Top Ten mistakes of new police chiefs:
• Failure to listen- Chiefs should spend more time with employees and hear what they have to say, what they want changed and how they feel about the agency.
• Failure to learn budgeting- Know the prior fiscal budget (successes and shortcomings) to construct a new budget.
• Failure to create a strategic plan and vision- Chiefs should create a guideline (short-term and long-term) to success and always be ahead of everyone. This is the most important mistake. If the chief doesn't plan ahead, the agency won't improve or reach their goals.
• Failure to deal with politics- Chiefs should attend council meetings and know the first names of elected officials. Chiefs should create relationship with political officials and council members to make it easier when asking for more or newer equipment and more efficient when defending their agency against negative allegations.
• Failure to learn, cultivate and manage the organizational culture- Chiefs should stand up for what is right and challenge existing issues. Develop and instill strong organizational values and ensure the organizational culture reflects their values, not someone else's.
• Failure to meet community stakeholders- Chiefs should attend chamber of commerce or service club meetings. By attending these meetings and events and speaking at them, chiefs can positively promote the agency and meet community stakeholders.
• Failure to assess the talent pool- Chiefs should assess the strengths and weaknesses of the agency and decide whether to develop mutual aid agreements with agencies that possess these strengths or budget a new plan to train agency personnel to develop these traits/strengths.
• Failure to choose words carefully- every word said is amplified and studied. Even private conversations are exhumed and examined by the public. The chief must heed that internal editor, choose words wisely, filter out insensitivity, biased or unprofessional verbiage. Chiefs should say nothing in public or private that they wouldn't want in the paper or on the news.
• Failure to take time to assess- Chiefs should wait at least 6 months before making any major changes and get to know the department and organizational culture first.
• Failure to develop relationships with local media- Chiefs should take a course in media relations within their first 6 months of the job.
Chiefs should reach out to establish a relationship with media because the failure to do so impedes the new chief's and agency's progress and may weaken their standing in the community. If there isn't a good working relationship between the chief and media, the media may strive off the chief's or agency's bad news. By having a good relationship with the media, the chief can feed the media positive stories about the agency.
Chiefs should consider submitting guest columns with the local newspaper to get the agency's good work into print and in the public's eye. Chiefs should know local reporters so if negative news gets out, chiefs aren't trying to call media representatives and not getting an answer. Chiefs should be mindful that when the public reads a story in the newspaper or sees a tv news report, the agency is being graded.
A black teenager was punched in the mouth by an officer of the Bakersfield police department and also bitten by a police dog after being mistaken for a male suspect. The NAACP is petitioning for the officers that were involved to be placed on leave and be criminally charged.
The police chief announced an internal investigation would take place. Officers need to be more attentive when looking for a suspect and not come off so aggressive. The suspect description did not match anything close to the victim in this case. The teen was also on crutches when this incident unfolded. Officers need to protect themselves of course but don't have to act so aggressively and if someone isn't showing to be a threat, don't become aggressive for no reason.
The top ten mistakes made by new police chiefs-
They can be summed up as such- failure to listen, budget, create plan and vision, deal with politics, learn cultivate and manage organizational culture, meet community stakeholders, properly assess talent pool, choose words carefully, properly assess, and develop relationships with local media.
What struck me most about this list was the number of mistakes that have to do with 'politicking' as opposed to the Xs and Os of what we think of as regular police work. Dealing with politics, meeting stakeholders, choosing words carefully (or else), and developing relationships with media all have to do with maintaining an image to some extent, but also about relationships and how that can help you. I look no further than our commander in chief and his relationship to the media.
He doesnt care about relationships to the media (which is part of his appeal to many) and even calls them out when they slip. In turn, the media is happy to return the favor. President Obama had the opposite relationship with the media as a whole and CNN reporter Jake Tapper admitted that they were easy on him, even letting things slide.
So, yes, good relationship can help you if you are in a position of power.
Locally, there was a recent story about the Montgomery County Police releasing in illegal immigrant from jail despite a request from ICE to detain him. Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggets office admitted they do this to built relationships with immigrant communities (one might say "earn votes"). The police later said it was a mistake to let him go.
As far as consequences, in this area, I don't think there has been any largely due to Montgomery County being very Democratic and immigrant (legal or otherwise) friendly. Given the controversy around DACA, the practice of letting illegal or undocumented immigrants grow may actually continue.
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Top Ten Mistakes of New Police Chiefs:
1. Be honest with the elected officials
2. Acting like a know-it-all
3. Creating immediate changes upon taking the position
4. Taking things too personally
5. Over promise or make promises just to be accepted
6. Expecting every idea to be readily accepted
7. Jumping into solving other people's problems
8. Criticizing the previous administration's personnel
9. Adversarial relationships with the press
10. Enjoy, appreciate and share credit for the successes of the agency
Discuss which of these mistakes is important:
I think sharing credit on the successes are important because with the other officers the arrest or whatever might not have been made.
Always be good to the press because they ultimately get your information that you need circulated out through the newspapers and t.v.
Don't criticize the previous administration because you never know who knows who that you may need to go through to get things done.
Never take what people say personal, it comes with the job. No one likes to hear people say negative things.
Creating immediate change is not good because you should be in the position for at least a year to get a good feel of the department and how things work.
Always be honest with the elected officials because they will determine the success and failure for the chief.
Don't be a know-it-all because you are the leader, collaboration is important with any job.
Identify a news account that highlights a "mistake" by police leadership (include the link so we can all read the account). Discuss what took place, what the consequences were and what can be learned from the "mistake."
Baltimore police acknowledge mistakes in Freddie Gray's death
Top brass officers acknowledged that officer made a mistake during the arrest of Freddie Gray that put him in a coma and shortly thereafter dying in Baltimore, MD. The Commissioner (Anthony Batts) said that police did not follow police policies while Mr. Gray was in custody. Mr. Gray was very badly hurt and dragged into a patty wagon not getting the medical attention he needed. The Baltimore City police officers did not take Mr. Gray directly to jail but took him on a ride around the city.
These "rough rides" as they are called are police officers have detainees in their vehicles handcuffed and erratically drive around the city unbuckled to cause injury. Due to this rough ride, the Commissioner believes Mr. Gray could have been injured further because he was not buckled in like all detainees should be. Due to the manner in which Mr. Gray died, subsequently the city protested.