When Things Change

How many times during your career have you received a text message or an email before your shift announcing that something is changing?

Usually, the message contains little to no information and rarely explains the "why" behind the decision. Then you arrive at work and still receive no meaningful direction or clarification. It could involve shift adjustments, added investigative responsibilities, changes to driving procedures, or any number of operational changes.

Police work evolves, and we all understand that. Unfortunately, it often feels like those changes rarely benefit the officer. When a change does improve conditions for officers or the public, it often seems short-lived.

What's most frustrating is the lack of communication behind these decisions.

Even during mandatory meetings, where clarification should happen, answers are often absent. You're just told how much you aren't junior varsity. These directives come from so high up your chain of command that even supervisors have no real answers because they don't know either. Too often, the department sends out messages with no information and no input/feedback whatsoever.

So what happens next?

Rarely is it a smooth transition or seamless adoption of a new policy. Instead, confusion, resentment, disengagement, and resistance begin to build. When change feels illogical and imposed, adapting seems impossible.

Most officers feel these decisions are made by people who either haven't done the job or have become so far removed they've forgotten what it's like to do the job.

As the new process rolls out, gaps and flaws are found in the new process, many of which could have been identified early if the people actually doing the work had been able to provide input beforehand.

This only reinforces the perception that decisions are being made by people who have never actually done your job.

Meanwhile, officers are overburdened and there simply isn't enough time in the day to accomplish everything being asked of them. You just want to understand why and give input.

So where do we go from here? Unfortunately, this cycle feels endless, and it will likely not be the last time this topic is discussed. If it's not one issue, it's another.

Change is inevitable but what's frustrating is senseless change. We aren't resistant to change but what we are resistant to is illogical change imposed by people who are disconnected from how the job actually gets done.

Despite all of this, officers continue to show up every day and put in the work. Leadership has a difficult responsibility, and many decisions they make will never be universally popular. We all understand that.

But communication matters. Explain the "why" behind the change, answer questions honestly, allow for constructive input from the people doing the work, and then move forward together.

Thank you, and please stay safe.

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