INSIGHTS
With the current fiscal and political pressures on local officials , how do you best defend your budget requests ?
how to implement effective policing strategies . Remember , many of the people who ultimately approve of a budget do not have a background in public safety . They don ’ t understand the “ why ” behind some strategies that you are employing in your agency . Take the time to explain it . Think of it as educating a future ally every time they ask you a question that seems obvious to you . Apart from you , they are getting an education from watching the evening news , and they are forming opinions about policing from social media . You must take the time to ensure that the Council members , Mayor , and Managers understand how you are deploying your officers . You must help them understand your policies and why they are important . You are their expert . If you find that you cannot justify your budget requests , how can they go to their constituents and explain it ? Obviously , it is much easier to educate someone with whom you have a relationship . These two components go hand-inglove . You should view defense of your budget requests as an “ all the time ” job and not just a painful detail to be addressed during the budget process . Use those long months each year between forming the budget as an opportunity during which you can be effectively preparing for the budget . If you spend those months each year working on effective professional relationships and using your time to provide an education on policing , you will find that the budget “ process ” goes much more smoothly .
There ’ s no magic . There ’ s just hard work . If you are willing to put in the work , you are much more likely to see effective resources dedicated to your agency .
Chief Charles “ Mike ” Broadhead has more than 32 years of law enforcement experience . He began his career in 1988 with the Littleton , Colorado Police Department where he served for 21 years . In 2009 , he accepted the Chief of Police position in Riverton , Wyoming . In April 2017 , he was selected as the Statesboro Police Chief . 34 SPRING . 2021