Editor’s Note: This week’s PoliceOne First Person essay is from PoliceOne Member Patrick J. Welsh, who retired in 2012 after a 26-year career with the Dayton (Ohio) Police Department. In PoliceOne “First Person” essays, our Members and Columnists candidly share their own unique view of the world. This is a platform from which individual officers can share their own personal insights on issues confronting cops today, as well as opinions, observations, and advice on living life behind the thin blue line. If you want to share your own perspective with other P1 Members, simply send us an e-mail with your story.
By Pat Welsh
Police1 Member
Virtually every police officer in America joined the ranks of law enforcement because they wanted to help people. Protect and Serve wasn’t just a lame motto, it was the driving motivation behind their career aspirations.
But, sadly for too many of us, this spirit of service and leadership appears to be DRT — dead right there.
Knowing one wants to help people isn’t the same as living a life of service and leadership. So, what has happened in American law enforcement that is tolling the bells on protecting and serving?
One must take a step back and objectively assess the situation. The allure of success and leadership in law enforcement is shrouded in a culture of death. The death of protecting, serving and helping others.
Us Versus Them: The Real Police Culture
This “Us Versus Them” seems to be the mantra in the culture of death surrounding today’s law enforcement community, and its relationship with the communities they serve.
It starts slowly, like cancer, seemingly undetected, but slowly spreading throughout the law enforcement family. After a few years on the job, it’s Us (cops) versus Them (anyone or group that isn’t a cop).
“Us” versus... the criminals, the victims, the citizens, the courts, the media...
Resentment builds against witnesses who won’t step forward, victims who won’t follow through with prosecution, criminals who keep being criminals. Distrust sets in as “Us versus the Courts” where “they” won’t punish criminals with swift and consistent consequences. Anger mounts, as “Us versus the Media” take root when “they” only want to show cops at their worst.
We end up with “Us versus Us.” There is “Us” versus management. “They” have forgotten where they came from and only think the worst of the troops on the front lines of protection and service to the community.
“Us” — the real cops — have no leadership up the ranks. Management throws up their hands, as they can’t understand why their officers cannot do “anything right.” Why can’t “they” understand the financial and political pressure “we” are under?
“I can’t wait to retire” becomes the new mantra.
There is the Us (veteran cops) versus Them (the rookies). “They” — the newbies — haven’t proven themselves as one of “Us.”
Can they be trusted? Will they have my back when that citizen complaint comes in? They don’t know what it is like out here, it’s an “Us versus Them” world.
Competing executive and senior management agendas pit one division against another.
Resources are scarce, and each division has their own vision of how monies ought to be spent and manpower allocated. “Operations Division is the backbone of the Department, not Investigations or Administrative Services.”
The new mantra becomes, “Morale on this department sucks.”
The culture of blame feeds the culture of death. Cops fall into the classic minimize harm and maximize excuse mentality. “I can kick this call because the victim isn’t going to follow through anyway.”
“My supervisor can KMA — he doesn’t care about me... he just wants to impress the Chief.”
“I’m going to protect my people first — everyone else can fend for themselves.”
We blame others in order to justify our own behavior. While agencies and their members focus on themselves, they sacrifice their sworn duty to protect and serve others. The troops won’t follow and leaders can’t lead.
Departments are dead right there — DRT — and don’t even know it.
Agencies keep trudging along, doing the same thing over and over and expect a different result...
Part Two of the series (to be posted two weeks from today) will take a critical look at the progression of the law enforcement profession and the organizational disease killing our agencies and communities – ineffective leadership.
About the Author
Major Patrick J. Welsh retired in 2012, after a 26-year career with the Dayton Police Department (Ohio) and now lives in Colorado. Major Welsh began his 30-year criminal justice career as a Prosecutor in 1982. In 1986 he answered his calling to a career in law enforcement and joined the Dayton Police Department, where he served as a Patrolman/Detective, Patrol Sergeant , Lieutenant (Operations, Narcotics and CID) and Major (Operations). Major Welsh was a certified instructor for OPOTA, teaching both recruit classes and in-service training. Major Welsh is a graduate of the FBINA, the Police Executive Leadership College and member of IACP. Major Welsh is also a member of the John Maxwell Team, the leading professional group of coaches, trainers and speakers on leadership. Major Welsh is a team instructor with the Southern Police Institute (SPI) on the Legal Issues in Prosecuting Homicide Cases. Major Welsh is the founder and President of PJ Welsh and Associates, LLC. His website is a free LEO resource on a wide range of law enforcement issues including: leadership, legal updates, training and courtroom testimony. Major Welsh can be contacted through his website, www.CourtSurvival.com.
