Color Me a Hypocrite

And now, the time has come to be totally honest about a recent undertaking in my life that has changed my perspective on something I used to be passionate about nay saying at every chance I got.

When I was a young fresh-faced police officer, I saw no need whatsoever to obtain a degree in Criminal Justice. I saw some around me who had such a degree who , in my narcissistic opinion, I was a much better officer than due to my job knowledge and skills in taking reports and completing assigned tasks. For years I saw no value in a police officer having a college education, and likened it to a vanity publication.

As I progressed up the ranks, I began to see that having advanced knowledge in areas of management, organization, leadership, case law, criminal procedure, and other topics was not only worthwhile but crucial in the highly technical and litigious society we find ourselves in. Enforcing the law takes almost as much professional attention to detail as a lawyer does prosecuting or defending the accused. The minutia involved in procedure, rights, and ensuring that adequate numbers of officers are scheduled to work with proper amounts of rest and training takes more than experience. Learning about Situational Leadership for example helped understand how to quantify employee performance and plan for progressive improvements which benefit my entire jurisdiction.

It’s more than books, papers, and course work. It’s learning how to think creatively, adapt, overcome, and address problems with innovation. It’s about self-discipline and motivation. It’s about learning what your role is in your agency, your community, and in your relationship to your inner self.

Now that I have graduated, I am a convert. I will say hypocrite, because I’m sure some of the others that I have decried the need for police education too will point this out to me since my initial opposition to it was so vehement. I’m a hypocrite, but I’m a hypocrite with a new understanding of what a leader needs.

And that is what I aspire to be. A leader.

So if you are a police officer without a degree, fix it. Go for it. It will make you more aware of your community’s needs and your own abilities. You will be sharper and a better public servant.

If you are a chief, make it your business to encourage your troops to get educated. A smarter force is a better force. We can’t hide behind ignorance or sloppy performance. Times are far too tense and technical to allow the unprepared to carry the burden of protecting our citizens.

I’ll be a hypocrite now. But I’m wiser for the experience.

Chip Grefski