From CALEA Website on Police Morale

If you don't like policing, McDonald's is always hiring. This might sound familiar coming from a supervisor to an officer. At best, this statement represents one of the great contemporary challenges facing law enforcement--police motivation. Ask any police chief and they will tell you that their department's morale is "good." This may be the case in some departments. Overall, the challenge that faces law enforcement is creating a work environment conducive to officer enrichment.

The ultimate question that departments must ask is, "How do we maintain the shared enthusiasm officers have once they graduate from the police academy?" The average police officer appears to become disenchanted early in his career. An independent study conducted by the National Institute of Ethics found that the average years on the police force when an officer becomes involved in unethical activities is 7.2. Two inferences can be made from this study: (1) The officer who is considered a veteran appears more susceptible to corruption than his younger counterpart, and (2) This number indicates when misconduct was identified. It stands to reason that officers are committing unethical acts far before they are uncovered. Morale and integrity share a common space. Many of the reasons why departments suffer from low morale are much the same reasons that cause unethical activity; i.e., low compensation, unappreciation, apathy, inadequate leadership, etc. If there is some corollary between morale and corruption then what is the answer to decreasing its occurrence? Can a case be made that the more an officer is encouraged to develop himself, the less he is inclined to participate in unethical acts? Human nature suggests that we take pride in people and things that we help create and cultivate. It would stand to reason that if a system was in place that dealt with developing officers to be better individuals, they would be less inclined to suffer from low morale and less likely to engage in unethical activities.

The field of police motivation is largely undeveloped by the law enforcement community. The actions of police departments suggest that a pay check is sufficient motivation for personnel. The study of employee motivation has evolved over the past fifty years. Earlier researchers believed that money was the motivation for employee morale. As challenges persisted that did not solve this dilemma, new theories emerged. The most popular theory being the "Hierarchy of Needs" postulated by Psychologist Abraham Maslow. Maslow contended that man is a wanting animal. As soon as one need has been satisfied another one moves in to take its place. Consequently, human beings are constantly striving to realize their full potential or "self-actualize." The complexity to understanding human motivation, generally, and employee motivation, specifically, has led to the extraction of past theories to fuse with changing times and situations. Fundamentally, there is no one theory that assumes to represent all employee motivation. Dr. Angela M. Bowey in her article, "Motivation At Work: a key issue in remuneration," talks about a prevailing theory called the "Contingency Theory." Under the Contingency Theory, management would not focus on one element of employee motivation, but would be open for the myriad of motivational factors in a department including pay, time off, and career development. Furthermore, what might work for one department might not work for another. This is a step in the right direction for employee driven professions like law enforcement.

Surprisingly, with the increased violence in society and departments struggling to increase manpower, many department heads really do not know what the morale is in their police departments. The question appears to be a non-issue that is a perilous position to assume. Line officers are the backbone of any law enforcement agency and to not know how they feel about their respective department is counterproductive and destructive. In the January 1997 issue of INC. Magazine, in an article entitled "Measuring Morale," Jack Stack outlines an employee morale survey given to a company that believed its morale was high. The participants were asked to agree or disagree with the following questions: (1) At work, your opinions count, (2) Those of you who want to be a leader in this company have the opportunity to become one, and (3) In the past six months someone has talked to you about your personal development. The results showed that 43% did not feel that their opinions counted, 48% felt that they could not be a leader in the company if they wanted to become one, and 62% said that no one talked to them in the past six months about their personal development. These results from a company that had assumed that its morale was high.

Companies on the cutting edge of progress have adopted the old adage "what gets measured gets done." Departments that don't measure the morale of its people are headed for a downward spiral. Major corporations are embracing the benefits of morale and motivation training for its employees. Companies do not see this training merely as a nice thing to do, but have reasoned that it is good for business. Department heads in law enforcement must see policing as a business with its most precious resource being its people. Julian Barling, psychologist and business professor at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, in an article by Ross Laver entitled "Why Leadership Matters" says, "we see leadership as the ability to intellectually stimulate subordinates, to help them approach problems in new ways and to think about what's going to benefit the organization in the long term."

Law enforcement agencies with high morale make for a win-win situation. Management benefits by having its goals realized, which enhances public confidence in its police department. The individual officer does not fall prey to the evils of domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, stress, and suicide. Society benefits by being protected by officers who feel good about the job and not merely earning a paycheck. Motivational training that outlines the methodology for personal growth has been proven among corporate personnel to enrich employee development. Companies and agencies benefit in this training by encouraging personnel to help find solutions to old problems. People support what they create! The difference between an employee who views himself as "semi-retired" versus a "go-getter" is the level of trust he has in management's vision.

Employees in a cross-section of companies realize the benefits of motivational training and extol its benefits. Angela Nurse, former employee for Miami, Florida- based Compu-Pay, a computerized payroll service, says, "Every now and then we need a shot in the arm...we are barraged on a constant basis with rejection, in which you get depressed and frustrated. Motivational training helps you get refocused. On-going positive input is necessary for people to be successful in any field. You want to emulate the patterns for success." Adrienne Booker, senior customer service representative for Atlanta- based Grady Health Systems, says, "Working with the public can be stressful and motivational training gives us the challenge to endure and resolve future problems. The training left us on a high note and encouraged us to move forward. It is essential that one absorbs that kind of positive energy from time to time." Many companies have become even more innovative by utilizing motivational speakers to begin meetings. Marilyn Harper, regional human resource manager for Cleveland, Ohio- based Centeon, a pharmaceutical company, says, "We traditionally bring in motivational speakers to set the tone for our meetings. For example, in sales, we bring in a speaker to kick-off a sales campaign to encourage employees to be top notch." Legal departments have also gotten into the act. Tawanda Bazile, a paralegal in the business practice and government relations branch of Torrance, California- based Allied Signal, says that as part of their Total Quality Management Program "our primary goal is to gain total customer achievement, including how we relate to each other within our company, as well as our external customer base. I believe motivational training helped our new employees increase communication."

The challenges that confront law enforcement as we enter a new millennium are not insurmountable. Law enforcement agencies must commit to the idea that the development of its employees is its prime objective. Motivational training must follow this idea for implementation. This training must be continuous and serve as a necessary component of the mandatory curriculum. If it turns into a temporary remedy for long-term solutions then the results will be null and void. The challenges in law enforcement are the result of gradual evolution and the solutions to these challenges are also gradual. Yes, McDonald's is always hiring, but who will protect society while former police officers are flipping hamburgers?

Edward S. Brown is the CEO of a successful development company specializing in training law enforcement. He served eight years with the City of Atlanta Police Department. He is the author of two books entitled, The Liberating Factor: A Message for the World and A Badge Without Blemish: Avoiding Police Corruption. Mr. Brown may be contacted by writing Edward S. Brown International, Inc., 3200 Lakeview Place, Ste. 146, College Park, GA 30337 or calling 404.767.6592. His e-mail is: Libfac@aol.com and website is www.esbrownint.com.