Directions and Guidelines for Sworn Officers

Nothing will be as important in my tenure as Sheriff as community relations.  Most of the citizens of this county may have only one contact with an officer in their life.  Their perception of our department and me personally comes from that contact. Contact with law enforcement is, for most people, a highly unusual event and is remembered for a long time.  I expect every citizen who has contact with an officer to leave with the feeling they were dealt with by a competent, knowledgeable, well-trained professional who was polite and courteous.  In addition, a citizen making a complaint should feel the officer did everything they could to solve the case or find a resolution.  Most important is to follow up, even if that means nothing has developed in their case.  If they need a question answered and you don't know, find out and call them back.  If you refer them to another agency or department, give them a phone number and a contact name.

Law enforcement is a profession.  Professions require schooling to achieve certification, continuing education requirements, specializations, decertification, etc.  By definition, you are a professional.  Take pride in your dress and appearance.  Please represent yourself like a professional  to the public and others in your profession. 

Professionals train constantly.  The 40 hours a year required by POST barely covers keeping   your various certifications current.  Find and request training in your weak areas.  Become an expert or instructor in your strengths.  Care about what is going on in law enforcement and keep up with current trends.  I will support training that gives technical expertise and instructor status with theunderstanding that budget and benefit to the department are considerations.  Expect to come back from training and teach what you learned to the department.

A law enforcement officer's authority and power to take away a citizens constitutional rights is   unmatched anywhere in our society.  Never, ever abuse this privilege or the position of trust you hold.  Your word is your bond and should be in all your dealings.

In return, you can expect from me that I will support training, programs, equipment and a pay scale which represent professional policing.  I understand that no one knows how to do a job better than the one doing it.  I want your input and feedback, through your supervisor, on what’s being done right and what needs improvement.

I will follow the chain of command and expect you to do the same.

Expectations and Guidelines for Supervisors

The Sheriff's job is to give a direction, focus and philosophy for the Department.  The supervisor's job is to figure out how to make it happen.  First line supervisors know their people and their job better than I.  I expect you and your people to come up with the ideas to achieve the goals for the Department.  I certainly have some specific ideas and plans but you are the expert in your area and are expected to take care of the details.  Be innovative, be resourceful and be imaginative.  A bigger budget and more people is the common answer to most issues in any division.  That is not original thinking.  I will make sure that growth in the Department correlates with growth in the county. Getting more than that is unrealistic.  Find a solution with the resources currently assigned to you. 

 In your dealings with your subordinates:

• Be fair.
• Document everything.
• Write as many Letters of Commendation as you do Disciplinary Letters.
• If they are wrong, quickly but thoroughly, take the appropriate disciplinary action. 
• If they are right, back them up.
• Explain the reason for changes.  People will buy into an idea much easier when  they understand the why behind it.
• Make sure information flows up and down the chain of command.
• Listen to their ideas and give them the credit for the good ones.
• Showing them is better than telling them.