HEALTH & WELLNESS
Cops and change:
partners for life?
In November, the fall season reminds me of
change. I often feel that as the leaves change col-
or on the trees and we see the temperature shift,
my mood also transitions from the enthusiasm
of the summer to a more somber mood. Back to
work, back to school, back to responsibility, with
a contrast that a new season has brought, in-
creases my anxiety.
CHERIE
Many people who are more comfortable with
CASTELLANO
Cop 2 Cop structure and consistency, like law enforcement
officers, may not welcome change. There is a per-
ception that change — even when needed — is a stressful ex-
perience.
Law enforcement agencies and their officers across the
country must be adaptable in their work as part of the nature
of crises and emergency response. In the University of Penn-
sylvania work that we are using for our Cop 2 Cop resilience
course, self-regulation is one of the six resilience traits to de-
velop.
Police agencies have changed based on our culture and ma-
jor events. Change can occur in a system, and with officers as
individuals. Ideally, individual change aligns with systemic or
organizational change, but that is not always the case. Bottom
line: it is not good for anybody when change becomes a prob-
lem. We know that change is constant, so we must deal with it.
Deborah Lewis, diversity officer for the U.S. Capitol Police,
writes in an article that in law enforcement, the ability to re-
spond to a variety of changing situations is key to the safety
and security of both the police and the public. The challeng-
es related to change management in law enforcement can be
numerous, but most tend to manifest in three key areas:
Identifying change
Sometimes a personal or organizational problem can high-
light the need for change. Giving the change order is not
enough to facilitate, implement or reap the benefits of change.
We must determine the need and type of change necessary:
first order or second order. As most law enforcement depart-
ments are autocratic and paramilitary, an assessment of how
tolerant the culture will be in embracing change is required.
This assessment will provide critical information on areas of
resistance, as well as potential champions.
Communicating change
A common mistake in managing change is not providing
good communication, which ensures that the change pro-
cess goes smoothly. While good communication is necessary,
it is more important to be able to customize the message to
specific segments within the department, as well as key stake-
holders. Know your audience, and prepare for its reaction to
change. Law enforcement officers may share common con-
cerns, and the failure to address the specific concerns and ex-
pectations will ruin the change process. The change process
should be a “telling and selling” effort, with leadership engag-
ing in active listening to officers throughout the department
at every rank.
Resisting change
My experience with law enforcement officers and change is
that a good cop will make any adjustment needed if he or she
trusts the leaders saying the change is needed. No matter how
difficult the change is, if a cop believes that the person deliv-
ering the message has integrity and the best interest of those
they serve in mind, the change will not be resisted.
Strong leaders will engage everyone in the process for input
so they feel empowered during the implementation process.
Change leaders understand that officers are the driving force
in embedding change into the department. Officers have the
ability to passively slow down or aggressively speed up change
implementation. Leaders have to seek out change allies
throughout an organization, including unions and informal
leaders, as the key to real change. The resistance to change
often may come from old-school law enforcement officials,
longing for the ways of days gone by.
If you explore every area of your life, you will find cycles that
represent time periods of change. In the book I Love A Cop, Dr.
Kirshman describes the cycles of police work. The academy,
rookie years, honeymoon, then settling in was your change
cycle as a cop. Officers who struggle resist change, when it is
inevitable with every passing year. Effective change manage-
ment is about connecting with officers and leaders to create
a shared understanding about how change will benefit the
workforce, both collectively and individually. Instead of im-
plementing change by accident, lawsuit or crisis, law enforce-
ment professionals need to act deliberately to ensure that
change is real and sustained.
Change is inevitable. Think about your kids growing up,
your hairline or waistline diminishing or increasing, and your
view of the world, as these are just a few things in constant
transition. Change is bittersweet even when it is for the bet-
ter, because we all like being in control. The truth is that we
cannot keep things the same, no matter how hard we try. Cel-
ebrate change, embrace it or resist it depending on your heart,
not your routines.
When in doubt, call Cop 2 Cop at 866-267-2267.
www.njcopsmagazine.com
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