One of the greatest inhibiters of most every American police agency is the internal competition within its ranks. Most all are vying for the next promotion, the next great assignment and so forth. This institutionalized jealously can choke the future of the department. By the mere organization policy and norms, it is institutionalized by leadership, policy and budgets. We do not need nor can afford to train another person for this particular specialty for we already have one. What happens when they retire, quit, leave, long term illness or whatever? One key process that successful agencies perform is succession planning. It is planned and not occurring through magic or osmosis. You need to plot your planning map for the future with your most valued assets, your personnel.
Create your future
The success of your department depends on its internal leadership to lead effectively by preparing for future needs. Most think I am speaking about promotions but other critical positions are just as important. Look at your internal specialist. Accident Reconstructionist, forensics, investigators are just a start. You have instructors, trainers and Field Training Officers to consider. What about your “go to people” – the ones that perform planned events (parades, concerts, etc) planning. None of the topics or assignments are ones that you develop your abilities by watching a training video or taking an on-line class. These often take years of experience and years to establish their creditability to reach acceptable expertise.
Most departments do not respond to a vacancy until it occurs or unavoidable circumstances create it. The personnel budget sets the criteria. A recommended process is for staff to meet and discuss a succession planning for all critical personnel with targets of 1 or 2 objectives. I have performed 5, 7 and 10-year projections; most of which are pie in the sky but you will always have that one major revelation where one year all of the stars align and you could face a staffing dilemma. The reality statement is that not everyone leaves when they should, some remain due to personal reasons and some still like the job. Whereas there are some personnel that you dream they would leave now but that is another discussion. This is far more than forecasting retirements. Perform in-depth discussions with critical staff members as mentioned above and seek their insights. How long will it take to develop another Reconstructionist for example? The certification process classes are sequential and never offered at the right or convenient time. Some of these are a multi-step program with education and tenure matrix or require actual field experience. Serious accidents do not occur every day in your jurisdiction. It could take years to develop a skilled replacement
The selection process should start way before the vacancy occurs and the idea of allowing the senior train or mentor their replacement would be premium.
Of course, within every department we have to deal with PPE (not personal protective equipment) but interdepartmental politics, personalities and egos. A department will thrive, when internal politics, personalities and egos are removed from the process – good luck.
The infrastructure (budget) should support this but often inhibits the process. It is rare for a municipality to hire over the prescribed staffing levels. In some states, this could be an unfair labor practice, so proceed with caution. The budget will also prevent the training, equipping and staffing of certain specialists. Now is a great time to perform the reviews so you can work it in next year’s budget process. Yes, the training and equipping is always a logistical issue but can be addressed. However, the shadowing or field mentoring from the senior officer now becomes overtime and staffing issues (backfill). Diligent budgeting is required.
Your departments’ policies memorialize your selection process for collateral and special assignment. Review them and rewrite (if needed), but now you have a bonus. In the past, there was a time value to replace and train. Now, you have time to select, even allow shadowing to evaluate the applicants. The important thing to remember here is you select a person who is certifiable, capable and willing to do the job. You will occasionally receive an application from one who only applies for possibility of overtime. The ‘cushy job’ seeker and they are not the willing performers best suited for this job. This is a management decision to select the best person for the job.
Supervisors
Within the leadership ranks, one rank we fail to train for is that of the first line supervisor. We promote to corporal or sergeant and then send them to supervisory school. In my idea of perfect world, you should train them first prior to promotion/assignment. My defense for this stance is an untrained first time supervisor can make a variety of mistakes. This is Legal Defense 101; you do not place someone in a job before they are trained. This applies up the ranks as well. As first-line supervisors become eligible for command staff positions, start seeking their classes in managerial and command schools. Please, ensure that they are well versed in budgeting as well.
Investing
This entire process is not a budget buster. It does require the investment of time and research. However, if performed correctly you will save a great amount of money for a future budget. All you are doing is creating a future for your department’s continued success. This time investment now is assuring your leadership legacy.
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.
