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The Chief! The Chief Must Never Be A Knocker, Critic, Censor The influence of the Chief of Police is transmitted to his staff, and to the citizens, by his manners and by his actions. If by his actions or his words the Chief is disloyal to the citizens, his staff will doubt his loyalty to them, and their loyalty to him will suffer correspondingly. The Chief must cultivate the habit of looking for and emphasizing the brighter side of things. The chief should never be a knocker or a critic, not take it upon himself to be a censor. Once a matter has been settled, the chief should put forth his energies into the question of how he can best carry out both the spirit and the letter of all state and county ordinances. The Chief should set for his staff an example of courtesy and public relations. A courteous manner in dealing with his staff will increase their self-respect and increase their respect for him. And that results in good public service and efficiency for the citizens. The Chief must demonstrate that the authority vested in him, as the citizens= Achief law enforcement officer@, is deserved through merit and moral worth, rather than by reason that he was victorious as a choice for the position of Chief. The Chief should cultivate a calm, controlled manner, especially when things go wrong. The Chief should avail himself of every opportunity for acquiring knowledge of and about his job, with the special emphasis on the techniques of crime and traffic and methods and equipment to achieve and perform all cases and duties in a well-done manner. Suitable knowledge can only be acquired by the Chief by studying beyond the ordinary daily routine. The Chief should never bluff or his staff will sense it immediately. It is much better for him to admit his ignorance of a subject in question, and then take steps to acquire the correct information. He is not expected to know everything, but he is expected to be honest. The Chief should give thoughtful consideration to all complaints from within his department. A member of his staff who makes a complaint thinks he has suffered an injustice. If he has, the fault should be remedied; if not, his faulty impression should be corrected at once. In this way no real grievance or unsound complaints will be allowed to develop within the department. The Chief should be fully convinced that his department is the best, and that the responsibility for its good name rests upon him and every member of it. Those who hold the appointed position of Chief of Police, and who use that position to get Aspecial privileges@ or to avoid the Adirty work@ are falling into a bad habit. It is a habit that sabotages the spirit of morale and the esprit de corps with the overall department. Citizens notice it and resent it. The spirit of cooperation and teamwork within the department, and with other law enforcement units in the area and with it, the merit and efficiency of the entire department. Besides, it is a habit that won=t help any Chief of Police in the long run, that is, unless he accepts his habit, political gratuity, for his personal abuse of power of Chief of Police invested in him by the government he serves and whose duty it is to represent all citizens. The Chief of Police should be: 1. Loyal to the members and employees of his department. 2. Firm, impartial and human in his dealings with his staff. 3. Diligent in his duty. He must be a leader - first, last and always - in the true American tradition, by always setting the Example.
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