Armor of God Project

pic courtesy of the Armor of God website

Recently I ran across some information about a charity which addresses a need very close to my heart...officer safety. The very name of my blog, Officer Standing, speaks to the importance I place on ensuring that law enforcement officers return home to their families...standing.

Armor of God is a non-profit organization founded by law enforcement officers to see that body armor is available to all.  Many smaller departments of under five officers do not have the means to purchase this equipment.  Working with donated vests and a shoestring budget, the volunteers who administer this program are able to do miracles with very little.

You can learn more about the Armor of God program by reviewing this video:

http://www.whnt.com/news/whnt-armor-of-god-project-helps-police-officers,0,7094492.story

or checking out their website:

http://vestforlife.com/

Leadership

Leadership is a quality which continues to evolve and refine itself within the effective police professional.  Leading is an action verb which is constantly developing within the character of senior law enforcement officers.   Leaders are never satisfied to stay at the same level, but strive continuously to improve and better themselves personally and professionally.

Today’s leaders are those who can stand their ground as they bend.  Demonstrating flexibility within the law while maintaining professional integrity is a key factor which fosters efficiency, effectiveness, and professionalism in police executives.   Commitment to integrity and professionalism is one way that individuals lead by example.  There is no other way to run a police department.  Junior officers watch your every move and you must be equal to their scrutiny

The most effective leaders are readily recognized. They do not talk as much as they listen.  True leaders are secure enough in their own competence that they feel comfortable in reaching out to others to lean on their expertise.  Taking the time to gain the insight of someone more knowledgeable than oneself regarding a certain topic is also a sign of wisdom and maturity.

A truly efficient and effective leader is someone properly focused on the issue at hand.  He or she has the ability to choose wisely in spending time on the really important issues, rather than being controlled by the tyranny of the urgent, yet less important. 

Effective leaders are also comfortable in delegating tasks as appropriate.    Some police executives believe that they are needed if things fall apart when they are gone.  The mark of superb leadership is an executive who trains and delegates so effectively that the department runs seamlessly in his or her absence.

Police executives may have to make excellent decisions which are at the same time unpopular.  Nevertheless, the action is must be taken and any unfavorable reactions are dealt with professionally.

True leaders understand policing is a profession. It is not a job. Policing is a challenge. It is not a task.  Policing is a privilege only experienced by a very few.

Police leaders need not be the biggest, strongest, fastest, bravest, best educated, or most skilled individual s representing our police departments. Yet, if you merge these traits together as one you have your leader.   These ingredients, combined with one’s own character, create a leader.  This is not something which can be practiced or taught. It is one’s personal identity which shows itself in the role of community service, often under pressure.

The effective police leader does what needs to be done to keep all officers standing in challenging times.

Victimization: The Key Characteristic of the Active Shooter

All criminal justice professionals should understand victimization. A currently Active Shooter or an individual in process of one of the phases of the Active Shooter has the mindset that he is a victim in some way. Logic does not have a role here.

The combination of being ashamed, embarrassed, humiliated, depressed, and angry all serve as fuel to the fire which motivates the Active Shooter over time.  It makes no difference if the victimization is real or imagined. It is very much real in the mind of a potential Active Shooter. Victimization simply serves as motivation and justification.

All information available about Active Shooters is relevant because it helps us understand them.  However, each incident is particular to itself. I conducted a study and wrote a thesis for my Masters about the correlation between crime and victimization. My finding was that victimization precedes criminality. The youth who participated in the study all indicated each was tired of being the victim so they acted out.  Once they acted out, all felt power and control never sensed previously.

Just as there are no born criminals, there are no born Active Shooters. Until each school system and university has a liaison officer in communication with the local law enforcement agency, the Active Shooter will continue to show himself. There must be a marriage between law enforcement and the Department of Education or University Police Departments.

In order to accomplish this, the following is needed:

·         Each school system can monitor and address non-criminal incidents in house.

·         Law enforcement will address criminal conduct.

·         At times, a local school or university may need to team up with law enforcement to take appropriate action together as one to offset the possibility of an Active Shooter incident.

Understanding what makes Active Shooters tick will help to keep officers (and civilian victims) standing.