By Lance LoRusso for Calibre Press
Today we begin a list of simple but powerful pieces of advice we should all remember, shared by a veteran officer from a large west coast agency. He begins…
1. Be safe. Quite a revelation, you say? But that thought is the foundation of all of our training—to be safe out there in the field. But how often do we consciously THINK about it? Do you ever begin the day thinking, “I will be safe today?”
It doesn’t matter if you’re going to work, to play or just to your home, thinking about “being safe” sets the stage for practicing good safety habits. Remind yourself, often, that you have to be safe in whatever you do, but especially as an officer. Whether it’s a traffic stop, taking a suspect into custody or walking into a 7-11 to use the restroom—you just never know what could be around that corner. I don’t have to tell you how many officers have been injured or killed doing the “routine” stuff. We walk a fine line between paranoia and precaution.
Safety applies to driving, too. Since we drive about 90% of our on-duty time, we have to be extra safe, especially when we are covering on high stress, cover now-type calls. If you crash while zipping down Market Street at 100mph, not only will you bring a lot of pain and suffer on yourself and anyone you might hit (plus unfold financial liability for the department, the city and perhaps yourself), you will be of no help whatsoever to the person who needs your help so desperately—your fellow officer. It’s crucial to prevent your adrenaline from overcoming your common sense. Get there quickly, get there fast, but get there!
2. Don’t be a hypocrite. This can be a touchy subject. None of us is perfect. We can only strive to be the best we can be as often as possible. But if you’re out there on the freeway doing 75 mph in your private vehicle, and you’re writing citizens for doing 65 mph in a 55 mph zone, think twice about what you’re doing. Don’t be putting people in jail for felony spousal abuse, then go home and beat your spouse. It’s a trap, get it? We all hate the hypocrite. Don’t become one.
3. Be as right as you can as often as you can. This little suggestion can be especially crucial for the police officer. Everybody is entitled to an honest mistake. We can’t go long in life without one. Sometimes they happen daily. That’s part of being human. Honest mistakes are something to be tolerated, defended, forgiven, even commended. A fear of the honest mistake can make life pretty miserable with worry and stress. It is totally unrealistic.
What we have no room for is premeditated, calculated error. (i.e., crime, poor judgement, dishonesty). It’s easy enough to do without, more difficult to cope with. And it makes life harder for you and your fellow cops. Keep things simple. Life is complicated enough.
4. Don’t be afraid to be sensitive. No, I’m not talking about “touchy-feely” have-a-cry-after-every-call type of sensitive. I’m just talking about being sensitive to each other and the citizens you contact.
I’ll never forget when a member of my department committed suicide, a certain lieutenant walked around the station and made fun of the condition of the deceased. I swore if I ever got that callous about my co-workers, I would call it quits. His attitude and demeanor didn’t have a positive impact on his subordinates and reflected poorly on his superiors.
I’m not saying you can’t be critical, or you can’t learn something. Just think about being sensitive when the situation calls for it. Don’t be afraid. Cops don’t have to be macho, uncaring people, as many believe us to be. Personally, I wouldn’t give a hoot for one of those kind.
5. Don’t be a stereotype. We all know and hate stereotypes directed at us, especially in the form of comments such as, “You cops are all alike.” But what is stereotype? Something that a specific group is noted for or does on a semi-regular basis. That means that stereotypes are often true. It is obviously not fair (or right), however, to hold a person accountable for every stereotype associated with their particular group. And the only way to change or alter a negative stereotype is to avoid perpetuating it.
We all know how the “stereotypical cop” is viewed. I believe that often-negative image is slowly turning around. Let’s try not to perpetuate it any longer than necessary. Try not to act exactly the way people expect us to, or do exactly what people think we are going to do.
NEXT: More things you should think about…every day. Thoughts to share? E-mail: editor@calibrepress.com
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