First, I will establish from the very start, that in my eyes, the position of sergeant of police is without a doubt the most important rank within a police department’s organizational chart. It is a connection between management’s goals and those who deliver the services to the public; it is the connection. Nearly every landmark case has a first-line supervisor as part of the decision processes and response. It is the sergeant who is the caretaker of your most important asset: your line officers or detectives. The sergeant in the military atmosphere resonates with the importance as well. You can see now why I feel they are that important. Also, on a personal note, it was probably my best job in my entire career.
Advice from experience
There is a ton of advice that I could give but only can offer a few of the foundations that I have learned. My goal here is the offer a newly promoted sergeant a great start to a promising career.
Yes, my first bit of police sergeant advice was given to me by a senior sergeant within my first few days after promotion. The day I was to train under him, I entered the substation and he glared at me with that crusty old sergeant stare. Then, he asked me to check my uniform and tell me what I saw. Not knowing how to respond I quickly went to the full-length mirror to check my gig line. Seeing nothing, I told him I could not find an issue. He rolled his eyes and replied, “You’ve got a lot of stripes now and a zebra has a lot of stripes. But a zebra is an ass; just be yourself and do not become an ass.” He continued as he drank his coffee while I pondered what bit of wisdom that I could glean from that crass remark. Then he continued, “You were promoted because of the skills that you possess. Don’t turn into something we don’t want you to turn into; continue to be yourself.”
This matched up with the guidance my U.S. Army MP First Sergeant told me years prior. After I was promoted to sergeant in the U.S. Army I was given this advice: “Anyone can fuss about shoeshines and haircuts. Find something of worth to focus your attention on with your troops.” The tips from these two experienced sergeants are valuable to a young supervisor. Number one: continue to be yourself. Learn to become a mentor to your platoon and never turn into a monster. If you are approachable, your officers will ask questions and seek your counsel; they will flourish. However, if they are afraid of you, they will not converse with you, and everyone suffers the consequences. Find that niche for you to focus on; this will be your teaching moment and strength to build on. The second lesson was continuing to be what made you promotable. We have all observed an officer who once promoted gained ‘instant intelligence’ and became a changeling that hampers rather than helps.
The hardest lesson
The other thing that will become your most difficult skill to learn is that of learning to trust. As a young sergeant, you know you are responsible for, say, a squad of seven officers. Stop and imagine you are working in a factory setting instead. You are now the production line boss overseeing your employees by walking up and down the assembly line. By your constant looking over their shoulders, you can check their work. However, as a patrol sergeant you are not afforded this direct visual supervision, as in the factory. At roll call you read off their beat assignments and off they go. You must trust that they are going to get into their vehicles and go to their assignment and then handle their duties of the day. When they draw down a call for service, you must trust they go there and provide good customer service. Bottom line, it just takes a lot of trust.
The biggest rookie sergeant mistake is that you try to ride every call. Two points here: one is that you cannot physically ride every call, it is impossible. Second, you are not earning your keep as a sergeant; you are no more than a high paid patrol officer. So how do you manage police officers? I was once told by a shrewd old commander, that managing police officers is much akin to holding mashed potatoes in your hand. The harder you squeeze, the less of them you hold. You have got to learn to develop your own leadership style for your squad and assignment. You have got to learn to balance trust and your instincts. You’ve also got to learn how to take that handful of potatoes or clay if you will, and mold it into something useful. You cannot ride to every call, but balance this out by not turning into a radio sergeant. A radio sergeant is one who tries to manage everything by the radio without even knowing the dynamics of the event. Sometimes you need to be on the scene to get some optics on the event. Having a scene described to you over the radio or cellphone versus having all your senses weighing in on it can make a vast difference in the decision processes. I will remind you that should an officer call and ask for advice, remember what your job is. Do not roll your eyes and get into a huff when you are requested on the scene. They have called you there because they have a need. They have called you there because you are a solution provider for them in this situation. They have got something that is requiring either your assistance because of the rank that you hold, or the experience that you possess. Never fret when they ask you a question or for guidance. I always worried about the time when they did not ask a question. Was I available and approachable?
Finally, one of the most rewarding things I will say is observing the development of your squad or section and individual growth of each officer. If you are in a small to medium size agency, you probably already know your team. However, who was once a friend may be altogether different once they become a subordinate. Sometimes, people change when their situation changes. Now, if you are in larger agencies, you may be transferred into a different precinct, as a new sergeant, then the real sergeant development begins. Getting to know your squad takes time and work. You just do not memorize their names; you get to know them. What are their strengths and weaknesses? Who are the informal leaders? What does each one bring to the table for making this squad viable and increase its performance? As time goes on, you should become closer to your squad, I hope. Sometimes, adult supervision is akin to working with a canine. If you treat them well, they will be loyal and productive. If you are harsh or brutal, they will plan your demise waiting to bite you in the butt. Coaching the newest officers to reach their full potential as an officer or deputy is never just good enough for government work; you are training tomorrow’s back-up on a bad call, or even the next generation’s supervisor. All of the basics add up to key productivity and safety.
Your time as a first line supervisor can be the hardest job in the department at times. It can also be the most rewarding when you look back.
