Bad Supervision Can Cause Problems

            You know sometimes you have to bring up a subject you rather not talk about but it has to be discussed. Well this is one of those subjects that […]

Bad Supervision Can Cause Problems

            You know sometimes you have to bring up a subject you rather not talk about but it has to be discussed. Well this is one of those subjects that is really hard to be talked about. First of all, let me make one thing very clear, from the beginning of this discussion. The vast majority of police officers are very hard working, honest and ethical who try to do their job every day. Of course, there are a small minority that should have never been hired for this tough job. Again remember I was a police officer for a little over 30 years so I have seen about all you can see during that time period. I was a police officer, sergeant, lieutenant, captain and finally Deputy Inspector of Police over my career. During that time I worked on regular patrol at a district, then as a sergeant supervising officers on second and third shift at various work locations. Recruiting new officers, background investigations, internal affairs were part of my job assignments. Finally, I supervised mostly the entire department on second and third shift during my last several years on the job as an inspector.

            With all of that being said the incident in Memphis with five officers being fired and arrested for murder in the beating of Tyre Nichols is very sad. During a time when we need more confidence in the police this creates a very bad situation. The minority community already has trouble trusting the police and wanting to work with them. It is very hard and probably impossible for the police to keep crime under control without citizen cooperation. The police and citizens need to work hand and hand to solve these problems. Many people in these neighborhoods know a lot about what is going on and really can give a helping hand to the police. I remember, as an officer, being on patrol and neighbors giving me all kind of good information and tips. For instance, there was a shooting one day and a neighbor advised me about possible retaliation. We talked with the possible suspects and warned them we were watching. If anything happened, we would be looking for them and there were no problems.

            Many times, these officers in special units are not being properly supervised by their supervisors. This is extremely important to monitor these kind of units. You can’t just tell them to go out and find guns and drugs on their own. Sometimes you need to actually have an sergeant working with the unit to monitor and keep an eye on them. Believe it or not sometimes the bosses know that these folks are doing a little much but don’t say anything as long as they are bring guns and drugs in. Some police officers believe they are always right, and no one can tell them what to do. They get very upset when people challenge them or say they are wrong. When I was a sergeant I watched my officers very closely at role call. If I thought an officer was having a bad day I would address this during our briefing. I would say I don’t care what’s happened at home today with your family. Do not bring a bad attitude to the streets tonight and take it out on our citizens. I will be around on the street and coming to your assignments, so be aware. If they are aware you are around they probably will think twice about doing something they should not be doing.

Greg Thompson