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need to do their best to view their occupation at from afar with pride. it's about us seeing
not as a job but as a vocation. We swore an them perform and not failing to perform
oath to be readily prepared to do the tasks that because we are gone. I have personally seen
we've been called upon to do. We have an organizations in which the staff complained
obligation as organizational leaders to train our after a very high performer leaves and officers
officers to a level that protects us from liability start to say, “Everything fell apart once Corporal
for failure to train. That standard is the Joe left.” The failure was in the culture of the
foundation and not the ceiling. Each of us organization for not carrying on and doing it
swore that we would take every opportunity to better than Corporal Joe. If the leadership is
train. When I share that sentiment with officers, threatened by progress there are those saboteurs
I tend to get negative feedback. I remind them in every organization who will be threatened by
to go back and read the Law Enforcement Code the positive efforts that “Joe” did and some will
of Ethics. Toward the end of the code is a go to great lengths to methodically undo and
sentence that says, “I know that I alone am dismantle his progress. The organizational
responsible for my own standard and terrorists and negative people who complain to
professional performance and will take every God that the sun isn’t bright enough are in every
reasonable opportunity to enhance and improve organization at all ranks and yes some are even
my level of knowledge and competence.” Chiefs of Police. That is a topic for a future
article. In this case Joe’s legacy ends with Joe
We represent the Police and people of the Great once the leadership exhibits a toxic culture. In
State of Texas. They expect us to perform as some cases, it is simply the horses who refuse to
professionals and they expect us to make the drink the water when no one embraces the
right decisions under the rules they create for us culture or the same level of performance. We
to enforce. As a police administrator I continue call this chronic rectal lethargy AKA Lazy Ass
to strive to earn the trust of the community so Syndrome. Perhaps Joe just never showed
that they can give our officers the best tools, the anyone how to do what he did.
best pay, and work with us on the rules they
want us to enforce. We strive to have all the Professional legacy should be what we look
means, the resources, and the tools to protect back on and say, these are the things “we” did
the community as well as our officers. Not that made me proud and now these are the
every community is the same and not every things “they” do that make me proudest. What
organization receives the resources they need do you want to see others do better? How do
but the expectation from the community is we acknowledge them for doing it better? The
usually the same. Every interaction is just Texas Police Association is a great avenue to
another opportunity to build and rebuild trust. fulfill your commitment and to build your
Even when we have challenges, setbacks, legacy by finding or being a mentor. I challenge
complaints, negative internal affairs you to train and mentor others, take the training
investigations, or bad media we should set out wheels off, get them on the road, and get him to
on a new mission to mentor those who come ride further, faster, and harder than we did. We
after us to do it better. are in an honorable and noble vocation, sharing
our passion with some of the best human beings
We owe it to those coming in after us to set on this planet.
them up for success and not failure. The legacy Train hard, earn trust, be safe, and
we leave behind is something we need to look live your legacy.
Sept./Oct. 2019 www.texaspoliceassociation.com • 866-997-8282 3
