The Never-Ending Process of Transitioning

When one begins their law enforcement career, they enter a transition process. This is where the academy and field training transition them from a civilian to that of a working police officer. The slow, methodical movement from one state of life into the other is mapped out by years of training and development. Now this is a difficult transition for some, but it is a continued process. Law enforcement is a constantly evolving vocation; there's no denying it. But does it ever cease? It does not.

As you become a seasoned officer and then you transition to rank or other assignments, you go through yet another transitioning process. Oftentimes when one makes corporal or sergeant as a first-time supervisor, you must transition from one of the street officers to a first-level supervisor. Sometimes this transition process is difficult to separate you from one of the officers to that of supervisor. One of the most important statements that you will get from this piece is that the first-line supervisor is the most important rank in all of law enforcement. This is where applications of policies and procedures and work delivery meet the road. I do not care how sterling your chief or sheriff is; I do not care how many rising stars of upper command staff you have. Without good, solid first-line supervisors, your department will never excel. They are the most important link to production efficiency and safety.

One failure of most departments is promotion first and training later. There seems to be a trend that after an officer is promoted to first-line supervisor, they then are enrolled in a supervisory school. The first assignment as a supervisor is critical, and several missteps can be averted if they are trained first. Even a couple days and shifts with senior supervisors to create an ‘on-boarding experience’ will help with the new supervisors’ transition from line to super.

Now as your career evolves further, you may seek out special assignments such as investigations, traffic, or special operations, for example. Once again there is a transitioning process from that of a street officer to this new stage in a career. This is going to require more specialized training, but you also must gain the viewpoint of this new assignment, after which you enter a crime scene with the critical eye of an investigator. Other career opportunities will create a new you as you apply the new skills.

Training is a lifelong commitment. There are a few who only want to attend training to maintain their certification. You all know that salty veteran who will only attend when ordered to go. One idea that most departments do not do is ‘sell training.' If it is mandated, then it is a dreaded task. Selling the training is making it palatable to the end user. You will learn new ways to work smarter, work less, and be safer, for example. The less painful the better. Try to create motivated learners.

As the years go on and other opportunities avail themselves to you there are even more transitions before you. You get promoted to higher supervisory positions or may even become the chief or sheriff; there is a lot before you now. The scope of your duties and responsibilities will expand exponentially. New areas of budget, manpower & staffing, and interaction with political bodies (Council, Supervisors, Board members). These will require more from you. It would be hard to believe that the police academy never prepared you for this.

One part of all of this from the beginning is the policy, procedures, and protocols that make up each step of the way. Let’s call it “the book." At first, you were forced to learn them; you were tested on them, and later, after promotions, you might become the author of a few in your career. These elements are part of the process as well. All the directives add up to one statement. The first three letters of them are PRO, and they are the first three letters of PROFESSIONAL. Every step of the way in your career policy, standards, or “the book” evolves with you, and you must know it as a gospel. Recently I found a policy that was written over twenty-five years ago. It looked good but was so outdated, mainly due to advancements in technology. It prompted me to reflect on how much change there has been in so few years.

There are those who do not fully grasp the number of changes that have occurred, some willingly and some force-fed to us. I challenge you who do not feel it is that compelling, to dust off your old police academy curriculum and compare it to today’s curriculum. What has been added or expanded and what was dropped. More than likely there are now more hours or weeks added to the academy.

Alfred Edward Perlman, a railroad executive (1902-1983), once said, "After you’ve done a thing the same way for two years, look it over carefully. After five years, look at it with suspicion. And after ten years, throw it away and start over.” It applies in the business world as well as to police work.

A final note on the last career transition. At the end of your career, there is the last evolution, retirement. You are no longer “on the job," but does “the job” go with you? Some may take on some post-retirement light work. This will slow the process, but it still is there. Others may totally retire and call it a career. The first month will seem like a vacation, and into the second month, you will find a void in your life. What can fill up that hole? You cannot go back; this is a younger person's job. You have fulfilled your retirement numbers and gone. The transition from full-time working cop to retirement is one that many do not think about. It is important then that you channel your energy into something fulfilling to make all your work worthwhile.