how much does a new chief change the dynamics of a department

[studentcj]

When a new chief takes over a department is there ever drastic change or for the most part things remain the same

[retdetsgt]

They usually make policy changes that have some effect, not on the day to day taking of calls. The lower you are on the food change, the less you feel the changes.

[Legoate]

I guess it would totally depend on the chief. I have had chiefs that made the entire department miserable with their nonsense. I have seen drastic changes on the way things are handled or even which type of calls we respond to. Also, most discipline is signed off by the chief- so if it is someone who keeps grudges against people they can make things interesting.

However, a smart leader will figure out what is broken and fix that... not just make change for the sake of making change and being the boss.

[studentcj]

I guess it would totally depend on the chief. I have had chiefs that made the entire department miserable with their nonsense. I have seen drastic changes on the way things are handled or even which type of calls we respond to. Also, most discipline is signed off by the chief- so if it is someone who keeps grudges against people they can make things interesting.

However, a smart leader will figure out what is broken and fix that... not just make change for the sake of making change and being the boss.

I like what you had to say in bold, I feel the same way. I can only imagine the nervousness that would come with a new chief and waiting to see how things change for the better or worse

[retdetsgt]

However, a smart leader will figure out what is broken and fix that... not just make change for the sake of making change and being the boss.

We almost always got the latter. I've never seen one come in and make things remarkably better, but I've had some come in and damn near start a mutiny. There have been a couple of times where most uniform people quit doing any proactive work and only answered calls for service. And in those, they did the bare minimum and did nothing that would be controversial. Usually then the chief would be gone within a few months of that.

But for the most part, they do their shaking up at the command level by punishing old enemies and rewarding old friends. Most of us were below all that and just kept doing our jobs.

They all think they will leave some sort of legacy, but in reality the only thing they leave is a picture on the wall in the chief's office.