Many of you have read my articles and a few have even attended my presentations. Recently, I was asked where I have garnered my little life lessons from. Well first of all, there is no book, only memories and hard knocks. I often feel that my life and career is a compellation of this sounded like a good idea when I started stories. So, I compiled a list of my top Harveyisms and truths for leaders. Please use these for your benefit, there is no reason to recreate mistakes, but only learn from them.
Treat every day as a learning experience was told to me by a high school teacher and football coach George Blanda. This one coincides with a similar one I heard the day you know everything about police work, turn in your shield was told to me by my old college instructor and retired FBI agent John Freese. The gist of both was to keep learning, never, ever quit learning. Seek out, enroll and welcome training as a new experience.
Handle their little problem today before it becomes your big ass problem tomorrow. I learned an immense amount from my chief of police in Savannah, David Gellatly. One thing he was big on was handling a problem quickly, effectively and only once. This quote was the one he would remind young commanders about citizen or business complaints. The longer you put it off the more it will grow if not fester and whatever you do - do it right the first time.
Never write in anger (or you will wind up in the 3rd Precinct). This was a life lesson after writing a hot under the collar memo to a bureau commander over something that was not that important at all. But it lit my flames and I had to respond! Now every agency has that place where you are sent for police time-out. You know the place where your career is put in neutral or it is the department’s penal colony. So after my tersely worded literary diatribe was read, my transfer was stamped out before I went to lunch. No discussion, no phone call, just pack your stuff, bye. Lesson learned and the take away is never, ever write anything while angered. Slow down, get a proofer, go get a coffee and if it can wait for a cooler moment, then do it. Nobody wants to go to the 3rd precinct or where ever your time-out location is.
It is not the new policy we care about; we want to know who screwed up. This is a police fact of life. Most all of our policies, procedures and directives just don’t fall out of the sky. Somebody somewhere did something that during the aftermath it was decided that there should be a rule about preventing this from ever happening again. Most of the new rules get the name of the guilty, the Harvey rule for example. Never, ever have a rule named after you. And this leads us to the next one.
Police departments don’t run on gasoline and electricity but on rumor and innuendo. This is a locker room fact. I no longer speak of how any group of people gossip; police officers are the professionals when it comes to rumors. Why do we refer to rumor control if we don’t do this? On a midnight shift, you and your next beat over buddy are parked driver’s door to driver’s door (Patrol Car Spooning) and you are not talking about the stock market. It is who did what and why Harvey got a rule named after him. Come on, this is supposed to be a profession, act it and knock off the ill-conceived chatter. More police stress is created by our own drama than the actual event.
When I became a buck sergeant in the US Army, my first sergeant would take time after 1700 with us youngsters for professional development. It was often covering the mission of becoming a leader and learning to become a better soldier. One thing he drove into us was that leadership is 10% telling and 90% checking. In other words, don’t hover over the soldier, give them clear cut direction and follow-up on their progress and then give direction and support as needed. He was a brilliant leader and he later retired as the Regimental Command Sergeant Major of the US Army MP Corps. Thank you CSM Roland Gaddy for all you did for me and hundreds of other young sergeants. This also serves as a reminder to all of us. When was the last time you sat down with one your young sergeants to give them that sage advice they clamor for? Have a late meeting over coffee with that up and coming star, pass on the knowledge.
When I was a young copper I had just lost a case. The other side was composed of young rich political self-important kids with lots of old family money which paid for their legal bills and their victory. I was very angry about the loss. Sgt John White, a storied member of my old Savannah department sat me down and asked me a question. What is the most powerful instrument that you carry? I immediately thought of the handgun (even though it was a 38 Special) but he corrected me. The most powerful instrument you carry is a pen for with it you can change lives in how accurate and powerful you write the police reports. A sloppy report will lose the strongest case. Learn to write your police reports like it is the most important letter you ever write. Great life lesson and no truer words, our reports are our true signature on the case.
One day I was watching (soon to be refereeing) two instructors who were both Type A+ personalities. Who can do this better or faster and so forth? They continued this until one became so angry at being outdone by the other he nearly burst into flames. After the dust settled, I was asked what had happened. My response was that Testosterone is a flammable substance, which it is! I do not believe that a medical dosage of testosterone would even burn. However if there are copious amounts of testosterone pulsating in your male police officers, stand back you are in the blast zone. Check the egos at the door guys, we are all in this together and not to outdo the others.
Finally, my personal favorite quote of all time came out as most of my Harveyisms. We have all heard of ‘it is not bragging if you can do it’ or ‘he is blowing his horn’. One day after briefing on a case where my squad had performed exceptionally, there were some mumbles in room. Yes, in a competitive promotional environment you are always making your mark. After the briefing I was asked why I gave such an elaborate presentation, I replied If you don’t blow your own horn, somebody else will use it as a spittoon. The room understood my position, if I did not take the credit for my team somebody else would have. It is good to be first to make the mark.
These are my favorite little quotes and a few are actually attributed to me. Why use them? In teaching or mentoring your students they stick. Nobody remembers data, the verbatim rule of the law but everyone recalls the little jingle or funny quote. Recall the late attorney Johnny Cochran’s famous “if it doesn’t fit, you must acquit” quote at a trial. Whimsical quotes stick, now go forth and make the next generation of officers the best ever. And never, ever get a rule named after you.
William L. Harvey | Chief
William L. "Bill" Harvey is a U.S. Army Military Police Corps veteran. He has a BA in criminology from St. Leo University and is a graduate of the Southern Police Institute of the University of Louisville (103rd AOC). Harvey served for over 23 years with the Savannah (GA) Police Department in field operations, investigations and completed his career as the director of training. Served as the chief of police of the Lebanon City Police Dept (PA) for over seven years and then ten years as Chief of Police for the Ephrata Police Dept (PA). In retirement he continues to publish for professional periodicals and train.
