correct answer.
  7. Discuss de-escalation techniques and how to tone down “command presence” without sacrificing officer safety. Have officers that have attended training on topics like this share what they learned upon returning to the squad.
  8. Recognize and reward thoughtful, creative problem solving in briefing. What you reward will be repeated.
  9. Bring experts into briefing to discuss department resources and all the ways they are available to help officers when they are on calls. Do not assume that your officers know all of the resources available to them.
  10. Train your officers to be leaders on calls. When officers from other squads are hesitant to make a decision, your officers can take them over and set the example of finding solutions.

So, how does law enforcement need to be training for the future? Not just as warriors and not just as guardians, but as thoughtful officers that respond to situations in the most appropriate gear for finding solutions to the problems they are presented with.

The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to inspire law enforcement leaders to be better than they were yesterday. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time. To lead your officers in this direction, you have to make the most out of the precious time you have available in briefing to establish the culture you wish for them to demonstrate on your road.

Share your thoughts or comments with us below or on our Facebook page. Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!

BRIEFING IDEA: What makes a great beat cop?

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Mark Miller, Vice President of Leadership Development at Chick-fil-A, once said, “People will do extraordinary things when a vision resonates deep inside of them.” The simple briefing idea described below helps to create a vision of what makes a great beat cop. It gets the entire squad on the same page regarding what they should expect out of each other and themselves as they are working their beats and also provides a positive way for them to bring up issues they may currently be having with squad mates. With everyone on the same page, you find that it becomes easier for them to hold themselves and each other accountable. As a supervisor, this activity gives you a great starting point for having conversations about creating a set of squad expectations or discussing issues  with current squad expectations.

BRIEFING IDEA: What makes a great beat cop?

Can you clearly define what makes a great beat cop? Stop and think about it for a moment . . . write down the top 5 traits you would expect to see. Now, ask yourself this, if you walked into your briefing and had your officers do the same thing, would their list be the same or at least similar to yours? The answer to that question is going to depend primarily on the strength of culture that has been established in your department and, more specifically, the one you have established on your squad. So, here is a simple idea to get everyone on the same page.

1. Before the briefing, choose 6 general categories that you feel a great beat cop can be defined by. For my briefing, I chose Leadership, Knowledge/Skills, Attitude, Communication (Verbal or Written), Productivity/Activity Level, and Use of Force/Officer Safety.

2. To start, walk into your briefing room and on a whiteboard draw a 2 by 3 grid for a total of 6 boxes. If you do not have a whiteboard, hang 6 large sheets of paper on the wall. I found that by not telling the officers what I was doing, it built up the intrigue of what was about to happen.

3. At the top of each box, write in one of the 6 categories that you chose in step #1.Jason's Stuff P6

4. To set the conversation up, ask your officers to envision what they think makes a great beat cop; someone that they would absolutely love to work with. Then, point out that there is probably a different vision for each person in the room based on their prior experiences. Explain that the object of this briefing is to define what WE, as a squad, believe makes a great beat cop so that everyone is on the same page when we head out to hit the streets together.

5. To help start the conversation, start by calling on officers directly, but in a rotation so everyone gets to have input. Ask each officer to give one idea to add to any of the 6 categories. I would suggest starting with the officers that you have previously identified as the leaders on your squad. When they are involved first, the others will be more comfortable speaking up. Do not forget to include yourself at the end of each rotation; you are part of the squad and when they hit the road your officers are an extension of your vision and leadership. For each idea you write, there is an opportunity for potential discussion or to bring up examples of times when you have seen officers exemplify this behavior.

Board

6. After several rounds and the officers have become more comfortable with the discussion, review the items listed in each category. Read the items aloud and ask if there is anything that has been missed to complete the discussion for each category. This is your opportunity to steer the conversation towards areas the officers may not have thought about, but seek their input on the items you bring up. This cannot become the supervisor’s list or you will lose their buy-in. (Note: If you are generating a lot of good discussion, consider using a second briefing to complete the list.)

7. After the list is completed, write it down and put it into a presentable format to be handed out to the squad. See my squad’s final list below.

R1 Designs

8. Hand out a copy of the final document to each officer. Review the items listed for each category and ask your officers if there is anything listed that they cannot agree to do on a daily basis. Emphasize that this description is what everyone, including the supervisor, should be shooting to be on a daily basis. In my briefing, I made the point that nobody is going to be perfect 100% of the time, but if we are striving to demonstrate all of the positive qualities listed, then we will be pretty great beat cops.

It may feel awkward to think about leading a discussion like this in briefing; especially if you have never done anything similar. If that is the case, my suggestion would be to set it up by sharing with your officers you want to try something different in briefing a couple of shifts in advance. By simply giving a heads up about the change, it will set them up to be more understanding when you start this briefing and they won’t waste the time wondering why this just came out of nowhere.

The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to inspire law enforcement leaders to be better than they were yesterday. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time by anyone in a law enforcement leadership position. To lead your officers in this direction, you have to make the most out of the precious time you have available in briefing to establish the culture you wish to have on your squad.

Share your thoughts or comments with us below or on our Facebook page. Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!

Squad Expectations: The P.R.I.D.E.S. MODEL

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The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to share positive leadership tactics with the field of law enforcement. Positive leadership starts by creating a positive squad culture. The P.R.I.D.E.S. Model is a framework for establishing squad expectations that support the goal of cultivating a positive squad culture.

Prides

The purpose of establishing a framework is to create guidelines that are flexible to any situation’s circumstances, easy to remember, and easy to apply. The P.R.I.D.E.S. Model is a framework that is clearly defined and sets officers up for success. Consistency is established by routinely reminding officers that this framework is the expectation that governs everything they do and how they will be evaluated.

The P.R.I.D.E.S. Model directly addresses two prongs that define a squad’s culture – actions and attitudes. Actions and attitudes that fall within the framework of the P.R.I.D.E.S. Model should be rewarded as a matter of routine practice to reinforce desired behaviors. Rewarding positive behaviors will foster a positive squad culture where every officer knows how to excel under your supervision. Actions and attitudes that fall outside of the framework become easy to address because the model clearly defines the boundaries of what is acceptable. By regularly referencing the P.R.I.D.E.S. Model, common ground is already established to start conversations addressing issues of concern.

Culture

The P.R.I.D.E.S. Model – PATROL CULTURE

The “why” behind using this model is that it focuses on establishing a positive patrol culture. By establishing a positive culture based upon actions and attitudes, not a generic list of rules, officers recognize a supervisor that truly cares about doing the right things for the right reasons. Once this model is established and being supported by the supervisor, it will begin to support itself through momentum. Officers that are engrained within the P.R.I.D.E.S culture will bring new officers into the fold as soon as they join the squad. This momentum occurs because, deep down, everyone wants to belong to a group that is truly doing something positive and bigger than its individual pieces. In the end, a positive patrol culture will reflect in how officers interact with the public that they serve.

The P.R.I.D.E.S. Model – RESPOND AND INITIATE – ACTIONS

The first task in establishing a framework that supports a positive squad culture is to clearly define what actions your officers are expected to do during a shift. These actions can be broken down into two categories: respond and initiate.

RESPOND: Any action not generated by the officer: report calls, domestic violence calls, fights, alarm calls, disturbances, emergency traffic, etc. Any paperwork generated on any of these calls for service would also fall into this category. Responding is not just work based. It also means reminding officers to respond to their fellow officers, their families, and themselves.

INITIATE: Any action generated by the initiative of the officer: traffic stops, check subjected, close patrols, consensual contacts, beat problems, motorist assists, community policing activities, etc. Any paperwork generated due to the initiative of the officer would also fall into this category. Beyond police activities, initiating also includes functioning as a team and maintaining the P.R.I.D.E.S. culture.

These two actions, responding and initiating, are a simplified way of categorizing the plethora of actions that may be taken by an officer during any given shift. The expectation is that when the officer is not responding to activity, then they should be looking to initiate activity. On a busy shift with a lot of calls for service, there would be a rise in the amount of time spent responding to activity. On a shift with minimal calls for service, there would be a rise in the amount of time spent initiating activity. This does not establish any specific minimums or maximums limiting an officer’s activity level; nor does it define a hierarchy of actions. This allows officers the ability to work within their areas of strength and succeed accordingly. The key simply to maintain a high activity level.

The P.R.I.D.E.S. Model – DECIDE, EVALUATE, AND SERVE – ATTITUDES

The second task to establishing a framework that supports a positive squad culture is defining how your officers go about the actions of responding and initiating. While this is the last piece of the model to be discussed, its importance should not be taken lightly. Establishing the proper attitude is the foundation for the whole thing. There are three necessary attitude components to properly support the actions taken by your officers.

DECIDE: All decisions should be made based upon the law, department policy, best practices/procedures, officer safety, spirit of the law, equality, fairness, and in support of the department’s mission. A sound decision will apply all of these sources equally. As a TBL Leader, you should be conducting briefings with purpose to make sure your officers are trained in the most accurate and up-to-date information possible.

EVALUATE: Every decision, even those made with the best of intentions, should be evaluated as a standard practice. The more that is at risk in the decision, the more evaluation that should be done. Routinely discuss evaluation questions with your officers. When an officers calls you with a question about a call for service they are on, use these same questions to walk them through your decision-evaluation process instead of just giving them the answer. Examples of evaluation questions: What are the options? What evidence is present to support a particular decision? What is the ultimate goal of this decision? What was the decision made and how was it reached? Why was/is this the best course of action? What could be done better the next time a similar situation presents itself? The more officers practice evaluation, the less they will need external confirmation they are making correct decisions you support.

SERVE: Law enforcement serves to protect the community by establishing the thin blue line separating the good from the bad; order from chaos. In doing this, it is imperative for officers to recognize that they have chosen a profession based on service. This is NOT to be confused with being subservient. People are policing and as such officers must always remember their duty to serve their community, department, family, fellow officers, citizens, victims, and even the suspects they arrest. Throughout their careers, your officers are going to be asked to take on tasks or assignments that they do not like. The TBL Leader must consistently and strenuously remind them that the work they are doing is valued no matter how big or small the task. Serving is an officer’s “why.” When officers lose their “why,” they lose their way.

By operating within the framework of the P.R.I.D.E.S. Model, officers are given clear expectations related to time management, production, public interaction, officer interaction, decision making, evaluation thinking, etc. Discuss it daily. Walk through situations/scenarios using it. When you feel sick of talking about it, you will be about halfway to your squad fully accepting, understanding, and integrating it.

The absolutely vital key is for you, the TBL Leader, to consistently reinforce the model and explain the “why” behind it. What is the “why” behind the P.R.I.D.E.S. Model? To build and establish a positive squad culture that officers desire to be a part of because it is something bigger than themselves.

Do you think the P.R.I.D.E.S. Model could work in your department?

Share your thoughts or comments with us below or on our Facebook page. Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!

Change and Reputation

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Reputation1

As a police sergeant, I have 2 primary goals regarding the officers on my squad: 1. Keep them safe. 2. Assist them in being successful at reaching their goals. To assist them in being successful with their goals, I find it is necessary to help give them perspective on the “big picture.” In law enforcement, it is easy to get caught up on short-sighted issues that demoralize a squad like staffing, compensation, negative public perceptions, etc. With that being said, I wrote this and read it in one of my recent briefings.

Change and your reputation go hand in hand in any organization, but in a mid-sized police department it is even truer – there is nowhere to hide within a 400 person department. We all know the phenomenal street cop whose career was or is being derailed by their poor reputation/attitude. More times than not, their poor reputation/attitude is related to their inability to deal with change effectively.

Change is inevitable. The only thing that stays constant is that circumstances and situations are always changing. How you deal with change comes down to your own personal responsibility and accountability – What do you expect of yourself? This defines not only your ability to deal with change, but also develops your reputation within the organization. Are you a whiny victim of change or are you someone who can deal and work within the system that is present?

The sooner it is accepted that the system is what it is and will always be slow to respond, the easier it becomes to deal with organizational lapses. Organizations, like people, are inherently flawed – no organization is perfect because they are run by human beings who are made up of attitudes, egos, and emotions. To move beyond the lapses, though, you have to take the long view and not be focused on just the short-term. So, the question becomes, how can you react to change to get the best outcome and solidify a reputation as a positive, forward thinker?

First, when change is approaching, ask this question of yourself, “What can I do?” This is the most direct and proactive response you can have. Sometimes you’ll have the ability to affect change before it is upon you and sometimes you won’t. The key is to remember that working within yourself is the only thing you actually have true control over. By taking initiative and working from the front, you can often help direct change in a more palatable direction.

Reputation2

But, what if there is nothing you can do to directly affect the change that is coming? I answer that question with a quote from Maya Angelou, “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”

If you can’t effect the situation directly, then whining, complaining, or having beat office bitch sessions will do nothing but hurt YOUR reputation. The perceived “problem” will rarely be blamed because it is so ambiguous and comes from “they” levels. You know who “they” are, right? I implore you not to see change as something that is out to get you – it is vital to your career success to be a person who can identify the positives and opportunities that come with change.

There are 3 things you are always in control of when it comes to change – your actions, your attitude, and your effort. The common denominator to all 3 of those is YOU – you are in control and no one can take that away unless you let them. It is all about being proactive, not reactive.

Here are 5 steps to help deal with change in a positive, forward-thinking manner. These steps are adapted from the book Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson.

Change Awareness

  1. Accept that change happens.
  2. Anticipate change.
  3. Affect change, if possible.
  4. Adapt to change quickly by adjusting your perspective.
  5. Enjoy change by being in personal control of your response to it.

Ultimately to succeed, not just within an organization, but in life, it is about survival of the fittest – your ability to adapt and overcome to change. Just like responding to a call, the situation is always going to be fluid. How you respond is your choice and builds your reputation either for better or for worse!

The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to share positive leadership tactics with the field of law enforcement. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time by anyone in a law enforcement leadership position. By discussing topics like this, law enforcement leaders are tending to the welfare of the “whole” officer, not just the one in uniform.

Share your thoughts or comments with us below or on our Facebook page. Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!

Don’t Get Captured!

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“Work hard, have fun, be safe, and don’t get captured.” I end every patrol briefing with those four simple requests. The first three are pretty straightforward. It was the last one that generated snickers from my patrol officers, but that was fine by me; I knew they had heard it. Each briefing for a month and a half ended in the same way, but the snickers slowly faded. I assume they probably thought I was nuts to continue making the same dumb joke every shift. Then, I shared the meaning . . .

A few years ago, I was sitting in my living room watching one of the best television shows ever made, HBO’s The Wire. Jimmy McNulty, played by Dominic West, and the group of characters that had come together to run a wiretap had been disbanded and reassigned back to their old assignments. The scene opens with a Baltimore Police Department lieutenant giving a patrol briefing. At the very end of the briefing, he closes by saying, “Don’t get captured.”

As a patrol officer at the time, I thought that was a pretty funny way to end a briefing. The simplistic meaning I came up with was that it was a comedic way for the writers to get across the danger that exists on a daily basis working patrol in Baltimore. For some inexplicable reason, this phrase stuck with me. I decided, years before promoting, that I would end every briefing I lead with “don’t get captured,” but for very different reasons than the simplistic one I thought of the first time I heard it.

Don’t get captured truly has a much deeper meaning. Think about it, what does it really mean to be captured? Here are my two reasons for ending each briefing this way:

First, to be captured means you or someone leading you has created a situation that is beyond your control; too far behind enemy lines, surrounded. In law enforcement, it is very easy to metaphorically get too far behind those lines. It could be walking into a domestic violence call without backup, trying to break up a fight without recognizing the encircling crowd, or getting pulled into a foot pursuit without knowing what is around the corner. These are all situations that good patrol officers need to learn to recognize and respond to appropriately so they don’t get behind those lines. The same sentiment holds true for law enforcement supervisors that are running emergency traffic and leading officers during the most volatile moments policing has to offer.

Second, to be captured also means that you gave up and stopped fighting. As officers, we all accept the reality that we may have to physically defend ourselves and survive long enough for backup to arrive. If we give up, quit, and stop fighting; then the consequences could be life threatening. Babe Ruth said, “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” Could there be any truer statement than that for the patrol officer that is in a fight for their life?

So, why do I end every patrol briefing by saying, “don’t get captured?” I do this because it serves as a subtle reminder to the men and women I’m leading to always be cautious of what they are heading into and to never give up. Backup is coming . . . just keep fighting.

Thank you for reading our blog. The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to share positive leadership tactics with the field of law enforcement. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time by anyone in a law enforcement leadership position. Development of a positive culture must be intentional; otherwise, who knows what will develop in its place.

Share your thoughts or comments with us below or on our Facebook page. Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!

Intentional Culture

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The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to share positive leadership tactics with the field of law enforcement. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time by anyone in a law enforcement leadership position. Development of a positive culture must be intentional; otherwise, who knows what will develop in its place.

For demonstrative purposes, I am going to discuss culture as it relates to the position of a sergeant with his/her squad, but these concepts are applicable at any level within an organization. When speaking of culture, I am specifically defining it as the prevailing actions and attitudes that a group demonstrates on a consistent basis. Actions and attitudes are the building blocks of culture and both must be guided in a desired direction.

Here are 4 ways to develop an intentional culture . . .

  1. Cultural development begins the minute you assume a leadership position. The minute you walk into your first briefing, you are already beginning to develop the culture of the squad. Were you early, late, or right on time? Officers are watching every step you take and are trying to decipher what you like, what you don’t like, what you expect of them, and what they can get away with. You must know within yourself what direction you want to go or a power vacuum will form. The squad is seeking direction and leadership, either you give it to them or someone else will. There is not a minute to waste.
  2. Your style will teach your officers the culture. To be intentional about your squad’s culture, you must feed them examples of how you picture the culture. This cannot be done from the office. It requires being out on the road with them and demonstrating your style in action so they aren’t having to guess. Contact, communication, and connection between you and your officers is key. While in briefings, encourage your officers to ask “why” so they can better understand your decision-making process. The more they understand, the more the culture will begin to reflect the style you desire.
  3. What you reward will be repeated. You must reward desired actions and attitudes consistently. When you know within yourself the direction you want your squad to go, you will be able to easily recognize behaviors that deserve rewarding. This needs to be done even more blatantly if the desired behavior is a significant change from how things were prior to your being there. Positive reinforcement is a very powerful tool for a leader, but you must be careful in what you reward because that behavior will be repeated. When giving compliments, specifically define what was good. Instead of just saying something like, “Nice job;” specifically define the action or attitude that you observed. For example, “Nice job, I like the way you kept your cool back there when that guy was yelling at us. You didn’t lose your temper and maintained officer safety without lowering yourself to that level.”
  4. What you ignore, you condone. When taking over a leadership role, such as a sergeant starting with a new squad, there are always going to be things you see that you don’t necessarily agree with and differ from your desired culture. It is incumbent of you to not ignore them. Ultimately, what you don’t address will be assumed to be acceptable. On the flip-side, you must also be careful not to just bark orders about how you want things done or you’ll very quickly take on the persona of a micromanager. To make your redirections acceptable, you must define why it is important to you and why it should be important to that officer.

Before your can have any effect on the culture of a squad, you have to know what the culture is that you would like to have. If you cannot picture in your head what the perfect squad culture would look like, then how can you lead other people in that direction? Take the time to write out your thoughts and think about what has or has not worked in your previous assignments. What qualities made up the best squad/unit you have been a part of? This is your squad’s culture, be intentional about it!

What do you do at you department to be intentional about culture?

Share your thoughts or comments with us below or on our Facebook page. Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!

A Law Enforcement Recognition Idea

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The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to share positive leadership tactics with the field of law enforcement. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture are on-going commitments that must be nurtured and developed over time. One way to do this is by recognizing and rewarding great police work on a routine basis. Here is an idea that came to me the other day.

I found myself watching a college football game last weekend and was noticing the band, the cheerleaders, the crazy student section, the mascot, and of course the players. A thought struck me at that time regarding the strength of culture at these collegiate institutions. Then I began to pay particular attention to the helmets of the Florida State Seminoles and noticed that there were little tomahawk stickers on the player’s helmets. This was not something new as I have seen them on many other college team helmets, but today I guess it just struck me at the right time.

helmet

A Wikipedia search of “helmet stickers” revealed that recognition or pride stickers have been rewarded to players since the mid-1950’s for making excellent plays, selfless plays, and even for hard work at practices. The idea stemmed from fighter pilots that marked their planes to signify the number of kills or successful missions they had flown. Then I started to make a connection to police work.

Most police departments have awards that are given out on an annual basis, but if you really want to positively reinforce behavior then it needs to be done on a much more consistent basis than that. So, I created some law enforcement recognition stickers using the Thin Blue Line of Leadership logo and had them printed at evermine.com.

sticker

For a very small cost ($15+shipping), I received over 100 custom recognition stickers (1″ diameter) to give out in briefings to reward the great things that officers do on a daily basis. I am not selling anything or being paid by evermine.com to tell you any of this; I am simply sharing an idea and evermine happened to be the website that popped up first.

TYPES OF STICKERS: Walking into briefing with a couple of recognition stickers immediately makes everyone wonder who is being recognized and for what. It provides the perfect opportunity to reinforce more of the “smaller” things that do not rise to the level of an official ribbon or annual award. If you catch an officer changing a flat tire, give them a sticker. Have an officer that routinely volunteers to hold over a couple of hours to accommodate staffing needs, give them a sticker. If an officer does an amazing investigation or writes a great report, give them a sticker after they talk about it with the squad so everyone has a chance to learn from that officers great moment. Any action that supports what the squad is all about, the desired culture, should be recognized. This sticker is only given out when I, the sergeant, want to personally thank them or recognize them for some good work they did or a sacrifice they made for the squad. What gets recognized and rewarded gets repeated.

After the success of the above recognition sticker,  I created a second sticker for our squad. These stickers can only be received by officers that are being recognized by a person outside of the squad or another officer on the squad.

r1lion

It is a squad logo created of a lion (think LE Memorial) and stars to represent the people on our squad. These stickers were used for two purposes. First, when someone from outside the squad wants to recognize a member of the squad for something. These commendations could come from citizens, other supervisors, upper staff, etc. Secondly, the most interesting use for these stickers was for officers to internally thank each other when someone sacrificed to help them out personally. For example, when an officer found a good arrest and had a ton of items to impound related to the arrest and their squad mates stayed late to help them get done quicker. The next shift, they would come ask me for however many stickers they needed and in briefing would thank the officers that helped them out. The coolest part of the stickers is that they ended up perpetuating officers going above and beyond for their fellow officers to a whole new level than I had ever seen in policing.

The officers decide where to collect their stickers, but my suggestion would be their ticket clipboards to display their accomplishments proudly. Some put them on their locker or some other place they see on a daily basis. This serves as a consistent reminder of their many accomplishments and makes a statement about having a positive squad culture.

clipboard

Do you have a similar way of rewarding officers in your department?

Share your thoughts or comments with us below or on our Facebook page. Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!

Welcome to the Squad: New Officer Checklist

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The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to share positive leadership tactics with the field of law enforcement. Positive leadership and creating a positive squad culture begins the moment an officer arrives on the squad.

The world of law enforcement is hectic enough without having to reinvent the wheel every time a new officer gets assigned to the squad. Taking the time to establish a list of items to cover upon arrival promotes consistency, shows positive leadership, and continues the creation of a positive squad culture.

Below are some items to consider when creating a New Officer Checklist. They are in no particular order and each department and/or assignment may have their own specific items that should be included.

  1. Verify the officer knows their current chain of command.
  2. Describe the personalities of their new squad mates, their strengths, and the overall group dynamic.
  3. Go over squad expectations. Describe what a “rock star” looks like and how you plan to provide feedback consistently.
  4. Share any specific district/beat goals, issues, and initiatives that are on-going.
  5. Provide information on who to talk to regarding district resources and equipment.
  6. Ask the new officer about their background, family, strengths, goals, training they are interested in, and areas they would like to improve in.
  7. Ask the new officer what their expectations are of you as their new supervisor.

This list is not one to cram into the new officer’s first shift. Getting through the first 4 basic items will set them up with what they need to know immediately. The last 3 items will set the new officer up for future success.

 Is there anything else you would include in your New Officer Checklist?

Share your thoughts or comments with us below or on our Facebook page. Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!

6 Ways to Positively Influence Officer Behavior

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Every law enforcement organization in the world has that “slug” or “lazy cop” that no longer goes above and beyond. Maybe above and beyond is even too much of an expectation. You know, the officer that occasionally causes you to wonder if you need to put a mirror under his/her nose to make sure they are still breathing. Unfortunately, the vast majority of officers that fall into this category are a product of their environment. An environment created by or allowed to be by their leadership.

These officers have been allowed to be in this useless state for so long because no one has ever held them accountable on a consistent basis for their actions, or lack thereof. Naturally, most cops want to do great work, but when allowed to become complacent or unmotivated, they become a blight on the whole department.

In the book EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey he writes, “If you as a leader allow people to halfway do their jobs and don’t demand excellence as a prerequisite to keeping their job, you will create a culture of mediocrity.”

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The bad news is that you cannot change people. Only they can decide to change themselves through their actions, attitude, and effort. So, the question becomes what can you change? The answer is the environment.

By making consistent, incremental positive changes in the environment, you can alter the behaviors of your officers. Here are 6 things you can start doing tomorrow to change your squad’s environment and create lasting on-the-job behavioral changes.

  1. Recognize and reward the positive actions and attitudes of your officers. When you see something great, recognize it immediately and find a way to reward it. Other officers will see that success and then begin to duplicate that behavior. A hand written note, a shout-out in briefing, buying them a coffee, getting them into a training they wanted, or speaking positively about them to upper staff are easy ways to reward positive behaviors.
  2. Have your officers submit weekly or monthly goals to you and find ways to assist them in reaching those goals. Ask your officers for specific and measurable goals related to current issues in their beats. For example, spending more time in a neighborhood hit hard by property crimes, working extra traffic enforcement on a stretch of road that has had a lot of collisions, meeting business owners in their beat, etc. Use these goals as a springboard for consistent interaction and evaluation. If you let them leave briefing just to drive circles until a call comes out, then you are doing them, yourself, the department, and the community a disservice.
  3. Discover each of your officers’ policing passion. Turn them into the “go to” expert on your squad by sending them to passion-specific trainings and giving them temporary duty assignments with related specialty units. This will develop their strength in that area and set them up for future success as they test for those specialty units or promote.
  4. Establish clear squad expectations that correlate with your department’s mission. You know what a “rock star” officer looks like. Share that vision with your squad regularly – what constitutes success should not be a guessing game. Need a suggestion for setting squad expectations? See the Culture in Just 4 Words blog.
  5. Conduct frequent evaluation conversations that do not merely glance back at the past, but are primarily future-focused. Most, if not all, police departments require annual evaluations, but do not let that be the only feedback your officers receive. It does little to no good to bring up negatives from 11 months ago; especially if there is no longer an issue. Discuss issues immediately by defining the problem, reinforcing your expectations, and setting specific changes you want to see from this point forward. If your officers are exhibiting positive behaviors, refer back to #1 on this list.
  6. Get officer buy-in by giving them a voice to make suggestions for improvement. Create a method where officers can submit suggestions for their squad, beat, district, or the department as a whole. This gives you a great way to handle and issues brought up in conversation or during briefing. Just advise them to send you an email with a suggested solution for the perceived problem. Then, as the sergeant or first-line supervisor, you present those suggestions to the appropriate department parties. One extremely important piece to this concept is to always remember to give credit where credit is due.

What ideas do you have for changing officer behavior by modifying their environment?

Share your thoughts or comments with us below or on our Facebook page. Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!

The mission at Thin Blue Line of Leadership is to share positive leadership tactics with the field of law enforcement. Positive leadership starts by building a positive squad culture. A positive squad culture nurtures your officer’s motivation and passion which, in turn, results in positive productivity and interactions with the community.

Saving the World One Call at a Time

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“We see the world, not as it is, but as we are – or, as we are conditioned to see it.” ~Stephen R. Covey

Creating the lens through which your officers view their “policing world” is one of the most valuable lessons a law enforcement leader can provide. Engraining the philosophy that they are “saving the world one call at a time” conditions them into viewing their “policing world” through a positive and successful lens.

As the sergeant or first-line supervisor, you are responsible for establishing the lens of your squad. Whether it is positive or negative is determined by you. Reminding your squad on a regular basis that they are “saving the world one call at a time” sets a positive tone. You alone have the contact, communication, and connection with your officers to consistently remind them why they do what they do. If an officer loses their “why” then they lose their “way.” Don’t let that happen!

Convincing your officers that they are “saving the world one call as a time” sends four very valuable messages . . .

SAVING THE WORLD

1. Your work has value. “Saving the world” . . . Every call an officer responds to or initiates has value. Responding to a commercial alarm call gives the business owner security. Making traffic stops enhances roadway safety. Helping with a disabled vehicle, taking a theft report, settling a family fight . . . value, value, value. Never allow yourself to say that your officers are “just doing their job.” If they are saving the world, can their work have any more value?

2. Passion for policing is essential. “Saving the world” . . . Passion should not be discouraged, but encouraged. Finding your officers’ strengths and helping them to develop in those areas will create passion. Passion solidifies their purpose both on your squad and in the department. Passion brings officers to work enthusiastically, not just for a check. Passion generates production without having to set quotas or make demands. Passion makes better officers.

ONE CALL AT A TIME

3. Focus on each call. “One call at a time” . . . The call they are on should be your officers’ sole focus. Each and every call presents its own unique challenges and circumstances. Law enforcement establishes policy and creates training in the name of officer safety as a matter of routine, but if the focus is not there, then all of the policy and training in the world will not matter. Use “saving the world one call at a time” as a reminder of the importance to maintain focus while handle calls properly the first time so they do not become recurring issues.

4. Do not let the negatives compound. “One call at a time” . . . No one gets to see what we see or do what we do. This can be both very positive and very negative. It is vital that you speak with your officers regularly about the mentally tough calls they respond to so the negativity does not build up on the psyche. Watch for subtle behavioral signs that negativity is weighing on them. Combat negativity by rewarding and recognizing the positive behaviors and effort that come out while handling a negative call. Say something like, “Hey, I know that was a really tough call, but you did a phenomenal job handing the situation. I’m proud to have you on the squad.” Just a quick line like that takes all of the weight out of the call and opens up a great line of communication between you and the officer.

“Saving the world one call at a time” needs to be a mental brand that is impressed upon your officers early and often. Having a consistent message for everyone to rally around while handling the daily grind of policing develops the unity that is needed for a positive squad culture.

Does your squad have a positive philosophy to rally around?

Share your thoughts or comments with us below or on our Facebook page. Continue saving the world one call at a time and as always, LEAD ON!