Tag Archives: chain of command

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!

Law Enforcement Lingo 101

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This post is for readers that are not familiar with basic law enforcement lingo. Understanding the full meaning of Thin Blue Line of Leadership’s tweets and blog posts will deepen your comprehension of our mission to share positive law enforcement leadership tactics.  As new terminology comes up, I will update this post with additional terms and their meanings.

ACRONYMS

CFS – Call for Service

LE – Law Enforcement

LEO – Law Enforcement Organization

LT – Lieutenant

OFC – Officer

SGT –  Sergeant

TERMINOLOGY

BRIEFING – A daily meeting for a squad or group of officers prior to the beginning of a shift. (15 – 30 minutes in length)

CALL – When an officer is assigned a task to complete. Typically this starts as a call to 9-1-1 or a department’s non-emergency number.

CALL FOR SERVICE (CFS) – Same as a “call.”

CHAIN OF COMMAND – Law enforcement organizations are setup as paramilitary organizations and the chain of command is the line of authority and responsibility along which orders are passed. Law enforcement chain of command positions are different from the military and also vary between police departments, sheriff’s departments, and federal law enforcement agencies. In a police department, the chain of command is usually some form of the following: Chief of Police, Assistant Chief of Police, Commander, Lieutenant, Sergeant, and Officer. Depending on the size of the organization, there may be more or less positions in the chain.

OFFICER/DEPUTY/AGENT – These are all similar positions, just different terminology, and make up the backbone of any law enforcement organization. The only difference is the type of jurisdiction they serve – city, county, state, or federal. The jurisdiction dictates if an organization is a police department, sheriff’s department, or federal law enforcement agency. Thin Blue Line of Leadership will be using the term officer as a default, but the knowledge shared applies to all law enforcement agencies regardless of name.

OFFICER SAFETY – This is a term used to describe the actions necessary to keep an officer safe in any given situation and get them safely home to their family. It encompasses things like using a backup officer, wearing a vest, proper officer positioning, and many more. A huge part of being a law enforcement leader is keeping your officers safe by sharing up-to-date officer safety information and verifying that they are applying all officer safety techniques available to them.

PARAMILITARY – An organization whose structure, training, and function are similar to that of the military, but is not a part of the nation’s formal armed forces. Police departments, sheriff’s departments, and federal law enforcement agencies are set up as paramilitary organizations.

SQUAD – A group of approximately 6 to 10 officers assigned to work the same general area and shift. Each squad will have a sergeant or equivalent first-line-supervisor assigned to oversee their activities. It is common for multiple squads to overlap each other due to the need for 24-7 coverage and staffing at busier times of day/night.

THIN BLUE LINE – A common law enforcement symbol showing 2 black lines with a thinner blue line in-between. It has 3 common meanings: (1) Represents the line between life and death an officer walks each time they start a shift. (2) Represents the line that officers maintain between the good and bad to prevent chaos and disorder. (3) Represents fallen law enforcement officers that have died in the line of duty.

Thin Blue Line of Leadership can be reached at tblleadership@gmail.com for any questions, comments, or suggestions.

LEAD ON!