Sometimes Doing The Right Thing…
Frank Borelli
Editor-in-Chief
Officer.com
“Sometimes doing the right thing isn’t doing the right thing.” Schmuck Captain from the movie SWAT.
“You know how it is, Street; sometimes doin’ the right thing ain’t doin’ the right thing.” Sgt. Hondo from the movie SWAT.
Those statements are almost identical. Voice inflection and attitude are definitely different. But do they really say the same thing? Not when you think about it. When you think about what each meant they mean nearly the opposite. The Captain is essentially saying to do nothing at all while the Sergeant is saying to do something that probably violates rules but needs to be done.
It also reminds me of, “You can court marshal me if I live, sir!” said by Navy SEAL Casey Ryback (in the movie Under Siege).
Of course, he says that to an Admiral while in the midst of a gun battle that he couldn’t avoid unless he wanted to sacrifice the lives of his shipmates.
Before I go much further, let’s talk about “the right thing”. I’m going to reword the statements from the Captain and from Hondo as I understand them.
The Captain is criticizing actions taken by Street and his partner, Gamble, as they rescued hostages in a bank robbery gone bad. Although the actions of Street & Gamble saved lives, they disobeyed an order to rescue the hostages. In this case, the Captain is responding to Gamble’s statement that, “Every cop on this department knows we did the right thing.” So the Captain’s reply, in my opinion means,
“Sometimes to follow orders you have to do something that doesn’t sit well morally or ethically.”
When Hondo tells Street that “doin’ the right thing ain’t doin’ the right thing,” he’s talking about catching a bad guy / cop gone bad / murderer / kidnapper (Gamble) in spite of the Captain’s order to stand down. In other words,
“Sometimes to do your job and catch the criminal you have to ignore the orders of your superiors.”
Hmmm…
These seem in direct conflict, but present an interesting question: What is more important in our lives? The orders of our superiors? Or doing the right (morally and ethically) thing?
That is a decision that we each must make in every different set of circumstances we encounter. It’s not up to me to judge whether or not you make the correct choice - any more than it’s up to you to judge whether or not I made the correct choice. But when you’re alone at night, before you go to sleep, you know the truth…
What’s your truth?
“What is more important in our lives? The orders of our superiors? Or doing the right (morally and ethically) thing?”
I thought that the Nazi War Crimes trials had settled that question a long time ago. I know that the military teaches that it is the obligation of a servicemember to ignore what they know to be an illegal order, and to report having been given that illegal order.
But that applies pretty much only to cases where the ambiguity is low if it exists at all. For most of life it seems we are going to have to make up our minds without much time for detailed reflection and then live with the consequences. Which is why it is good to talk these sorts of things out - in the open, with our supervisors and leaders present - before we find ourselves needing to decide “right here, right now.” Having hashed it about gives some help because we know more about where our leaders are likely to come down on the matter.
stay safe.
Understood. I’ve been using the signature line, “Being right is the worst form of insubordination” for a long time now.
Blame it on my parents. When I was a kid, they gave me a set of biographies, including one on Davy Crockett. The takeaway I got from that one was Crockett’s line, “Be sure you’re right. Then go ahead.” (And, for the geeks among us, Werner von Braun was supposed to have said, “It is easier to seek forgiveness than to ask permission” when talking about his conflicts with the front office during the space program…)
It all comes down to what you can do and still look at yourself in the mirror the next morning, I guess. Nothing earth-shatteringly good or bad in my career, but I didn’t have a whole lot of brownie points with my administration when I left my last job. On the other hand, I didn’t have a whole lot about what I did on the job that I hated myself for, either.
One more quotable quote, this time from Robert Coram’s biography of John Boyd (for those who don’t know, Boyd was the man who gave us the OODA Loop). When Boyd was counseling one or another of his subordinates, he’d tell them, “If the boss demands loyalty from you, then give him integrity instead. If, instead, he demands integrity from you, then you can give him your loyalty.”
They ought to post that on the mirrors in boot camp, OCS, the academy, and everyplace else we’re trying to teach people to do the right thing instead of just doing things right.
Unfortunately, when we’re given an order by a supervisor that may leave someone hurt or unhelped, the supervisor either isn’t on scene or makes his subordinate deliver the unwanted news. So the person getting the order (they never wanted follow) looks like the bad cop the public can’t trust or turn to for help anymore. What does that civilian do next time something goes sideways? They handle it themselves, because the cops never helped the last time or the last ten times. And when they get hurt doing a job they never signed up for, who gets the brunt of the grudge they WILL hold against the local police? I’ll bet that supervisor won’t even remember that civilian when they sign off on the complaint form against that street cop.
So after you get that order and you decide to help anyway, EVEN IF helping them isn’t illegal or against a policy, that supervisor is going to be U-P-S-E-T (his authority’s been “usurped” and God help the rest of us). What happens next: That supervisor goes to HIS supervisor (or higher) because something has to be done about this “loose cannon” walking the streets with a badge and a gun. And “loose cannons” rarely win against two or more “higher-ups.” By the way, who do you think the higher of the two brass are going to side with: The cop who did his job and saved the day, or the supervisor who gave an order they’re struggling to even remember? If he sides with the supervisor, all is well in the universe. If he sides with the cop, he’d be admitting he was wrong in promoting the supervisor.
Too many supervisors get where they are by “playing it safe” and drinking coffee with the “right people.” Conversely, the cops who live on the streets making the decisions that could never be hashed out in a manual, live securely between a rock and a hard place. “Should I do my job and help the people I’ve sworn to protect?” Or, “Should I constantly watch my back and make sure the administrators are pleased?” Maybe it’ll be easier to get some stripes or bars and get out of this “hell hole” (read: street). A desk is much easier to drive than a squad car, and a water cooler is much easier to guard than the safety of the people.
In my career thus far, I’ve seen good cops do what needed to be done without stepping over the line to do it. They never got a medal or an “atta-boy” in their file. On the other side of that coin, I’ve seen and been on calls with supervisors who couldn’t make an obvious decision in a non-stress environment (let alone have a stressor in the mix). And I’ve seen them let a suspect walk all over them who will eventually try to control the scene by force. Good thing that supervisor had a good cop to back him up. I criticize their mindset, but I’ll protect them along with the other sheep. Oh and by the way, they still have their brass, even after proving they can’t wear it.
Now before you say I’m anti-brass, let me explain. I know good supervisors who truly deserve their promotions. They lead by example and get “dirty behind a street bust” along with the good cops. I also know good leaders who I’d follow straight to the gates of Hell. These leaders I speak of wear the same decorations on their sleeves as me (none) and have no special lapels to polish. They show me everyday why I follow them. They also show me why it is that sometimes I find others following me. They never force me to do something for them or give an “order” they wouldn’t perform themselves. Likewise, I never force anyone to follow me or demand something of them I haven’t done myself. They just seem to subconsciously tag along and do what’s right. Which is really the point of it all anyway.
At various times in our lives we’re given a struggle. We either step to and handle it, or fall in the wake of destruction. It can happen to anyone, brass or no. How you handle it determines whether you went right or wrong and whether you’re a sheepdog or a sheep. And I’ve never needed a stripe on my sleeve or a bar on my collar to gain respect or be a leader.
As an aside however, I would happily take the pay increase!
Be safe out there. Serve with vigor and protect with ferocity.
Those are some pretty long responses. In my humble opinion it is simple. Doing the right thing allows me to go to sleep at night (actually I go to sleep early in the morning, but you get the point). Yeah, I’ve had my share of internal investigations and write ups, but I can always explain my actions and have a reason for what I do.
When, or if, you ever have to ask yourself “Do I do the right thing or the legal thing ?’ I sincerely suggest that you have reached an important, if not the MOST IMPORTANT, day of your career. You have to decide, on your own, what kind of cop you are going to be. You do the legal thing and I wish you well. I just hope you can live with the consequences of the decision you just made and how it is going to affect you for the rest of your life, law enforcement and otherwise.
You do the right thing then you have no need to worry about the consequences. You have decided to be both responsible for your actions (as we all were suppossd to learn at The Academy and during FTO)and can live with the consequences, supervisor support or not.
And when it comes down to the issue of loyalty to the ‘job’ and the agency vs the supervisor’s and boss’s, I am given cause to remember a phrase that came out of the LAPD back in the Parker and Davis era’s. ” The only times you need to examine your loyalty to your boss if they ever ask you to somethng either illegal, immoral or unethical. Short of them telling you to do anything that violates 1 of these 3 principles, you owe them loyalty and obedience. Violate 1 of these 3 principles and you need to seriously ask yourself what is going on and make a decision, 1 way or the other”. In short, know what principles you stand for and are operating under. Under the pressure of this decision is when your character, personal and professional, really counts. And character, under pressure, is when it is really needed.
retired04497@gmail.com