Biblical Career Advice…..even for Law Enforcement.

I want to deviate from my series on the ten deadly errors police officers make to talk a little scripture. The verses of 2 Peter 1:5-10 is a passage I have heard preached on twice recently. Both times this passage spoke to me as a blueprint for how we should live our lives. I also began to think of this passage as career advice. Even a career in law enforcement. 

“…make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble.”

The writer of Peter was warning his readers against corruption and false teachers in the church and how to combat it. The next few verses details how. I think these verses also make excellent career advice for everyone.  Let me apply this to my chosen career.  First, we must have FAITH. Not just in God, but in our system and ourselves. When we took our oath of office, we swore allegiance to the rule of law and to our system. It gets things wrong and it gets things right. But, on balance it the best system in the world.

Faith is not enough, though. We have to add GOODNESS. We are the good guys, after all. The white hats who fight for the helpless. We have to have such a positive outlook on our mission. We have to be different. We may “walk in the valley of the shadow of death,” but we can’t allow the evil that lurks in the alley to affect us. 

After goodness, we are to add KNOWLEDGE. We can’t stop at the police academy or field training. If we are not learning something nearly every day we are like stagnant water. Suitable only for the growth of disease spreading bacteria and mosquitoes. Do you know stagnant officers? If you have too many you have a stagnant agency no matter how many good officers there are. Keep up the learning. Keep up with the new court cases on search and seizures. Know your use of force cases and standards. Read up on new techniques being used across the country to address the problems in your patrol area. Keep with the regular law changes. Start reading those free police magazines that are sent to your office every month. Subscribe to law enforcement web sites. Attend training with a positive attitude. In my experience, when you are knowledgeable both your superiors and coworkers will seek your advice.

Next is SELF-CONTROL. This means minding your tongue, your manners, and your temper. Do not give in to temptation, but remain steadfast. In our careers we are subject to much temptation. This is everything from cheating on a relationship to lying about the details of a traffic stop. Integrity is hard to gain and easy to lose. It is a slippery slope and in my opinion all inclusive in our lives.

After this comes PERSEVERANCE. We will hit walls. We will get stuck in the mud and spin our wheels. We will see the bad in humanity. Maybe even so much bad we begin to doubt there is any good still left. We have to soldier on. There is good in people. Remember, we are the good guys. We stand for good.

This is why the next thing is GODLINESS. Church and worshiping God is a refuge from the chaos of the world. It should not be a surprise that the worship area of a church is commonly called a sanctuary. For me, this faith is essential in keeping me grounded. It keeps my life largely uncluttered. I am but a sinner, who is not always a good witness, but I am forgiven. There is something higher at work in this world. You should become of a part of it.

Next up is MUTUAL AFFECTION. We fight so much among ourselves sometimes it’s a wonder we get anything done. When this happens it is the citizens who pay our salaries who suffer. We need to care enough about our fellow officers that we hold them accountable. Tell your coworker to slow down and not drive 100 mph to low priority calls. When we see that prisoner start getting on that last nerve, don’t wait until after the civil rights violation has occurred to step in. Make your move before that and take over. I have found that can lower the temperature dramatically. It keeps your fellow officer out of trouble and keeps your agency from needless bad press. Set the good example enough times and people will follow it. Be the calm voice in the storm.

Finally there is LOVE. Love for your job. Love for your community to make it better. Love for your neighbors to protect them. Love for your agency to not tolerate bad policing. The US Navy SEALS have come up with a creed called the SEAL Code. It reads:

• Loyalty to Country, Team and Teammate

• Serve with Honor and Integrity On and Off the Battlefield

• Ready to Lead, Ready to Follow, Never Quit

• Take responsibility for your actions and the actions of your teammates

• Excel as Warriors through Discipline and Innovation

• Train for War, Fight to Win, Defeat our Nation’s Enemies

• Earn your Trident every day

I could do a whole post on this creed and how it should apply to us, but I will save that for another day. Right now I want to focus on that last line. Insert the word “badge” in place of trident. Now make that last bullet point a one sentence creed to tell yourself as you get ready for work. Tell that person in the middle to earn his badge every day.

Deadly Error #3: Sleepy or Asleep

This is one of the error that many refuse to acknowledge. It's also one that isn't directly related to on the job failures. You can do a quick Google search on working while sleepy and you'll find a host of results comparing sleepiness to being equal to being intoxicated. One study from the Occupational and Environmental Medicine in 2000 asserts that after as little as 17 to 19 hours without sleep, one could function as if one had a blood alcohol content of .05% or worse. The study found a person's response speed was 50% slower for some tests. As one would imagine, the effects became worse the longer one went without sleep. The study can be found here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1739867/

One article mentioned some major man-made disasters that were caused by sleepy workers.  The Exxon Valdez cost millions of dollars to fix, but the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear disasters caused whole sale areas of this earth to become uninhabitable.
http://theweek.com/articles/494669/going-work-sleepy-bad-showing-drunk

Even the MythBusters did an episode on the hazards of driving while tired:
http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/about-this-show/tired-vs-drunk-driving/

Applying this to police work the dangers can be readily evident.  There are many news stories of police officers crashing a cruiser when they fell asleep.  I submit there are other possible hazards.  Perhaps being to tired to miss a danger cue?  Maybe being a bit short-tempered with a citizen or coworker?

Police work is among the professions that is 24/7.  It is a requirement of the job.  Every officer must realize that night shifts are inevitable.  Adaptions must be made.  First, you have to sleep.  I have heard many say they can't sleep during the day.  My answer is how hard are you trying and how have you adapted your home for daytime sleep?  Personally, I think there are a few key things you have to have at home to sleep.  First, a dark room.  Room darkening blinds combined with room darkening shades or curtains can keep most rooms extremely dark.  Second, a ceiling fan.  This serves two functions.  Keeping you cool and some white noise to shut out the outside world.  Third, get a pre-sleep routine.  Shut off the TV and anything else with a screen.  Those devices only serve to stimulate your brain at the very time you need to begin some rest.  Reading has always relaxed me.

This is what I was able to do.  You must find your own way.  Rest is too important.  The ability to think clearly, be observant, be patient with people, and drive safely depends on it!

Deadly Error #2: Improper search and use of handcuffs

Before we get to my next installment on the 10 deadly errors, review the whole list here: http://blueprojectstalbans.blogspot.com/2015/03/10-deadly-errors-original-text.html

Thoughtful police officers can think of an example they've either done or seen done for each one. This one of improper searching and improper handcuffing is most troubling.  I personally know of four West Virginia police officers killed due to making this error.  I know of one officer who is alive only because the offender he arrested didn't want to kill him and surrendered his hidden handgun before he was walked in to the jail (hey, you can't find what you don't look for).  Part of me wants to be sensitive, but these errors are called DEADLY errors for a reason.  If we can't handle some in our face criticism we are in the wrong line of work.

Let me start by saying I am sure I have missed weapons.  I am not going to pretend that I have done all of my searches perfectly.  I have handcuffed people in the front.  I am guilty.  Perhaps I am alive only because no one wanted to kill me.  I will likely never know any of these close calls.  But, on every arrest or detention, I must follow all of the search protocols.  EVERY time.  It's all about managing the risk.  It's been my experience that officers who do the best searches are those who used to be corrections officers.  This is because they work in a weapons free area and doing good searches is practically a religion in jails and prisons.  Drug enforcement officers typically do good searches and it stands to reason.  If they can find a tiny pill or baggie of heroin, they'll usually find a hidden gun or knife.

In preparing for a class a couple of years ago, I found the video below.  It is about as bad as it gets.  It highlights one particular area police officers fail to search, the groin area.  Even though this was a female suspect and male officer, you can easily see the handgun!  This would not have been a sensitive search issue!  Let's watch (it's mostly in Spanish, but you easily get the point):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt3LIvnbGkk

OK, why didn't the person holing the camera sing out?  Well, he should have but it wasn't his/her job.  The arresting officer and every officer within eyesight is to blame.  No one saw it.  At lest she was handcuffed behind her back.....

Most trainers teach the concept of handcuff then search.  If it isn't an arrest situation, there are numerous ways to secure the suspect's hands while you search.  I tend to check top to bottom on first one side of the body then the other.  Others check the waistband first then top to bottom.  Which ever way you do it, develop a system and do it the SAME way EVERY time.

Regardless of your system, ALWAYS check the groin area.  Guys if you're searching a female, there are methods to avoid being accused of something.  Obviously, you want a female officer if one is available.  If not, stand in front of a camera either on your cruiser, a fellow officer's body cam, or even in a business.  One of my coworkers did a pretty sensitive search on a female suspect but he took the time to walk the woman a few feet so they were in view of a gas pump camera at a local convenience store.  If they wanted to make an accusation, we'll have it on video.

If you're very worried, get a Metal Tec!  It's around $200 and even available on Amazon!
http://www.torfino.com/mtec.asp

http://www.amazon.com/Torfino-MetalTec-Silent-Vibrating-Detector/dp/B004WVFK9O

You young officers, have someone buy you one when you start out.  Maybe as a Christmas gift!

As for handcuffing, You have to practice.  Take a half hour and watch this video.  It sums things up nicely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OeL1i0WXlY

Handcuff in the rear.  Have an extra set for the fat bodies.  Make them pinky tight and double lock. Always handcuff the back of the hands together. Remember, handcuffs are a TEMPORARY restraint device.  YouTube is full of videos of people breaking handcuffs and leg shackles.  I wish someone would come up with a better design and construction.  But for the time being we are stuck.  So in the meantime, continually monitor your prisoner.  For those of you who work in rural areas and have a long way to drive to your processing area or jail, purchase one of these items to use in addition to your handcuffs:

http://www.rippinternational.com/

We often project blame on the bad guys when they do us harm.  But many times they try because we let them.  We give them opportunity.  So take away their opportunity by doing these little things.  Do good searches EVERY TIME!  Handcuff properly EVERY TIME!