Impartiality It is commonly known that citizen complaints must be judged on the facts specific to the case at hand and not the complainant ’ s unrelated criminal record . In much the same vein , while an officer ’ s previous record must be taken into account to align with progressive discipline , past policy violations that are unrelated to the behavior in the sustained violation at hand must be considered in context and not drive the disciplinary decision . This emphasizes to officers that the organization understands the complexity of police work and that moving past honest errors in the lifetime of a career is possible .
Conclusion Discipline within police agencies is of paramount importance both internally and externally and is one of the most complex components of police management and leadership . Utilizing a sound decision-making model such as the one presented herein is vital in ensuring that officers are treated professionally , and that discipline within the organization is fair and consistent . This can lead to higher morale and positive retention . When officers are treated in a procedurally just manner and they understand the value of a disciplinary philosophy that takes into account the many variables of the very difficult work they do , they are much more apt to see the disciplinary process as fair and equitable and one that focuses on correcting behaviors through appropriate training and education rather than a strictly punitive paradigm .
Biography
Dr . Rich Austin has been the Chief of the Milton Police Department since January 2017 .
Prior to that , he retired as a captain from the Charlotte- Mecklenburg Police Department where he held various assignments during his 25 + year career , including assignments as an internal affairs investigative sergeant and internal affairs commander .
He is also the former Training Director for the North Carolina Internal Affairs Investigators Association .
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department , “ Directive 100 – 104 : Discipline Philosophy ”, Interactive Directives Guide , Charlotte , N . C .: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department , 2001 .
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