We often treat each other worse than our harshest critics do. I’ve been guilty of it myself over the years, but too often we look for the bad in each officer rather than the good.
Policing is one of the most challenging professions in the world. Every day, the media and politicians unfairly represent policing. Over the past few years, we have seen news outlets and elected officials spread objectively false narratives. Those actions have had real consequences for police recruitment and retention and have diminished community safety overall. But if we are truly honest, some of the most vicious attacks have come from within.
Far too often, we are cannibalistic in law enforcement. We consume our own brothers and sisters and feast on their failures. We jump to negative conclusions, pick apart every mistake and question the motives of other officers. We devour each other as if the outside criticism wasn’t enough.
The feast weakens us
Cannibalism is an appropriate metaphor because it is both destructive and unsustainable. Every officer has strengths and weaknesses, yet for some reason we tend to focus on faults rather than on what someone brings to the shift, unit or organization. We may attack one officer for being too passive and, in the next sentence, criticize another for being too gung-ho. When the default is to attack each other, often before the facts are even known, we do not feed the profession; we are starving it.
Accountability versus cannibalism
Accountability and eating our own are two very different things. I am not suggesting we should ignore mistakes or avoid discipline when appropriate. Accountability is necessary to keep policing moving in the right direction, but accountability serves particular purposes. One is to correct behavior in a way that makes the officer better, and the other is to protect the integrity of the department and the profession.
When we attack each other based on rumors, opinions, biases or tribalism, that is not accountability. It is cannibalism. The distinction is critical.
Mentorship and training matter
No matter how long you have been doing the job, we all have plenty of room for improvement. Even if you knew everything about policing today, you wouldn’t tomorrow. The playing field is constantly changing, and it is tough to keep up. There are also far too many different aspects of policing to be perfect in every area. Recognize that every cop needs guidance and a chance to learn without condemnation from within.
We know that officers will make mistakes and have deficiencies. How do we avoid unfair attacks without ignoring the faults? Our default should be training and mentoring. Mistakes are required to grow, but they are also more consequential in policing than in most professions. We address this tension by training smart, training often and providing mentorship throughout an officer’s career.
Facts before you act
One of the best ways to avoid eating our own is to let the facts settle before you react. Earlier in my career, I was a sergeant for a gang unit that was part of an FBI Safe Streets Task Force. More times than I can count, people attacked us based on rumors or what they thought they knew. The truth was nowhere near the accusation.
Scenarios like that happen daily in police departments. Many conversations start with, “Did you hear what Officer Jones did…?” Do not give in to the temptation to react to gossip or incomplete information. Allow the facts to become clear before you attack your fellow officers.
Humility is also an important virtue. We are all imperfect people doing an incredibly difficult job. Have some grace with those around you. There will come a time when you want it in return. Recognize that every officer has things they are better at than you. The list may be short for some, but I promise there is something. Learn from each other’s expertise in different areas of police work.
Choose what you consume
We get to choose what we are hungry for. We can feed on other people’s weaknesses and shortcomings, or we can look for opportunities to make ourselves and each other better. Spend your energy growing as a person and a police officer, and help others succeed along the way.
Certain elected officials, members of the public and the media will never stop watching and criticizing what we do. That is the reality of wearing a badge. But inside our own house, we have a choice. We can continue to gnaw away at each other until there is nothing left, or we can feed each other encouragement, guidance and constructive feedback.
This calling is challenging enough without friendly fire. If we want to survive as individuals and as a profession, we need to stop feasting on each other and start feeding each other.
It’s time to end the cannibalism.
How does internal criticism show up on your shift, and what does it do to morale? Share below.
- I’ve used the term “blue pirahna.” We have, and continue to, eat our own. We train our cops in the academy and FTO programs to look for “the bad.” This bleeds over into the organization. We tear our own down, which is easier than build up. It is a culture issue that can be remedied with consistent messaging from command staff, addressing those who spread harmful rumors and ignite unnecessary internal fires, and proper mentoring. This takes time and effort that most agencies will not invest the time in. Many supervisors take the “blue pill” avoiding / ignoring the cannibalism. We need more to take the “red pill” to confront it head on and make real, long lasting intrinsic change that creates and sustains a heathy work culture.
- I’ve been in a LEO for over 40 years and have experienced this more times than I can remember. This article has hit home on several points! Thanks for publishing this, it’s something all supervisors need to keep in mind with every incident. Think before you leap!
- I’ve taught on this issue (eating our own) for years, including a course at ILEETA. This is right on target. We MUST mentor our young officers and lead as servants (SERVANT-leadership). Sadly, just the opposite is more the norm.
