Those who aspire to become a chief of police or a sheriff have ideas about the lifestyle we lead. We are not starring in a television reality program. There is no Lives of the Rich and Famous Chiefs about to air. Truth is there are many demands placed on us that few see or even imagine. It is not glamorous and may be very laborious at times. Sure, you have numerous meetings, attend council meetings and the official public appearances required of the job. Yes, there are long days and you will never see a 40-hour week again. Additionally, there are mandatory attendance required meetings and demands, which are not in the job description.
Reality Orientation
Your off-duty will be the most cherished time of your new life. For these will be fleeting moments of solitude that you will clamor for your own and your family’s mental health. One of the most important pieces of advice my mentor chief told me was to find a conference to attend around your six-month mark. I did not understand it but after my first few months as a new chief, I went off to a DOJ conference in New Jersey. Sounds boring but finally getting to sit and watch a ball game, going out to dinner without interruption (Oh, you must be the new chief) and having some down time to be myself was relaxing. I have not an earthly clue what the conference was about, I was away and could breathe.
Church meetings, ribbon cuttings and fund-raising spaghetti dinners will now chip away at your schedule, both on and off-duty. Granted you are paid good money to be the chief law enforcement official in your community. To many it is an honor and privilege to have ‘the chief’ present in their midst. So get used to it, these will be never ending.
The ‘wild kingdom’ (Moose, Elks, Eagles, Lions, etc.) or fraternal clubs will request you to speak. As well the other service or philanthropic clubs (Rotary, Exchange, etc.) will want to hear from you time to time. Word of warning, most will want you to join them. Now, if your schedule is not already full, take away a few more nights now with membership requirements and dues, weigh your decisions carefully. The vast majority of these are worthy organizations but to protect what precious time off I have, I still say no. When or if I retire, then I can donate my full attention and time to them.
Churches, youth groups and school events will call for your attendance and support. These will probably be all off-hours and weekends. I say to cherish these events, what would it say if they did not ask for you? Word of warning do some research before you go, different belief systems need understanding before you get there. Spouting an ideal to some, which could be contrary to them, can create a problem.
Time management will be one of your truest challenges in this position. It is not that you do not have the time. It is rather do you have enough for all concerned. Recall that you have a personal side to balance on the scale. Your first year as a chief should be the learning curve; these are 12 to 16 hour days and 6 days a week. Everybody and every group needs to have the new chief’s attention. One tip that I will give you is try to keep your Friday’s clear. This is catch up time, prepare for the new week time and maybe on some day, ease out a tad early and have some time to yourself. It will not happen all of the time but when it does, it is a breath of fresh air. On this note, one of the biggest rocks in this career is balance with career and family. I have seen some younger chiefs with younger families continue their family commitment and nearly cost their job. You cannot seclude yourself from the public commitments, again a healthy balance. Several chiefs have had marriages fail due to this over commitment to the career. Before you take the job make sure you discuss and have an understanding with the family that time will now be valuable.
When you see your chief or sheriff going to yet another public appearance, they may be smiling on the outside but it is still work. Do not believe me, check the job description for ‘and other duties not described’ section. It is a great job and living but it is time consuming.
William L. Harvey | Chief
William L. "Bill" Harvey is a U.S. Army Military Police Corps veteran. He has a BA in criminology from St. Leo University and is a graduate of the Southern Police Institute of the University of Louisville (103rd AOC). Harvey served for over 23 years with the Savannah (GA) Police Department in field operations, investigations and completed his career as the director of training. Served as the chief of police of the Lebanon City Police Dept (PA) for over seven years and then ten years as Chief of Police for the Ephrata Police Dept (PA). In retirement he continues to publish for professional periodicals and train.
