Were extending a Thank You especially to our Police readers since this blog was originally
set-up by a fellow Officer. Were not forgetting all of our numerous other readers either. We appreciate the time you have given us. Our comments today are being directed towards our management and our fellow Officers.
Things which we believe to be true and what we have also been personally hearing on blogging and dept. issues.
Were part of and not in spite of positive change.
Many Officers read blogs but rarely post. Numerous Officers don't read blogs and others are unaware they even exist. In the area of lack of posting comments to various blogs, the reasons ran along some of these lines, distrust, disagreements with other posters comments, not comfortable (trust), non-exclusive private police blogs and on the flip side of the exclusive blog was discomfort in providing personal information to a private site (trust.) These are some of the fore front thoughts thus far projected.
Majority of the Officers we have spoken to over the many years in which we have served have a common thread, most feel they are independent thinkers, their proud by nature, their also protective by nature, their intelligent, most feel strong and have big hearts, majority handle race and gender issues well-contrary to popular belief, they also sense being unified but question the reality. All of these attributes are good and serve any Police dept. well.
Were running the below with commas and in long paragraph style to save on length of read.
Complaint side of the other reality covered a wider range of issues being and not in order, morale is at rock bottom for many, unified and not really unified Fraternal this included a number of officers and civilian employees who get involved in others personal disputes then pursue and run counter attacks as tag teams, which reached up to management and beyond whom also then appeared to get involved (damaging-clicks) also known as black balling, failing to respond to others distress calls was a small complaint to a great relief, dogging dispatch calls due in part to lack of management intervention, shortage of manpower, back logged calls, counter productive dispatchers small number, writing fellow officers and families when they give courtesy pass to citizens, officers who write all regardless, which appeared to be a small rising trend based upon current camera concerns and saturation-overtime details, lack of training and improper up-dated equipment, having and not having clout which included a large number of in favor and disfavor of management (merit and management picks) including inside and within City Hall along with their connected clout this also included testing procedures for advancement dependent upon
who you knew (views of Corruption),
an inability to bid to specialized units and other units city wide across the board for all, Seniority factors, city violations of contract and final is disappointment with FOP representation and contract, with fewer appearing to be satisfied with the strength and dedication of their fair share of representation but due to lack of apparent unity there is confusion on a new or a better way in finding direction. We may have missed a few but this is close to the majority of complaints and it spells out an unhealthy department with an inability to motivate officers who for the most part are good officers and dedicated and its not good for the Police Dept. nor its citizens.
Our job is not to change these factors nor do we have this power other than to lend a hand in pointing them out for others who mumble due to mass distrust and dissatisfaction. These errors have to be addressed by the upper powers and each individual Officer along with Civilian support and boss's who need to ask themselves. "If they are or have participated in any of the above unhealthy management styles and conduct, which erodes the very foundation of the dept. as well as our unity and moral."