Sgt's: friend or foe

[Silvershield]

My Sgt. and I get along extremly well. It is because of that, that I respect his rank and position more. I dont even call him by his first name, it is because we are friendly to each other, that I feel compelled to do my best and it is understood, if I desreve dicipline by him I most certainly will take it without feeling betrayed, loss of a friendly atmosphere etc. Unfortunately the definition of a friend and what a friend should, or should not do is as different as the population of the U.S.

[smith0096]

Just an update on the lazy officer, he bought one day for not completeing an assignment on time as directed by the Chief. He came to me, I recommended three days, and we discussed his methods and my way of thinking. He's really PO'd but not at me...I dont think he'll ever learn or change.

[ateamer]

I guess I will have to prepare myself for that dilemna. I am taking the oral for sgt in a few weeks. I've been an officer for 24 years and its time to make the jump.

My purpose is strictly to make some extra retirement $$. I am not going to change the world. My office has an average time-on of about 10-12 years. I am not going to tell these guys and gals how to do their jobs...period.

Screw up and make me take paper, then it's all fair game. but I'm not going to go out of my way to find crap on people. Sorry...not the way I work.

Good luck! I hope you get promoted, because our profession needs more guys with solid views like you have. I don't understand all the hardass attitude toward the people who were, up until promotion, peers and buddies.

[rayder1]

I guess I will have to prepare myself for that dilemna. I am taking the oral for sgt in a few weeks. I've been an officer for 24 years and its time to make the jump.

My purpose is strictly to make some extra retirement $$. I am not going to change the world. My office has an average time-on of about 10-12 years. I am not going to tell these guys and gals how to do their jobs...period.

Screw up and make me take paper, then it's all fair game. but I'm not going to go out of my way to find crap on people. Sorry...not the way I work.

[yessemi]

One last comment. Do you know who sets the standard for the team? The shift? The agency??
The Chief or Sheriff? Nope. Watch commander? Wrong again.

It's the laziest, sloppiest, worse performing officer on the Department - that's allowed to get away with it.
He or she sets the standard.

and AMEN!!!!!!!!!!

[yessemi]

Thats a sad and "hard***ed" approach, and it builds resentment.People NEED to know that the people they work for actually CARE about them and what they deal with .As a senoir officer on my watch ,I've found younger officers coming to me for advice or direction more so than the Sgts and Lts- reason? Unapproachable personalities.The BEST supervisors CAN walk that fine line-calling officers by their first names,builds closeness, but at the same time telling someone to "get it done now".In todays policing ,you have to be flexible in performing the job.I've sen the inflexible types in charge- they get very little out of their employees except being on time,and LEAVING on time.....

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!

[smith0096]

That very good advise...thanks.

[kannahspapa]

We have a patrolman who is my friend and he's been here 22 of my 27 years. 6 of those years he had been a detective and had bitched about half-assed reports that he had gotten to investigate. He started doing half-assed reports so I had a heart to heart with him and he was terribly offended that I would say anything to him. The talk was going no where, so I got into his car with him and went back to where he had just taken a half-assed report. I started doing what he should have done initially and it embarrassed the hell out of him. Yes we're still friends, but I'm still the shift supervisor and it's my job to make sure things are done RIGHT. Do your job, remember
someday you'll be replaced and it might just be by your friend, set an example for them how it's supposed to be done.

[1006smith]

I may have missed it here but have you just sit down and spoken to this officer? Ask him why he is this way. Let him know, face to face, what you expect and find out how you can help him achieve the goals you set. Let him have a chance to explain his actions.
I was recently assigned a new shift to supervise. On the previous shift I had a 53 y.o.a. deputy that works his butt off. He could be down 6-7 reports and still be eager to stop a traffic violator if one passed. He takes great pride in his work. Any commendation is met with, "sarge, I was just doing my job." When I tried to help him with his call load, his response would jokingly be, "get the hell out of my beat." He works hard. He is a very good friend of mine. The other (younger) deputies on that shift also worked very hard. This was partly because they did not want an older deputy outworking them and partially because I worked WITH them. As a side note my wife recently had a 50Th birthday surprise party for me. Yea, I'm old. Everyone on my shift came, with spouses, and we all had a great time. Now I have a new shift to work with and it will take time to get to that point but WE will get there.
You can be a friend AND a sergeant to your troops. Yes, you will have to take corrective action from time to time but don't make it personal and they will know you are just doing your job. Take the time to find out what works for each PERSON and use that. It is a very rewarding accomplishment.

Good luck.

[S.O.4]

Thats a sad and "hard***ed" approach, and it builds resentment.People NEED to know that the people they work for actually CARE about them and what they deal with .As a senoir officer on my watch ,I've found younger officers coming to me for advice or direction more so than the Sgts and Lts- reason? Unapproachable personalities.The BEST supervisors CAN walk that fine line-calling officers by their first names,builds closeness, but at the same time telling someone to "get it done now".In todays policing ,you have to be flexible in performing the job.I've sen the inflexible types in charge- they get very little out of their employees except being on time,and LEAVING on time.....

You didn't get my point, and you are making incorrect assumptions. I don't think that expecting my sergeants (and deputies) to do their job is in any way indicative that I don't care about them or that I am 'inflexible'. In fact, just the opposite is true. Except when situationally inappropriate, I do call my troops by their first name. I make it a point to give them the brotherly punch in the arm and I tell them that I'm glad to have them on board. My door is always open. My folks know that and walk through it on a regular basis. I openly solicit their opinions, suggestions and feed-back concerning the operation of the division. Expecting people to do their jobs doesn't make you unapproachable - unless, of course, you aren't doing you job. Unlike most departments, we do an annual anonymous morale survey. In fact, we just completed one. Contrary to your (incorrect) assumption, morale within my division is in fact very high.

Having said all that, all my people also know that they are expected to do their jobs and that they will be held accountable for their actions. I expect my supervisors to be friendly and approachable and to be mentors to their subordinates. That expectation does not preclude them from taking appropriate corrective or disciplinary action when necessary. My sergeants are held to the standard of being 'firm, fair, and consistent' when dealing with their deputies. You see a problem with that standard?

You are correct about what is important to the line troops. A number of surverys have been done over the years, and the front line folks always put job recognition and satisfaction at the top of the list. The administrative types always rank pay, benefits and promotional opportunities at the top. They are wrong. Fortunately for the people who work for me, I know better.

[PFL]

A good manager has the respect of his officers, gained from his actions, not because he bought a set of stripes.

[J_Mann]

A good manager is constantly training his replacement.

Amen brother.

[Tim Dees]

I knew a cop who did management training, and in the classroom he was a ball of fire. I never worked with him as a cop, and I wondered if he really practiced what he preached. One day I ran into a cop that worked under the trainer, and asked him what the guy was like. "He will never let you get away with anything but top grade work. If you try and make excuses, he'll ask, 'Why should I accept from you anything but the best work you can do?'" He pushed his cops to excellence, and the good ones always felt like they benefited from the experience. The bad ones, not so much, but that was their problem.

A good manager is constantly training his replacement.

[ateamer]

Taking your post at face value, you should have went with him and stood by while he complied with the 'chief's directive', and conducted some interview that should've been handled by DB or DYS.You should have also been ready to produce an overtime card with your signature so he could be paid for working past his shift. He doesn't sound like a "bad " officer, just one that's tired of being used, and not being backed up by his supervisor.

I think you called it!

[1oldsarge]

One last comment. Do you know who sets the standard for the team? The shift? The agency??
The Chief or Sheriff? Nope. Watch commander? Wrong again.

It's the laziest, sloppiest, worse performing officer on the Department - that's allowed to get away with it.
He or she sets the standard.