May 2021 End of Watch Monthly Update
April 2021 - 19 Officers Down
Welcome back for the third installment of our series on “Teamwork is Key”. So far we have covered how teamwork is key for both the completion of the annual End of Watch Memorial Ruck and for unit-level cohesion in law enforcement. Today we will begin to dive into adjacent unit teamwork and how the bigger picture function is essential to the larger mission of any department.
We’ve discussed tips on how to be a better team player on your immediate unit, but what about with adjacent units? At my agency, our patrol units will typically take the initial report on a dispatched call and handle the full investigation if they can. Certain types of crimes and high liability incidents are forwarded on to other units such as Property Crimes or Major Crimes. So far this model has benefitted patrol quite well because it allows them to get a glimpse into the bigger picture of investigating a crime. They get to see the process the whole way through and thus see the importance of how good investigations and teamwork benefit the case and increase the chances of apprehension.
TEAMWORK IS KEY
No matter the setup of your agency, teamwork between the adjacent units is extremely important to a high-performing agency. However, despite the importance and desire for adjacent unit teamwork, it seems that this area can be left lacking. In my experience, the cause of this dysfunction is miscommunication or the lack of communication. Effective communication is the pathway through which your unit and another unit are to work well together and accomplish the mission. I’m brought back to the analogy I used last month about the gears in a machine. In a high-performing machine all the parts are working together in unison. A unit or units that work in harmony with each other achieve far more success than any self-serving and isolated person or unit ever could. And watching the success unfold can be as pleasing to watch as a well-orchestrated symphony as all the parts fall into place and the mission is accomplished.
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place” - George Bernard Shaw
Very often it seems that units down the line of an investigation -- or production line of a business -- hold the same complaints for years. And that’s that someone up the line didn’t do __X__ properly. Why is this? Take a step back and ask yourself “Are they actually trying to sabotage the mission by doing a bad job?” In my experience, the answer to that is rarely “yes”. If there is a known consistent problem, why not fix it? Talk to the other teams, get to the root of the issue, and make steps towards a better process. If you’ve already done this but you feel like you aren’t getting anywhere, keep talking to them, keep asking questions until it’s resolved. After all, if every time I needed to drive my car something was wrong with it, I would take it to a shop and have them find out the problem. I wouldn’t continue to fight it every day perpetually. I would invest the time now to save time down the road. If it’s broken, fix it. Why do we keep suffering through the same mistakes born of miscommunication as though it’s part of the job?
So, you’ve decided to go to a unit up the line of the investigation to shed some light on the error of their ways. When doing this, keep in mind that you are the one approaching the other unit with a message. It is your responsibility to craft that message in a way that they understand. You are the one wanting to initiate change for your benefit, not them. You need them to understand the problem and how it affects the overall mission. If you want them to understand your point of view, it is your responsibility, and yours alone, to convey it in a way that they can understand. You have to remember that you came to them, they didn’t come to you. If they didn’t understand your message, then it’s up to you to find a way to rework your message so mission success can be achieved. Fact of the matter is, their perception is their reality. Your goal is to make your reality theirs. If you come to a place where you feel like you are not making progress, take a step back and detach. Self assess. Take a look at your delivery. Ask questions. Evaluate your own attitude. Sometimes a misplaced attitude can completely destroy your intent. No matter how polite and nice you think you are coming across if they think you are speaking down to them or being insincere. Guess what? You’re talking down to them and being insincere. This will turn off your audience almost immediately. In reality, it doesn’t matter how you think you are coming across, if the receiver of the message isn’t grasping the intended message then you are off target from your goal.
Being able to freely communicate with other units effectively can be challenging, but if mastered, can relieve workplace tensions, increase the speed and effectiveness of case investigation, increase the chance of apprehension, and make your work life much more enjoyable.
On the other hand, sometimes communication isn’t the only problem. I’m sure we’ve all run across those with the mindset of “that’s not my job” or “I’m not doing that, that’s why they get paid the big bucks”. This mindset can be cancerous to the mission and difficult to overcome. This is when the gears of the machine can really begin to grind. My belief is that this is a failure of the person to be sold on the WHY of the mission. They aren’t committed to the mission success of the agency, organization, or business. Typically they fail to see the bigger picture and the importance of their role in it. The result of this mindset can result in an incomplete job thus greatly decreasing the chance of bad guy apprehension. For these cases, map out the bigger picture for them. Take a time-out from the day-to-day routine and let them behind the curtain to see what goes on when the case leaves their hands. Show them the impact that all the little details can have in a case no matter how small and insignificant they may seem. Show them what failure looks like when a job isn’t done properly and a bad guy is back out on the street, free to hurt more people. Then show them what success looks like when families are safe from another predator. From my experience as an FTO, showing the ripple effect of their actions can give them this “ah-ha” moment to put them on track to believe in what they do.
You will always have that small percent of people who simply resist your efforts and will not cooperate. But I think you will find that most of your adjacent units want to be an asset to the team. As they become more of an asset to the team, teamwork will continue to reveal itself as the key to unlocking a much greater potential.
Thank you for joining and stay tuned for more.
If you would like to join us in our mission to honor the fallen and support those still on watch by starting a satellite monthly End of Watch Memorial Ruck in your area, please reach out through this link. Alternatively, you can join us by simply throwing some weight in your ruck and getting some miles in around your neighborhood. We’ve been seeing your posts and are proud of what you are doing out there.
The goal is to do a mile for each officer down in the line of duty while carrying 20 pounds to match the average weight in duty gear an officer carries on a daily basis. While this is the goal, please adjust the weight and miles to your capabilities.
Thank you for your continued support, look forward to seeing everyone soon!
Take Care,
Caleb Cook
April’s Honor Wall
Police Officer William Evans
End of Watch:
Friday, April 2, 2021
United States Capitol Police, U.S. Government
Lieutenant James Kouski
End of Watch:
Saturday, April 3, 2021
Hometown Police Department, Illinois
Police Officer Brent Nelson Hall
End of Watch:
Saturday, April 3, 2021
Newton Grove Police Department, North Carolina
Deputy Sheriff Joseph Brandon Gore
End of Watch:
Saturday, April 3, 2021
Brunswick County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina
Deputy Sheriff Christopher Wilson Knight
End of Watch:
Tuesday, April 6, 2021
Bibb County Sheriff's Office, Georgia
Sergeant James K. Smith
End of Watch:
Friday, April 9, 2021
Iowa State Patrol, Iowa
Deputy Sheriff Thomas Patrick Barnes
End of Watch:
Saturday, April 10, 2021
Jefferson Davis County Sheriff's Department, Mississippi
Deputy Sheriff Carlos Antonio Hernandez
End of Watch:
Sunday, April 11, 2021
Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, Florida
Border Patrol Agent Christopher Shane Simpkins
End of Watch:
Monday, April 12, 2021
United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - United States Border Patrol, U.S. Government
Police Officer Kevin Valencia
End of Watch:
Thursday, April 15, 2021
Olmsted County Sheriff's Office, Minnesota
Corrections Officer Jimmy Garcia
End of Watch:
Thursday, April 15, 2021
Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division, Texas
Police Officer David Parde
End of Watch:
Saturday, April 17, 2021
Lexington Police Department, North Carolina
Deputy Sheriff Terry Dyer
End of Watch:
Tuesday, April 20, 2021
Madison County Sheriff's Office, Tennessee
Deputy Sheriff Alexander Gwosdz
End of Watch:
Thursday, April 22, 2021
Harris County Sheriff's Office, Texas
Police Officer Anastasio Tsakos
End of Watch:
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
New York City Police Department, New York
Corporal Keith Heacook
End of Watch:
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Delmar Police Department, Maryland
Deputy Sheriff Logan Fox
End of Watch:
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Watauga County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina
Sergeant Chris Ward
End of Watch:
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Watauga County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina
Police Officer Christopher Farrar
End of Watch:
Friday, April 30, 2021
Chandler Police Department, Arizona
