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Gt’s important too to assess whether the behavior occurred as a result of a mistake of the head, the hormones, or the heart. Mistakes of the head are the result of a lack of training, lack of information, or, in many cases, an officer has to weigh multiple options — any of which might be valid — in seconds. I’ve reviewed cases where serious errors occurred because an officer, for example, missed an in-service training session on felony stops due to illness, and his command never followed up; others where a cop had insufficient suspect description or vehicle information, and was forced by the situation to make a decision now, and it resulted in official embarrassment.
Mistakes of the head must often be dealt with by “discipline,” but only to correct the deficiency and ensure future compliance — never to punish.
Mistakes of the hormones occur when an officer commits one wrongful act, which is entirely inconsistent with his usual, established exemplary performance and behavioral patterns. You don’t punish most of these cases, either. They’ll kick their own asses higher and harder than you ever could.
An extreme example involved one superior young officer who bypassed his sergeant and lieutenant, came straight into my office and confessed, shaking and miserable, to assault under color of authority. He’d already mentally fired and criminally charged himself. Weeks before, he had cited an ER doctor for speeding and reckless driving and even caught him in a lie about being en route to an emergency. Since then, every time the cop went into that ER, that doctor would waylay, curse and taunt him. That day, the kid had snapped — and slapped the doctor. I had to calm him down and slowly reconstruct the event — and discovered the doc had suggested the officer have, let’s say, “alternative sex” with his own mother.
The phone rang, it was the gleefully ecstatic doctor, bent on getting the cop fired and jailed. I went to the hospital and ran it down to him. He even admitted what he’d said. “Just words,” he asserted. I then told him the officer had buried his mother the previous day. I assured him that at his insistence we would proceed, including full testimony in open court — and press coverage. He demurred.
John Morrison served in combat as a Marine sergeant, and retired as a senior lieutenant from the San Diego Police Department, having served there as Director of Training, Commanding Officer of SWAT and division executive officer. He has taught, written and lectured widely on training, tactics and leadership. Contact him at StreetLevelOne@yahoo.com. |
