How does management keep Officers from becoming frustrated?

[michaelsteven]

Thanks for what you guys do.

I do want to make it clear that my friend was a darn good person. We went to High School together and we sat next to each other in the classes we shared.

He was a prince of a guy. When we talked about Police work he proved that he really wanted to help everyone. He loved mankind.

Me, I was the guy who wanted to help the one or two people in the block who worked hard and tried to do right. I just wanted the low wage guys to be able to get their pay home to his wife and kids. I figured only one in ten were worth saving. My friend wanted to help everyone.

One of the reasons I did not take the job was because I had doubts about my attitude. (Looking back, I now know I was far better off in job where I could just do my own work, and not have to deal with criminals all day.)

It haunts me to think of my friend. I guess I feel like if I had not gone with him, he might not have taken the exam. Or maybe if I had not bailed, I could have helped him. And then there is that thing about telling him that he wasn't going to make it if he did not get out. (Listening to me didn't do him much good, did it?)

Forty years ago we were just a couple of dumb kids who wanted to make the world a little safer. One dumb kid, (The better one.), ends up with a miserable life, (And then an early death.), while the other dumb kid has a pretty good life. The difference was not about the person, it was about the job we lucked into.

I don't know how any of you do it. But, I am getting to the age where I understand that you guys are standing between me and some very nasty people, people who could easily make my life hell on earth.

Thanks guys, and if you want to know what this citizen thinks every time he gets a ticket. (Well, as soon as I finish trying to beg my way out of it anyway.) I just tell myself that the check paid for a small portion of what you do to keep me safe. My second thought is about my friend, and my prayers go out to each of you.

You make a difference, and admit it or not, everyone knows you do,

Michael

[tcop733]

You must not let your whole life revolve around law enforcement. That's easier said than done considering we're on duty 24/7.
But, I've seen this trend backed away from by many departments lately. Most departments recognize that officers off duty are ill prepared to enforce the law. No uniform, no Sam Brown, which has your less than lethal, cuffs, and most importantly "radio". Plus we most likely won't be wearing our vest while wearing Bermuda shorts.
Burn out happens to the best, but with proper support, habits, and friends/hobbies outside of LE, you can have a rewarding career.
True, law enforcement has some unique stressors, but so do many careers.
Exercise is my great stress reliever.

[retdetsgt]

The next time I heard of him, he was dead. He had quit the Department, but he could not quit drinking. A simple fall did him in.

I think that line says it all. As a recovering alcoholic myself, it sounds like your friend was an alcoholic too. He would have probably gone the same route no matter what line of work he did.

And as far as being a good person? A lot of alcoholics I know, recovering and practicing are good people.

[greg72982]

Thanks.

I'm surprised that corruption isn't rampant where Greg works. Too often, if you give people power and authority and don't pay them, they find ingenious ways to supplement their income.

My department was corrupt as hell before I came on. The older guys told me some horrific stories about cops being on the take. In fact, it was just commonplace for years. Guys were assigned as bagmen to go around and collect tribute from the merchants up through the early 60's at least.

One of the things they did to combat it was raise the pay considerably so they could raise the standards. We had a lot of guys on who didn't even have high school educations when I started. They raised the pay in 1969 and started looking more closely at applicants, plus the new mayor cracked down on some of the bull****. Then suddenly there were a whole lot of retirements. But if they hadn't raised the pay quite a bit, nothing would have changed because they would have still had the same pool of applicants. I know I wouldn't have given it a second thought if they had the same pay scale they had in 1968. The pay in 1970 was a living wage, the other was not.

Actually it is, at least in the one area. I don't trust many of those in surrounding departments. If you need backup they will come but the best idea is let them know as little as possible because no one around there likes us.

I look at this way. I accepted the job and the low pay that comes with it. I know I wont stay there forever, whether I leave LE altogether or I get a better paying full time job. The job is the job whether I am getting $10.50 an hour or $30.00 an hour. By half-assing it I am not upholding the oath.

[BP348]

Too often, if you give people power and authority and don't pay them, they find ingenious ways to supplement their income.

Wasn't that the problem in New Orleans? I remember NO being thought of as a highly corrupt department and it was mostly due to NO being one of the or the lowest paid departments in the country.

Before I got on with USBP I used to drive a cement truck. One of the other guys who worked there used to work for Chicago PD. He told me that the first 6 years as a cop he loved it and the last 6 years he hated it and finally got out because he was miserable.

My agency has a very good counseling program and it's available for many types of problems and to family members as well.

[retdetsgt]

Before I got on with USBP I used to drive a cement truck. One of the other guys who worked there used to work for Chicago PD. He told me that the first 6 years as a cop he loved it and the last 6 years he hated it and finally got out because he was miserable.

I truly admire people with that kind of courage. As I've said many times, I wasn't sure I wanted to be a cop when I was hired. It turned out I loved it, but I would have left. Life's too short to hate your job as bad as some people do.

One of my academy classmates quit before he got his probation in. He was doing a fine job, he just realized that this wasn't what he expected it to be and went to work as a forester (what his degree was in). Several guys I worked with that were pretty good cops ended up quitting after about 10 years or so and did something else. They all more or less said that the job had "lost the magic" and looked for something more personally rewarding.

[manahmanah]

Management is the number one CAUSE of frustration. Police agencies need LEADERS, not MANAGERS. MY LT is not even a good MANAGER.

[michaelsteven]

I have been on lots of job sites and I guess the one thing all of them have in common is that no matter what the job, and no matter who the workers are, a lousy boss can screw it up.

I have known small business owners who ran a great organization. When they tried to expand, they often failed because they could not be in two places at one time.

I once knew a manager who made the same evaluation upon coming to any job site. He always dropped everyones rating a full level. (Excellent became good, good went to fair, and fair went to poor.)

He never quite figured out the fact that if every worker dropped in ability after six months of his leadership, that this actually reflected on him far more than it did his people.

Of course, you guys see your failures up close and personal. Poor training could possibly cause loss of life. (Maybe even you own.)

Lack of equipment, while it caused me to lose time, might cause you to lose a case in court.

Worst of all is uncertain management. Going out on any job without understand exactly how much support you have is rough. However, my guess is that in your case, it is even more, "frustrating".

Wishy washy bosses are beyond contempt. Your boss, the Department, and Citizens all owe you a clear explanation of what we want, and how far we will go in protecting you if you try to do what we ask you to do.

Michael

Management is the number one CAUSE of frustration. Police agencies need LEADERS, not MANAGERS. MY LT is not even a good MANAGER.

[retdetsgt]

Management is the number one CAUSE of frustration. Police agencies need LEADERS, not MANAGERS. MY LT is not even a good MANAGER.

Back in the late 70's, the U of Oklahoma came up here and did a study on what caused stress among police officers. The would meet a number of us before and after shift, taking blood pressure, pulse and asking a variety of questions.

The chief's office told us they would give us the results when they got it back from the university. They didn't. Finally, our union filed a FIA and got it. We knew immediately why they didn't want to tell us. The number 1 cause of stress was management. The public, the bad guys, the shifts were barely a blip, but dealing with management was the biggie.