The Importance of Proactive Leadership During the Anti-Police Crisis Of 2020

As law enforcement agencies are put on blast, influential leaders have become more important than ever to help bring positivity to the police force. They’re also needed to guide affected individuals through these dark times. It’s not easy to put in long hours of work while remaining active and vigilant at all times, especially during a crisis.

The police force and other law enforcement agencies have been dealing with additional protests, putting up with unclear instructions from politicians, and putting in extra hours of duty as the entire nation faces uncertainty during the current health and financial crisis.

It’s important to double down on leadership efforts at all levels to navigate this complex situation. Apart from this, officers also need to take a hard look at the issues that occur in their jurisdictions.

If you’re a part of law enforcement, no matter what your position, you have an important role to play. Taking the lead and motivating your peers isn’t confined to a specific rank or job description.

If you’re ready to contribute and do your part in helping your organization stay afloat during these trying times, here are two steps that will help you lead and meet challenges head-on.

History Repeats Itself: Learn From The Past

Mike Woods, a PoliceOne columnist, spoke about the situation in one of his recent podcasts, describing the current issues as history repeating itself. Pointing toward the late 1960s and the early 1970s, he explains how the situation back then is related to what is happening right now.

To get more insight into the events that surrounded the period of time mentioned, Mike suggests reading “Days of Rage,” a book by Bryan Burrough. He further highlights that history is a giant repository of all the lessons we’ve ever learned on Earth and those who want to make their present better should try and understand the past.

Take The Lead When It’s Needed—Even If It Doesn’t Feel Like It’s ‘You’

The police force often comes under fire because of their inability to clearly communicate and justify policies or changes to training programs to the general public.

One great way to bridge this gap is by bringing in leaders with effective communication skills who will help educate administrators and the general public by providing easy-to-understand information that’s backed up by facts and evidence.

An example worth mentioning here is the 8 Can’t Wait Campaign; several agencies weren’t equipped or prepared to explain the purpose of the campaign to the public or respond to their questions. Even though the campaign stood for several good causes, there were a few points that were nothing but distressing; for example, the demand for a force continuum, which was, after some time, considered to be not workable.

On the website, itself are phrases like “fully defund the police,” which raises many questions. A good way to tackle these groups of people is to carefully analyze their agenda and make sure you’ve provided your administrators with clear, understandable, factual, and accurate information to counter their research and analysis.

Being recognized, heard, and having a conversation with them is more likely to open them up to acceptance and a deeper understanding of the agency’s point of view.

 

If you’re interested in doing your part for the greater good, join the Suffolk County Police Department. Our all-inclusive exam preparation classes and numerous workshops will help you increase your chances of achieving great scores on your first attempt as you clear your civil service exams!

Get in touch with us in case you have any queries or questions.