Here is a brief video clip showing a spectacular view of the Capernaum synagogue where I filmed the Centurion video. According to Luke chapter 7, the Centurion built this synagogue for the local Jewish community who greatly revered him. He is a great historical example of a man under authority who was respected by the community he served…

The full video can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPQI6Yupt48

I never tire of telling the story of the Centurion chronicled in Matthew Chapter 8. It remains one of the highlights of the Police Dynamics program because it so clearly illustrates the principle of a law enforcement or government official operating “under authority.”

This video from the Police Dynamics archives was actually filmed in the very synagogue that was built by the Centurion in the village of Capernaum, Israel! I had to speak in hushed tones because there were a number of tour groups there at the same time. Apparently yellow ballcaps were in fashion that day!

About 2000 years ago, the land of Palestine was under the rule of the Roman Empire, a very powerful and at times corrupt governing authority. Within a town or village, the Roman government would appoint a representative. He was known as the Centurion. The Centurion was an army commander and served as the representative of Roman governmental authority and power. He functioned much like a Police Chief, Fire Chief, Public Safety Director, Mayor, and Magistrate all rolled into one! Although the Romans did not appreciate separation of powers quite like we do, he was clearly responsible for maintaining the law, order, health, safety, and morals of that village. (more…)

In this last video from Riviera Maya, Mexico, we examine the Five Types of Offenders to make a determination as to their level of character. Having the discernment to see below the surface of behavior into the heart of their character is essential to applying the Discretion Maxim.

NOTE: Regretfully, the battery in my camera apparently died just before the end of the video and cut off the last few seconds. However, I was only making a summary at that point so you don’t miss much…

The Five Types of Offenders gives us a pattern for recognizing the character of criminal offenders, inmates, employees, or even children. Once you determine which level of offender you are dealing with, then you can apply the Discretion Maxim to choose which enforcement action you might take along a continuum of discretionary options.

Discretion Maxim
Let the nature of the offense determine your range of options.
Let the character of the offender determine which option you choose. 

Graphically, it looks something like this:

Five Types of Offenders

Each progressive level of offender reflects a further step out from under authority and demands a more severe enforcement option.

Here are the characteristics of each type of offender:

The Simple Offender (more…)

Now at last we are getting to some of the more advanced principles contained in Series 2 of the  Police Dynamics training program with the Dynamic of Discretion.

Note: This is actually the second video in the Dynamic of Discretion series. The first video had such poor audio quality due to wind and surf noise coming from the beach (at the Dreams Puerta Aventuras Resort in Riviera Maya) that I hesitated to even post it. But for those of you are dedicated Police Dynamics fans, I have included it below. This video stands on its own, but if you want to watch them in order, watch the second one first…

One of the 49 character qualities from Character First is called Discretion. Character First defines it this way:

Discretion
Recognizing and avoiding words, actions, or attitudes that could bring undesirable consequences

However, that is not the use of the word that I want to look at here. I’m talking about police discretion. (more…)

Dr. George Thompson, the founder of Verbal Judo, was the first person I ever heard coin the term “Golden Rule Policing.” He defined it as treating people the way you would like be treated under similar circumstances. We can apply the same principle to our “deep-dive” analysis of character and Police Dynamics in this two-part series on the Golden Rule of Character.

Golden Rule of Character – Part 2

(I have to apologize for the quality of the second video. I filmed it on the beach and didn’t realize the wind and surf noise would be so loud. But it’s a short video, so please suffer through it…)

A fundamental truth, that I have found to be true far more often than not, is that the character flaws that irritate you about other people are often evident in your own life… and you don’t even know it. It’s a blindspot. And, by definition, you can’t see a blind spot.

Look at it from this perspective. (more…)

During my trip to Goa, India, I stumbled across this abandoned, partially completed hotel in the middle of the jungle. It was infested with bats, but gave me a great opportunity to talk about the Twin Towers of Integrity and the Building Blocks of Success.

The Bat "Cave"

The Bat "Cave" in the dark

To understand the important role that ethics plays in accomplishing the police mission, or achieving success in any organization for that matter, let’s look at a model I call the Twin Towers of Integrity. (more…)

Like many things in life, even our character can get out of balance. For instance, the character qualities of Attentiveness (showing the worth of a person, idea, or task by giving it my undivided concentration) and Alertness (being aware of my surroundings so I can have the right response) must remain in balance. If I am so focused on you that I fail to notice a fire starting in the corner of the room, my character is out of balance. In the same way, if I am so hyper-vigilant that I cannot focus on you and what you are saying, my character is out of balance. The same thing applies to Truthfulness (earning future trust by accurately reporting past facts) and Discretion (avoiding words, actions, and attitudes that could have undesirable consequences). I can be so truthful that I unnecessarily hurt the feelings of a friend or reveal information that could place someone else in jeopardy.

Recently, I gave a character recognition to one of my colleagues with the International Police Coordination Board (IPCB) for his Availability (making my own agenda secondary to those I serve) and Dependability (fulfilling what I consented to do even if it means unexpected sacrifice). He later told me that these character qualities often get him in trouble because he spends so much time helping others that he neglects his own work. Then, he has to take his work home and neglects time with his wife and family. His character is out of balance. His Availability and Dependability are HUGE character qualities that define who he is as a true man of integrity. But they must be balanced with Discretion and Attentiveness.

As you can see, I have been working hard on the Police Dynamics website for the last couple of months (Although, for the 30 days I was home on leave, I did absolutely nothing except spend time with family and friends. In other words, it was a HUGE success!) But now I am back at the US Embassy in Kabul and ready to take Police Dynamics to the next level. I hope you like the format and the new web address.

Please take advantage of the free resources you see located in the sidebar on the right side of the page by submitting your email address, and let me know if you encounter any difficulties with the downloads. This is definitely a work in progress and I am learning as I go. My goal is to have some very useful training and professional development resources available on the site very soon so please stay tuned…

In the meantime, enjoy the guest posts by my friends and colleagues, Doug Dickerson and Al Mozingo. Thanks to them for filling in for me…!

Sheriff Ray