This is the technique to be successful as a police officer as well as in your personal life. Police work is serious business, and professionalism is not just a job requirement—it is a way of living with integrity.
The first step is to watch the television series DRAGNET 1967, starring Jack Webb as Sgt Joe Friday and Harry Morgan as Detective Bill Gannon. This show was telecast almost 50 years ago and remains the gold standard for professional police conduct. Do not rely on modern TV shows or remakes. Watch about 20 episodes (each 30 minutes) to understand how a police officer should work and live, both on duty and in personal life.
Some police departments say community policing is a new philosophy, but it is not. In one DRAGNET episode, Sgt Joe Friday was assigned as a Community Service Officer and described the proper philosophy of being a CSO perfectly. This shows that professional conduct and community respect are timeless principles.
Here is the core technique: When you arrive at your police job, make believe you are being filmed and that you are the starring actor in an 8-hour television show called DRAGNET. You have been hired to take Jack Webb's place. You will be filmed throughout your entire shift as OFFICER (your name). At the end of the day, your actions will be telecast on TV for all citizens to watch. Since you are a professional—if you mess up one time, YOU'RE FIRED. This mindset ensures excellence.
If Sgt Friday wouldn't do it, then you do not do it. This applies to everything: Do not talk negatively behind any co-worker's back. Do not gossip. Do not talk negatively about the police department. Eliminate prejudice—prejudiced people should not be in any authoritative role. Talk professional at all times. No off-color jokes. No foolishness. No profanities. If a fellow officer violates proper behavior, address it immediately and professionally.
Remember that nobody is perfect, and neither are you. If you do something imperfect, own up to it. A police administrator in charge of internal affairs stated: "It is not the action that gets you fired—it is the cover up." This principle is critical. If you mess up, take responsibility immediately.
Avoid two dangerous trains of thought: First, do not act because you are trying to PROVE something. You may cross the line where you could mess up. For example, trying to prove you are brave can lead to tactical errors. The proper technique is to keep doing the tactically correct actions from day one, and in time your character will shine. You are not trying to prove anything; you are simply doing what is right and being tactically correct.
Second, do not have the mindset that you are there to teach someone a lesson. You are there to enforce the law. If someone violates the laws or statutes, you enforce the law through arrest. The arrest is just the beginning of the judicial system. Let the judge handle the instruction. Simply state why they are being arrested, answer their questions honestly, and attempt to make the arrest as stress-free as possible. This applies especially if you are young in your career. Leave the big speech for the judge.
However, keep your personal defense guard up at all times. Some people may physically attack you after tricking you into lowering your guard. Do not be deceived by a "nice" demeanor.
How a person acts and reacts in court is revealing. People who served in the military sacrificed their lives so the court system could be honorable and clean. A person who is smart enough and strong enough to pass police academy training and then uses the court system to showboat disrespects those who died to protect the integrity of society. Any person who uses the court system to showboat has low character. Court testimony is about respect and duty, not performance.
Yes, as a police officer you are in charge of the area. But the proper mindset is to remember that HUMANITY is in charge. In other words, doing the RIGHT THING is in charge. When you fail to do the right thing, you are no longer in charge of yourself, and the house of cards of professional conduct will tumble.
"Old-fashioned morals work. Professional conduct, honesty, and integrity are not trends—they are the foundation of a life well-lived, both in law enforcement and beyond."— MOTSHAC