The Newest of the Three R’s

There is always someone talking about the “Three R’s” which are Recruitment, Retention, and Reinstatement. I feel that we must add a fourth R for consideration. Respect the “Three R” process, but remember that the Rejuvenation of leadership from top to bottom is necessary. Bad leadership from elected leadership to first-line supervisors erodes away at the foundation of the very essence of your department, which is your staff. Without a doubt, personnel are your greatest asset. I shake my head at the chiefs and sheriffs who marvel at ribbon cuttings of new departments — it’s a building. Same with the new “state-of-the-art” technology being unveiled; it’s an electronic gadget. Without your staff, all the concrete and steel, coupled with the latest electric contraptions, are worthless. Want to capitalize on your department’s efficiency? Then treat your staff like the valued assets that they are.

If you ask for the truth, there are not recruiting issues as much as retention issues. Face it, you can throw down a lot of cash money for hiring bonuses. At the same time, who is monitoring the exit doors? Ever bothered to ask why they are exiting? Want to save a bundle of money? Then focus on your retention. What it takes to onboard an officer, which includes their recruiting, training, and equipping, is huge. This is not even adding in their salary while in the academy and field training. Add it up, and it’s massive. Spend this much on a recruit, treat them like crap for a year and they are gone. I use the five-year measure; how many make it past the five-year mark? Budget money wasted. All along, if you treated staff well, the money saved could equate to more in the other budget columns — training, equipment, and employee benefits. Pay now or pay later.

Face it, if you have been a cop for a minimum of five years, then you are a victim of poor leadership at one time or another. No, you are not entitled to compensation from some television attorney, but realize you know what it was like. For whatever reason, you stuck it out. Now, go and review your thoughts on making your department a better workplace. What exists that creates a cloud over a precinct or unit’s head?

What is making the work environment so harsh? I keep reading about toxic workplace environments. Bad leadership is often defined with the usual terms: fear-based management, micromanagement, lack of transparency, and failure to support their staff. I do not have to define it for you. You are like United States Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart who wrote in his court opinion on the definition of obscenity or pornography (Jackobellis v. Ohio), he replied “I know it when I see it.”

When you walk into that precinct, you can cut the atmosphere with a knife. You have to ask, “What creates this undesirable culture?” High turnover rates may create overtime opportunities, but after a while, there is more to life than money. Work-life balance comes into the conversation. There is no need to increase burnout potential. A salty old veteran once told me, “I have been here for 30 years on this job.” I countered him with, “But you have only been on the job for 25 or so.” He retorted, “When you add up the overtime, court time, standby duty, and being called in, it adds up to over 30.” Now, I got what he was saying, and we all should have those bonus years added to our time. Reminds me of the adage, “It is not the years but the mileage.”

I feel that poor communication flow is another reason for the exodus. You may get unclear expectations from leadership or even withheld information. Add to that withheld information can create gaps in expectations. A police agency does not run with electricity and petrol but often with gossip, rumors, and innuendos. Precinct gossip is far better than watching reality television programs; at least the police scripts are better.

Trust is also a rare commodity to be found in a toxic department. This is often manifested with inconsistent policies and treatment. When I hear the claims of favoritism, bullying, or discrimination, this is now a volatile atmosphere. One spark can break a department’s effectiveness. Often there is a paper trail of inconsistent policies or inappropriately applied policies to some, while elsewhere others are the favored ones. Every large agency has that one precinct or division where some are banished to its penal colony or the land of misfit toys (from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”). Having been a commander in the 3rd Precinct, I know firsthand what it is like to hold staff together under unimaginable odds.

Excessive pressure to perform or the sense of constant urgency also tears at your staff. If there is a lack of shared information and intelligence from above, this creates short-fuse decision-making. Add to that lack of proper support from above, and you create an exhaustive work environment. This was evident years ago when CompStat was in vogue. If CompStat was done correctly, it was a productive model. But when unscrupulous commanders used it as a platform for career development, bad things occurred. More careers were crushed than made under this model during promotion times. Pressure placed on staff to perform to make them look good was merciless. This too contributed to many leaving for more acceptable employment environments.

Lack of opportunities for career growth or skill advancement adds to the stench of the toxic place. Lack of development creates a learning and productivity void. Most every officer wants to learn how to work smarter and not harder. There are a few who only want the required mandatory courses that it takes to keep their certification. Training is a perk of the job; it is seen by many as a reward and positioning for their future. If the same ones go to training, and you do not get to go, it’s time to seek better opportunities for your professional development.

I am sure that there are more symptoms to the flawed departments out there. My challenge to you is that if you see it, do something about it. Promise yourself when you get to make a change for the good, do so. Granted those supervisors who lack the fortitude to do right will leave sooner or later. Now use what you learned from them, although it is bad. Apply what you have learned, knowing that it will make a difference and the vocation can evolve to a better place.