Gordon Graham here! And to all the 5%ers (if that moniker does not make sense, please read my last article) who sent me a message after my last article, a sincere thank you! While we are 2,500 miles apart (I write from and live in Huntington Beach, California, aka Surf City USA), the issues we face in law enforcement operations are almost exactly the same. Fortunately, “same problems have same solutions.” But before I get to one of those same problems, allow me to share with you a couple of educational programs that may be of interest to you and your agency. Full disclosure: I do not benefit financially from making these recommendations to you.
While I enjoy every class I have taught since 1977, there are two organizations I work for that have had a huge impact on improving the quality of public safety operations. First, I am honored to be a Distinguished Lecturer in the University of Virginia’s Master of Public Safety Program. Here is a quick synopsis taken from their website.
The Master of Public Safety is an online program designed for working public safety professionals who want to improve their leadership skills.
The coursework focuses on developing today’s public safety leaders for tomorrow’s public safety challenges. The curriculum is relevant to law enforcement and adjacent public safety fields including the fire service, emergency management, and more.
Graduates will earn a degree from the University of Virginia, one of the nation’s top public universities, and finish the program with a deeper understanding of how to run complex organizations, negotiate and collaborate with peer agencies from the local level to the national, and build and nurture the community relationships that are vital for success.
The genius behind this UVA MPS program is Dr. Bryon Gustafson. Hard to believe, but I met him when I was active in the California Highway Patrol in the 1990s. At the time he was working for California POST and we had a mutual concern about traffic collisions, pursuits and other vehicle-related issues. He moved on to become a chief of police and Sergeant at Arms for the California State Assembly and along the way he picked up his PhD. Needless to say, he is a very smart and savvy guy.
Five years ago, we reconnected and Dr. Gustafson told me about his work and invited me to teach an elective course on risk management. The course is entitled, “Practical Applications of Risk Management in Public Safety Operations.” I am honored to team-teach this eight-week class with none other than Michele Wucker – yes, Michele Wucker, the author of The Gray Rhino and several other wonderful books. While this class is part of the MPS degree program, Michele and I are trying to convince the university to make it available in a stand-alone certificate program.
Practical, proven leadership tips from Jocko Willink and Leif Babin: MORE INFO
Another favorite program I am fortunate to be a part of is housed at Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. The former chief of the Ventura Police Department was a contractor at NPS and he introduced me to the good people running the Emergence Program. Taken from their website is this summary:
The Emergence Program is a unique opportunity for homeland security/public safety professionals who are in the first half of their careers. The program provides an educational forum and innovation lab for participants to explore “emerging” trends in the world around us (e.g., technology, social, and terrorism). Participants will discuss both the challenges associated with these complex trends as well as the opportunities to rethink how we protect our communities and the nation. In addition, program sessions will assist participants in “emergence” strategies for implementing innovative ideas, being a leader, and for a successful homeland security career.
My role in this program is very small. The students spend six months working with others and developing a program to improve the quality of their given department/company. I get them on their last day for two hours, and my opening statement to them is based on my 33 years of working for the CHP and my individual efforts to try to make things better. Here are these opening words.
Gordon Graham here. I have you for the last two hours of this course. For the last six months you have worked diligently to build a project to improve the quality of operations in your organization. You will be back to work on Monday – and let me tell you exactly what is going to happen when you introduce the work you generated at NPS. You will hear: This won’t work. We have always done it this way. Who do you think you are? Are you suggesting we do not know what we are doing? You know something – this organization somehow existed without your advice for 50 years prior to you getting hired – and let me assure you that we will exist for the next 50 years without your advice on how to do things better. This is what happens when stupid people go to school.
I then go on to explain that from 1975 to 1992, I was writing memos to my department about “better ways to do things.” I was repeatedly shot down, sometimes with some very derogatory terminology attached to my suggestions. It was in 1992 that a very wise executive became aware of my work, and then all of a sudden, I was “really smart” in the eyes of those who had frustrated my efforts for almost 20 years. I then give the NPS students five strategies to get around the naysayers and get their program incorporated into their operations.
Both the UVA and NPS programs are extremely valuable. If you are interested or know someone who may be interested, please contact these organizations directly or drop me an email and I will forward it to the appropriate people at the institution.
Let me close with some thoughts on recruitment of public safety personnel. This is indeed a hot topic from California to New York and all points in between – and I guarantee you conferences and trade shows this summer will be filled with classes on how to “get the numbers up,” because we are shorthanded.
Right now, LAPD is shorthanded and cannot find enough recruits. The biggest sheriff’s office in America – Los Angeles Sheriff Department – is also short on recruits. But last year the CHP (the biggest state police organization in America) ran three classes, and all started at the maximum capacity of 160 cadets. By the way, the CHP pays much less than LAPD and LASO – and the cadets have to attend a six-month live-in academy and leave their family far behind – but the CHP is turning applicants away! There are many parts to the “secret sauce” that the CHP is using, and that will be something I will write about later.
Until next time, please work safely – and thank you for everything you do to protect and serve your communities.
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