By Chela Cottrell, ENP, CMCP
Here are three scenarios for you:
Scenario 1: Morning commute alert
A woman opens a social media app to read along with her morning coffee. A post from the local police department grabs her attention. It reads, “Be careful on the morning commute due to an early morning traffic accident.”
Scenario 2: Neighborly reassurance
Neighbors over a fence share about their day. One says to the other, “I was pretty scared, but then I called the police, and what they told me helped me calm down and know that they had it under control.”
Scenario 3: Summer security advice
A friend of yours, who is about to leave town for the summer, runs into the police department to ask questions about how to get patrol checks for their residence during their absence. Your friend lets you know that the police were helpful and also shared some good strategies to make it less obvious they were gone, such as putting their lights on a timer and stopping their mail delivery.
The common thread
What do all these scenarios have in common? None of these people interacted with a sworn police officer. They all spoke to, or obtained information from, an employee of the police department who did their job well and to the best of their training and ability.
Whether that person was a Community Services Officer who functioned as the department’s Public Information Officer, a Dispatcher, or a Records Technician, the community perceives interactions with a police department as simply “the police.” And what “the police” told them will shape how they interact with law enforcement from that point forward.
The importance of perception
Why the perception of “the police” is essential to talk about now more than ever is that policing is at a pivotal point in its evolution. In the next few years, police officers entering the profession in California will be required to not only pass a basic police academy and a rigorous field training program but also obtain a modern policing degree no later than 24 months into their service. Why? This will ensure that the training and experience of policing professionals will be sufficient to handle the scenarios they face. As I have often told my trainees, “It is rare for us to rise to the occasion, and much more likely that we fall to our training.” This is why we must take training seriously.
The role of technology
As the advent of technologies continues to propel policing into a realm we could have scarcely imagined 10 years ago, more often than not, these adaptations will require professional staff support to set up technical programs and protocols. As the complexity of policing increases, so do the requirements and perhaps the number of personnel who operate them. Professional staff need knowledge, skills and abilities beyond outdated job specifications. As more positions require professional staff members, we owe it to our teams and each other to provide training for success.
Ensuring training and development
So, how do we as leaders ensure that our professional staff receives the type of training and professional development that will not only allow them to address the organization’s day-to-day needs but also propel our agencies forward? The answer starts with the recognition that training is needed, followed up by a plan to implement it while allowing for collaboration and creativity. Formalized training for professional staff is gaining traction in several larger municipalities but not everywhere.
Practical steps for leaders
Ideas to start could be seeking out industry subject matter experts within your department or at neighboring agencies willing to host in-house training. Leverage social media sites to follow publications from job-specific forums and then share the information with your teams to engage them in conversation about where their professions are heading. Encourage your team members to seek information on a topic that excites them and then teach it back to their workgroup. Empower your professional staff to attend patrol briefings when appropriate, not just when there is a debrief for significant incidents, but to shore up in-house practices and facilitate cross-training.
Empowering professional staff
If you are a professional staff member reading this, know that you are ultimately in the driver’s seat of your destiny. Speak to your supervisor about your goals, and never assume that your desire to grow in your profession can be intuited without intentional communication. Seek a mentor, whether formally or informally, within your organization or in your industry (even someone you may communicate with remotely!) who can provide candid feedback on traits such as communication style and offer perspective. Their guidance will provide support and fellowship in your professional journey. Strengthen your internal fortitude to hear the word “NO” to represent “Next Opportunity,” as there will be some “No’s” in your path before you find your “Yes.” While there will be obstacles, stay stalwart in the belief in your chosen profession.
The future of policing
Professional staff members will continue to play a pivotal role within our organizations, and the percentage of professional staff to sworn personnel within agencies is continuing to shift as the requirements of policing change. Elevating the capabilities and training of our professional staff will reduce errors and liability while improving the organization’s retention and morale. Ultimately, investing, whether through time or resources, in the training of our professional staff will pay dividends in how “the police” are perceived in the communities we serve.
About the author
Chela Cottrell is a 20-year law enforcement veteran who initially served as a Dispatcher at the Scotts Valley Police Department in Santa Cruz County, California. Later she served as a Community Services and Correctional Officer for the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office. Subsequently, she served for 14 years as a Dispatcher, Communications Training Officer and Communications Supervisor for the Citrus Heights Police Department. The experience she gained and the expertise she developed in those roles prepared her for her current role as the Police Services Manager of the Communications Center and Operations division in the Citrus Heights Police Department. She is focused on promoting training and tactics to enhance policing both within and outside the organization.
Recognized as a dispatch subject matter expert, Chela has participated in several projects aiding POST in their mission of continually enhancing the professionalism of California law enforcement in serving its communities.
Chela possesses a Bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of California Santa Cruz and a Master of Science Degree in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership from the University of San Diego. She is a graduate of the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute Class #490 and holds certificates from the National Emergency Number Association as an Emergency Number Professional and from the Center Manager Certification Program.