Generational Defense

Oct. 27, 2014
There really is no difference between the police generations. They all have their own moxy.

To all that read this column, stop and ask yourself one question: What is accomplished by any profession or vocation when its leaders are running down its future generation? And the answer should be – nothing. Matter of fact, it is detrimental in doing so and yes, this is that important. Nobody has ever defined the standard statement of what constitutes “the real police,” nor do they select which generation is really the most adept to becoming such. ‘They don’t make them like they used to’ is repeated daily in the halls of police stations nationwide. Personally, I have observed that when they bleed, their blood is just as red as ours, so where is the real difference between us all? To me, it is how we train the new incoming generation; we can no longer use antiquated training models with today’s academy students. There are several excellent trainers out on the training circuit professing to us the difference between the generations and how we should view them. Their training affords us a better methodology to train and relate to this newest group. I highly recommend that not only trainers but command staff make a point to attend one of these training sessions.

Within my current department, depending on how you define a generation, I've observed there could be three distinct groups. Wait--I am the oldest (the crusty old curmudgeon that I am) so make that four generations within the department. Yes, there are four generations; I have holsters older than my youngest officers to prove it. Each of these generations distinctively has its own individual positive and negative attributes. Each senior generation likes to tease the younger one, matter of fact it can nearly become a sporting event. I know that when I showed up in 1979 my classmates and I were gossiped about as that young upstart bunch that was going to try to show them (old guys) how to do police work. Somehow, we all made it and got the job done amazingly enough.

The newer training concepts dealing with this very topic have their worth and you should attend one or more of these sessions. In reality they were eye opening to me on how best to train, relate and communicate with the younger set. It is a pity that there was not training like this when I came along, or presented when I became an instructor. You know that older bunch would have understood my generation better back in the day if they had something like this in their repertoire.  To repeat myself, I whole heartily recommend to any trainer, chief and Field Training Officer (FTO) to attend with an open mind a presentation on generational differences. I do not want to hear about generation gaps, we know they exist. There is no need to debate this, so let’s bridge the gaps towards success.  Knowing how to relate, best instruct and maximize the current learning styles will aid your departmental training programs.

Police work thrives on its traditions but also can bog down with old school generational thinking. Some traditions could be viewed as hazing; I hope none have lowered their standards to workplace bullying. However, often the virtue of seniority creates some models of this behavior. I, as the resident old guy in the conversation, respect the old ways but have always believed that there could be a better way, if not easier way to get the task accomplished. The more we reject technology the further behind we become. This incoming generation has grown up in the computer age or the era of instant information. They are just that more adept in technology for it has been a part of their life.  When I came on the job, my police cruiser had one switch for the lights, one box for the siren and the radio had off/on/volume and channel switch. That was it. Now we have car cameras, the discussion for body cameras and the cockpit of the patrol car looks like something out of science fiction. One of the biggest challenges that instructors must understand is that the latest generations want the most current data and that they learn differently than we did. It is no longer accepted practice in the classroom to accept the ‘because I said so’ response.  Another good note is that the youngest will mesh well with data driven training and data based crime analysis programs, they will thrive off of this.

Generationally speaking, my generation always believed that our military drill sergeant was the meanest; our police academy was toughest and so forth. Now this is fine, but learning to work smarter and learning to better communicate between the generations is what is important here. If you are sitting on the front porch of the old policeman’s retirement home, then this banter is fine. If you are preventing good police instruction through stubbornness, nobody is going to win and we as a profession aren’t leading the way. Put egos aside, get to some training and embrace the new methodologies, there is a lot to be gained and your officers will appreciate it.

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