09-30-2006, 12:47 PM
I have to say that I'm ashamed to admit that I work for SPPD. The guys that I work with on a daily basis are among the best there is, however, the administration is amongst the worse there is.
Yesterday, as I watched our fellow brothers and sisters go to Polk Countys aid I couldn't help but think how SPPD would have handled the same situation here. I honestly feel that if that event would have happened here we would have handled it much different. Instead of the chief acting like a chief he would've had eveyone check into service to handle the holding calls and his thinking would be, we know who he is, we'll get him later on the warrant when he least expects it. The more I thought about it the sicker I felt.
After that, the chief would look into the traffic stop and try to determine what policies were violated, which of course we would deal with swiftly.
I know someone out there is going to say the administration was ready and waiting for the call. Well let me say this, we ALWAYS use that damn excuse. We were ready but we never received a call. Why do you think that is?? The reason is, every department in the area knows that our administration is pathetic. They would appreciate the officers assistance but they know the adminstration would cause more problems then its worth.
If I could give any advice to new officers, leave. Go to a police department where you are respected and encouraged to do good police work. This department will never accept good police work, they are too hung up on General Order violations and SOPS to worry about good police work. Then when people leave they say, Why are they leaving, why do we have a morale problem. They just don't understand and they won't understand. So stay, complete your training, get experience, and then leave for a department that will appreciate your efforts.
Yesterday, as I watched our fellow brothers and sisters go to Polk Countys aid I couldn't help but think how SPPD would have handled the same situation here. I honestly feel that if that event would have happened here we would have handled it much different. Instead of the chief acting like a chief he would've had eveyone check into service to handle the holding calls and his thinking would be, we know who he is, we'll get him later on the warrant when he least expects it. The more I thought about it the sicker I felt.
After that, the chief would look into the traffic stop and try to determine what policies were violated, which of course we would deal with swiftly.
I know someone out there is going to say the administration was ready and waiting for the call. Well let me say this, we ALWAYS use that damn excuse. We were ready but we never received a call. Why do you think that is?? The reason is, every department in the area knows that our administration is pathetic. They would appreciate the officers assistance but they know the adminstration would cause more problems then its worth.
If I could give any advice to new officers, leave. Go to a police department where you are respected and encouraged to do good police work. This department will never accept good police work, they are too hung up on General Order violations and SOPS to worry about good police work. Then when people leave they say, Why are they leaving, why do we have a morale problem. They just don't understand and they won't understand. So stay, complete your training, get experience, and then leave for a department that will appreciate your efforts.