06-12-2010, 11:08 PM
We are top heavy with too many supervisors.
Just a snippet trying to explain part of what we mean by Supervisor vs Boss.
A Supervisor is a person wearing a gold badge who plays by the rules. All the time. There is no gray area, only black and white. The Department is the be all, end all and knows all. Rules are rules and if you break them, you are going to get disciplined for it. A Supervisor holds themselves aloof from the mundane business of police work for the most part. They'll show up after the fact, ask nonsensical questions and bark out a lot of orders.
A Boss sees areas of gray. His first concern is for his officers. The Department Rules are guidelines more than unbreakable Commandments. Certain transgressions can be overlooked IF the officer learns from the screw up. A Boss lets his officers handle situations and provides guidance. Bosses volunteer to answer radio calls, some chase bad guys and a few catch them.
A Boss can be a Supervisor, but it almost never works the other way. We can't think of a single instance at the moment - maybe a few of our readers can?
We've worked for a number of the finest Bosses ever to wear the uniform. But nowadays, they are a rare breed, especially at and above the rank of Lieutenant. Too many gold badges are more worried about NOT attracting attention to themselves lest they jinx an upcoming promotion or they get blamed for some situation that occurs, even if they had no hand in it.
Too many Supervisors are "Managers" today rather than Bosses and it shows in so many ways. The only way to reverse this trend will be a massive upheaval in the political landscape. Until then, the day of the Boss is in steep decline, and with it, the morale of the Department.
God help us and get a good chief in here, not one like the last two or any of those currently in our command staff.
Just a snippet trying to explain part of what we mean by Supervisor vs Boss.
A Supervisor is a person wearing a gold badge who plays by the rules. All the time. There is no gray area, only black and white. The Department is the be all, end all and knows all. Rules are rules and if you break them, you are going to get disciplined for it. A Supervisor holds themselves aloof from the mundane business of police work for the most part. They'll show up after the fact, ask nonsensical questions and bark out a lot of orders.
A Boss sees areas of gray. His first concern is for his officers. The Department Rules are guidelines more than unbreakable Commandments. Certain transgressions can be overlooked IF the officer learns from the screw up. A Boss lets his officers handle situations and provides guidance. Bosses volunteer to answer radio calls, some chase bad guys and a few catch them.
A Boss can be a Supervisor, but it almost never works the other way. We can't think of a single instance at the moment - maybe a few of our readers can?
We've worked for a number of the finest Bosses ever to wear the uniform. But nowadays, they are a rare breed, especially at and above the rank of Lieutenant. Too many gold badges are more worried about NOT attracting attention to themselves lest they jinx an upcoming promotion or they get blamed for some situation that occurs, even if they had no hand in it.
Too many Supervisors are "Managers" today rather than Bosses and it shows in so many ways. The only way to reverse this trend will be a massive upheaval in the political landscape. Until then, the day of the Boss is in steep decline, and with it, the morale of the Department.
God help us and get a good chief in here, not one like the last two or any of those currently in our command staff.