Leadership In The NPD

Following up on a report completed last spring on the sometimes strained relationship between the Newtown Police Department’s command staff and its rank-and-file police officers, the document’s author told the Police Commission earlier this month that creating a better dialogue between the top and the bottom of the chain of command would be a good first step toward addressing the clear signs of distrust, frustration, and job dissatisfaction in the department. James McCabe, PhD, an assistant professor of criminal justice at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield and a New York City Police Department veteran who served as a commanding officer of labor relations there, assured the Police Commission that NPD was an “outstanding group of men and women who are looking to do a good job,” but he cautioned that without better communication, the combination of low morale and high employee dissatisfaction would continue to hamper the department’s efforts to improve its operations and better serve the community.

The initial survey of the department by Dr McCabe found a troubling reluctance of many rank-and-file officers to fill out parts of the survey that could reveal their identity, fearing retribution for any critical comments they might offer. In the officers’ view, according to Dr McCabe, “it is advisable to ‘fly under the radar’ because if you say or do anything objectionable in the eyes of the command staff, they will target you and ‘ride’ you until you quit or retire.” Changing that sense of distrust and fear will be a significant challenge for the department’s command — the police chief, a captain, and three lieutenants.

In response to the initial report and a subsequent discussion of the issue at the September 4 meeting of the Police Commission, Police Chief Michael Kehoe said he was prepared to take up that challenge, calling the recommendations of the McCabe report “good advice,” and acknowledging “we’ve got work to do here.” And this week, the chief announced the formation of two panels to meet regularly in the police department: a Labor-Management Committee, to discuss issues raised by the police union on a continuing basis, rather than simply in the context of formal grievances or contract negotiations; and an Employee Performance Evaluation Committee, which will give the department’s rank-and-file a seat at the table as the department routinely addresses both the shortcomings and successes of its personnel. Presumably, both committees will conduct their work in the spirit of mutual respect and common purpose.

Because there is no higher priority for a community than public safety, and because of the strategic and tactical nature of police work, a functioning hierarchy and corps discipline is essential to the task. Not everyone will be happy with every decision made by the chain of command, nor will those decisions be immune from question and criticism. But when everyone has a stake in the outcome, dissonance fairly communicated helps tune the system rather than undermine it. In any organization where teamwork spells the difference between success and failure, leadership is the essential component. And one key insight about leadership is that it needs to be fostered in every member of the team, from the top brass to the new recruit.