1.5 - Practices Recommended for Supervisors

• It should be understood that a supervisor is there to supervise, not to micromanage a patrol. Although it may be necessary for intervention into specific scenarios or to take scene command from another individual, it is not recommended that an individual shows up to a scene and attempts to assume command of the situation with zero prior knowledge of the scene as it has developed. It should be understood that situations we respond to are dynamic and complex, and a supervisor showing up to a scene with no situational awareness of what is happening should attempt to locate the individual in charge of what's happening and attempt to get a briefing on what is happening. Arriving and automatically assuming control of a situation is not only irresponsible and a show of immaturity, it is a recipe for disaster and will only serve to get people hurt or killed. Supervise the scene if someone already has command of it, but only attempt to intervene if something unsafe is being done or you see a danger nobody else does. We are all a team.

• Supervisors need to have a sense of self awareness and be able to “check” their ego when handling any situation. The ability to Observe a situation, Orient the team the supervisor works with in that situation, Decide a course of action to be taken, and act accordingly with the plan and intelligently without the distraction of one's own ego or pride is highly desired by leadership within the department, and supervisors should commend officers who have an innate ability to act in such a way.

• Be the example. Your subordinates will constantly watch and critique your actions, from the way you wear your uniform to the way you interact and operate in the field. It is important that you are compliant with the policies you enforce and the techniques you suggest. Always set the example that should be followed.

• Supervisors should always bare in mind that we work for our subordinates, and we share a responsibility to take care of our subordinates as best we can. The best way we as supervisors can take care of our subordinates in everything we do is to mentor our officers in the field, and ensure they understand the lessons learned from every interaction. In the same way we owe it to them to teach, we also owe it to them to ensure the practices and methods we follow are as safe as possible and do not put anyone in unnecessary danger. Such as making entry to a bank robbery when we cannot see inside or have any knowledge of who is inside of the bank. Such practices often only lead to the unnecessary injury or death of officers. The best practice for such a situation is to establish a perimeter and negotiate. In most situations time is on our side, and a perimeter will ensure all areas are covered at all times. ALWAYS put the safety of citizens and officers first.

• Treat your officers with firmness, fairness and compassion. Nobody ever inspired anybody by being offensive or rude and these antics are best kept for Hollywood movies. Be understanding of your officers when they make mistakes, and intervene with the intentions of helping officers improve themselves as your number one priority. It should never be the goal of any supervisor to merely punish an officer, although punishment is sometimes necessary it is not always the solution.

• Every day is a training day. This means every time an officer goes on duty an opportunity to learn and become better is presented. This is true from the day you begin cadet training, to the most senior of officers beginning their thousandth patrol. Learning from previous mistakes and becoming better is a necessity and as a supervisor you owe it to your subordinates to teach from your experiences.

• Constantly seek self improvement. A supervisor has a responsibility as someone in charge to look at a procedure or a policy, apply their own lessons learned and suggest improvement to department administration or leadership. Much in the same way, we need to always look at the way we operate as individuals, identify our flaws, and work to improve them to make ourselves better peace officers for the communities we work in.