Tracing the Path of Destruction


Here is a video clip from a presentation entitled Character-based Law Enforcement that I presented at the 2005 International Association of Character Cities Conference. In it, I trace part of the Path of Destruction that Renegade Police Officers often find themselves on. Starting with the power of the tongue and the impact of our words, we explore other predictable patterns of behavior such as immorality, divorce, domestic violence, and death by suicide as it relates to the profession of law enforcement..


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5 Responses to Tracing the Path of Destruction

  1. Howell F. Wright, Ed.D. says:
    May 12, 2011 at 9:31 pm

    Ray I have recently lost three acquaintances in law enforcement because their tongue betrayed them-or maybe it was more than their tongue. Good work, keep it coming. Howell

    Reply
    • policedynamics says:
      May 13, 2011 at 7:09 pm

      Howell:
      It’s the age-old problem of the unbridled tongue. I like to say that the most powerful weapon we have at our disposal, for good or evil, is not on our hips. It’s in our mouths.

      As George Thompson, the founder of Verbal Judo, is so fond of saying, “When words rise readily to the lips, you are about to give the most famous speech that you will ever live to regret…”

      Our tongues get us into so much trouble in law enforcement. And on a side note, if we don’t clean up our language, I’m afraid the courts will do it for us.

      Whenever I would have dignitaries visit our Sheriff’s Office, I was always so proud when they would comment about the lack of foul language. I’m not so prudish to think that my deputies didn’t let loose with an expletive now and then. But it wasn’t rampant and it wasn’t the standard of our behavior. And it created a work environment that, I think, was much more encouraging and pleasant than what you find at most police agencies.

      Thanks for your comment. Keep ’em coming…

      Reply
  2. Sgt. Matt Wallace says:
    May 18, 2011 at 12:41 pm

    I really wish that the material that you share would be part of basic academy training. Officers careers and relationships would be spared if they understood the power that lies in the words we use.

    Reply
    • policedynamics says:
      May 18, 2011 at 5:52 pm

      You’re absolutely right. There was a move at one time to incorporate Police Dynamics training into the basic curriculum in Wyoming but it never materialized. Maybe one day…

      Reply
  3. Progressive Discipline | Police Dynamics – Character Based Policing says:
    March 23, 2012 at 4:32 pm

    […] very well within a progressive discipline model. Discerning where the offender is on the downward Path of Destruction described in the Dynamic of Restoration is the key factor in determining their character. There are […]

    Reply

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