Are your decisions accepted or questioned, what gets you in trouble?

[Santina14]

I am curious, about the TV portraying Officers as order taking followers, instead of initiative and problem solving ...why does the media do this, and are you free to make your own decisions and calls and what do you get into trouble for and what do you avoid like the plague as a decisions.

[acreature]

b/c it's the media, duh :D

Yes we follow orders and driectives as per our SOP. Our decisions are made by us, though they are dictated by departmental Policy.

[tomahawk134]

Santina14:

Remember you are watching a TV Drama, something to entertain. In real life, many Officers I work with take the intitative to work through problems and accept the responsibility for those decisions.

Many departments have a PARA-MILITARY structure. Officers will always take orders from supervisors. Officers may or may not agree with the Orders, but they will carried out, period. Many supervisors do not MICRO MANAGE Officers. So however do.

tomwoolworth

[lindat2957]

We are encouraged to take the initiative to solve problems on our own. At times a supervisor steps in and his/her word is final. Remeber Tv is entertainment and not reality.

[ChesCopPodz]

I do it my way and according to policy unless a sgt or hire gives the order, then it's whatever they want unless illegal or immoral.

[Santina14]

can you than say my boss made me take this decision and you suffer the consequences does this ever happen.

[marchaa]

We are encouraged to take the initiative to solve problems on our own. At times a supervisor steps in and his/her word is final. Remember Tv is entertainment and not reality.

The reason we are cops is because we are able to solve problems and prioritize things. Alot of it depends on your supervisors. Seniority doesn't matter as much as rank. One of our older officers will pass alot of stuff off that I would take action on 1,000 times. I have been told to ignore him and go over his head if he is slacking. If a supervisor says it I have to do it, no matter how stupid it is or how much I disagree.
:mad:

[DCWoody153]

can you than say my boss made me take this decision and you suffer the consequences does this ever happen.

If I am following the law, and the departments General Orders (or SOP's), then there are no consequences. If the supervisor asks me to violate the law or G.O.'s, and I am stupid enough to do it, then we will both suffer the consequences.

[mcsap]

I expect (actually demand) that my officers follow dept policy but in addition to that , that they think on their feet, use their brain to solve a situation in the way that they were trained. Having a self initiative is good , using it is better. I don't mind if they call me for help or advice one bit but I give them a lot of freedom to handle things their own way.

[corporal716]

If I am following the law, and the departments General Orders (or SOP's), then there are no consequences. If the supervisor asks me to violate the law or G.O.'s, and I am stupid enough to do it, then we will both suffer the consequences.

The only order I do not have to follow is an unlawful one. But with that said,
other then being told what area to work, I was never given a lot of ,"orders. " The sup. has to work within the same laws and general orders I do. So I kind of already know what he or she wants done, what I can and can't do, and what needs to be done.

[Group9]

Our problem is just the opposite. While we have a million rules on admin stuff, like when to change the oil in our cars, we get almost no guidance or directives on what types of cases they want us to work. And, when they do give us that imput, it changes so often it is of really no value.

Most of us have learned that it a lot easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission as they are good about forgiving as long as something works, but slow to grant permission on anything the least bit unusual or innovative.