While we’re starting out on our New Year, settling into our annually-chosen resolution(s) that most of us fail to keep (losing weight, quitting smoking, etc.), how about we make a resolution to man up when we screw up?
You’re out on patrol and you scratch the cruiser — maybe you put a nice dent in the passenger-side quarter panel.
You don’t say anything. You go off duty. Your relief didn’t check the car like he/she should have because he/she trusts you would do the right thing.
Off he/she goes on patrol and the shift boss happens to see the ding in the door and questions the LEO in the car. Of course, he/she didn’t check the car before they started out (like we should).
So the boss asks, “What happened to the car?”
The answer, “I don’t know.”
Boss calls you — the guy who had the car before our on-duty officer — and asks about the ding.
“I don’t know.”
Calls the guy who had the cruiser before you.
Same answer.
So we can only assume that the car damaged itself. Not!
Let’s resolve to not leave our mistakes fallen on the other guy/gal. Man up if you screw up.
What are they going to do, tell you to be more careful? Maybe you should be. We are human and we do make mistakes. Just don’t hang it on another officer(s).
Happy New Year. Now, man up.