There are three basic models of policing that correlate with Stephen Covey’s stages of leadership and personal development: Dependence, Independence, and Interdependence. Join me as we look at the differences between Reactive, Proactive, and Coactive Policing and how they relate to accomplishing the police mission.

Reactive Policing = “Y’all call and we come…”

Proactive Policing = “Water and Fertilizer”

Coactive Policing = “Community Policing on Steroids”

Many people believe that character is not trainable, at least not as an adult. We have been led to believe that our character is set by age 7. But I want to challenge that mindset and discuss why I believe that character is, in fact, trainable and why pitching good character is so important for those of us in positions of leadership.

by Cmdr. John R.”Barney” Barnes (ret.)

“Becoming proficient in the proper exercise of the authority entrusted to you is a function of the merging of the knowledge and understanding of your authority with the will to regularily and properly exercise that authority.” —  John R.”Barney” Barnes

The fundamental role of authority is often misunderstood in our modern culture. This lack of clarity of this role can be the genesis of a lack of understanding/respect for constitutional and moral authority. The resultant corrosive effect upon our society appears in local as well as national headlines on a daily basis.

In my view a root cause of all this cultural malaise is the improper “exercise of authority” by those entrusted to act “under the authority” of their jurisdiction. Perhaps we should start with a couple old fashioned definitions from Webster’s. “Exercise”, in the verb form is “to discharge, wield or exert as in influence or authority; to set in action or employ actively.” Our other operative word “authority” is “legal or rightful power; a right to command or act; jurisdiction.”

As we noted earlier today’s headlines are replete with the chaotic and sometimes tragic episodes of our human kind that have a common back story involving authority. Most folks would agree that for the family, our basic unit of organization, to be successful and have integrity that discrete parental authority functions must be “properly exercised”. The many documented cases of child abuse as well as parental abandonement of basic responsibilities required for child rearing, e.g. to love, to instill values, to set boundaries and to invest quality time is demonstrative of the failure to “properly exercise parental authority”.

A major cause of the weakening of many of our other vital cultural institutions is this same failure of duly constituted authorities to “properly exercise their authority”, their legal and rightful power in their particular jurisdiction. Some of these would include government at all levels, business, finance and we must not forget church and religious organizations. These various foibles (say within the past year or two) clearly demonstrate an improper (careless or arrogant)exercise of authority or a reticent and passive assumption of their essential responsibilities within their respective jurisdictions.

Authority is best understood when we simply view it as delegated power as contained in the principle of “acting under authority”. Earlier in my professional life as a naval officer, aircraft commander and commanding officer it was essential that I have a clear understanding of my authority and its boundaries. Whether in combat, at sea or shore command I could never represent myself because when I acted or failed to act I clearly represented “higher authority”. Ultimately I represented the will of the American people as established by the Constitution, US Naval Regulations, various treaties, directives, and the policies and procedures of that particular command.

I was always aware that a failure “to act” within the boundaries of my authority could endanger lives, weaken my command or bring discredit upon myself and the US Navy. On the other hand I was confident that if I simply exercised my authority then I would have done my duty. This simple maximum could find application in the many realms of our culture today.

Authority is a sacred trust, and endowment if you will, to be exercised with alacrity and confidence in the preservation of things we cherish and hold dear. Some of these would include…a strong America, our individual liberty, peaceful neighborhoods, vibrant economy, thriving families, and a general feeling of goodness the timeless companion of greatness.

Submitted by Eye of the Eagle

Editor’s Note: This article was written by John R.”Barney” Barnes and is reproduced here with permission.

Do you realize that Hollywood glamorizes the Renegade Cop? This video explains the impact on the law enforcement profession.

Authorities are often viewed as being an oppressive force in our lives. But the true role of authority is protective in nature — to protect those that are under their care from harmful and evil influences…

by Kevin Woodside

Rather than starting by trying the find the best current thinking or new leadership ideas, lets begin with some old ones and see how they stand up. Robert Vernon, retired LAPD #2 guy and founder of the Pointman Leadership Institute, offers the “Ten Ancient Principles.”  The first on the list is Submission to Authority.

I think we can all agree that for an orderly society to exist we  must submit to authority, prisons are full of folks who don’t buy that. But submission often feels like weakness. As police officers we are expected to be the authority, we need to be powerful so we can protect the weak.  Does it make any sense that submission is so important that it rates #1 on the list? The truth is that submission to authority is the source of your legitimate power.

Think of legitimate authority like a column. To be strong it must be straight. Each block that forms the column must be properly aligned or it will fail. You are a block somewhere in that column, not at the top, but just as certainly not at the bottom. Everyone of us lives somewhere in the middle. You can construct a similar illustration for any system of authority, but for a police officer consider this column:

As a police officer you may feel all of that authority crushing down on you, the politics, the restrictions of the law, general orders that seem overcomplicated and don’t always make sense, the proclamations of a chief who you rarely see or the demands of a sergeant you do see, but not always eye-to-eye. While all these may create stress, these sources of legitimate authority give you righteous authority as a police officer. You can see that no single person in the column is the source of authority. Any power you have is delegated to you in order for you to do your job. You stay under the authority that begins at the top and your legitimately delegated authority carries the entire weight of society and the strength of everything above you in the entire column. But step out from under it and you lose it.

It is critical to recognize illegitimate authority in others so that you do not follow the wrong leader and it is critical to recognize it in yourself so you do not become abusive. History is full of leaders exercising personal authority leading to abuse and on to disaster. Hitler, Stalin, every tyrant dictator you can name fell into this trap – and those that followed went right along with them. It starts small and grows unchecked when a leader is not subject to accountability, left free to exercise power he or she sees as their own, rather than delegated from a higher authority.

For a police officer straying from this can begin as simply as responding, “Because I say so,” to a violator questioning a command. Its not the words themselves, but the distinction between them and “because the law requires it” or “because its department policy.” Perceiving that the power belongs to you is the first step on the slippery slope of abuse and corruption. The first step is a tiny one, a slight change in attitude or perspective. Be on guard for it.

In a very real sense all authority we have is delegated, none of it belongs to us. Self service and pride are the enemies of legitimate authority, humility is the inoculation. More on that to come…

Editor’s Note: The Modern Knight is written and maintained by my colleague, Kevin Woodside. More of his teachings on the timeless principles of character can be found on his Modern Knight website. I appreciate Kevin’s commitment to character and his permission to publish this work on the Police Dynamics Media Blog.