Frank Borelli
Editor-in-Chief
Officer.com

Welcome to the first Monday of the New Year. January 5th, 2009. It is a day that offers you another chance... another chance to have a positive outlook; another chance to change who you are and what you do; another chance to improve your job performance, your home relationships and how you look at yourself in the mirror. Truth be told, we get the same chance every morning when we wake up. Ever heard that statement, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life"? Yep; it is... every day. Then why do we pay so much attention to the "new beginnings" at the New Year? Probably because of the pomp and circumstance that accompanies the ball dropping. But here we are. The New Year. Where your law enforcement career is concerned, I encourage you to take a step back and consider the things you can change in your performance to make 2009 a better year for you in your chosen profession.
  • Can you exercise more to get in better shape to fight the criminals on the street?
  • Can you pay a bit more attention to your uniform so you present a more professional appearance?
  • Can you take an evening course to improve your knowledge, writing skills, etc?
  • Can you argue less with your Lieutenant about the "reality" of the street?
  • Can you commit to not accepting gratuities that are offered to you because of your job?
Those are just a few examples of things you might want to think about and consider changing. Obviously we all have a different outlook about each individual item and only YOU can decide where you need to focus your efforts. That said, DO IT. Take the new chance. Pick ONE thing to focus on and really make an effort to change. 2009 will no doubt be a year of challenges in law enforcement. If I were a professional prognosticator I would predict some type of terrorist attack on U.S. soil; some type of attack on another school at either the college or elementary school level; some type of attack in a mall or other public gathering place. When any of those things happen the mainstream media will, no doubt, jump all over how well law enforcement responds - or how poorly. We all know they'll criticize everything we do (or did) but that shouldn't reduce how hard we strive to do everything as right as we can! The bottom line here is that every day... even if we only acknowledge it once a year - offers us a chance for change. TAKE YOURS. Make it a better 2009. Stay safe in the New Year. Do your job with courage and conviction. Grow your skills or knowledge (or both?) in some way. Above all, go home at the end of your shift. Kiss your spouse. Hug your kids. Pet your dog or cat. ENJOY and APPRECIATE having survived another shift and get your head right for the next one tomorrow. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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