Dangerous but Safe #5

Longevity makes you dangerous. How long can your body last? We’re talking about how many years your body—and mind—can last on the job. Especially the ones that take more physical and mental toughness. I had hoped mine would last a little longer. For a moment, it seemed my body would outlast my mind but now they have switched positions. I’m not sure how much longer I will be where I am but I’m working on a contingency plan.

How does one get longevity? Well, let’s tackle the physical part first. For most people, staying active and eating healthy is enough. For others, it isn’t so easy. Some people’s bodies just aren’t built for longevity, whether because of genetic disorders, injuries they’re unable to overcome or something else. Sometimes, medicine and vitamin supplements can push them to the finish line. Sometimes, it’s just not in the cards.

The mental part... that’s a whole different ballgame. In my line of work, being firm, fair and consistent can be a lifesaver. When you’re a supervisor, whether over a group of inmates or a shift of officers, if they know they can count on you to not put up with nonsense, not play favorites and be the same today as you were yesterday, you’ll find yourself with a lot more respect. When you have the respect of those in your charge, it goes a long way towards keeping everyone safe when stuff hits the fan.

When bad things happen, as they inevitably do, it is critical that there be a proper debriefing afterwards. It is imperative that anyone who needs help dealing with what happened gets connected to available resources, so they get what they need to move past the incident. It is when people need help but don’t get it, for whatever reason, that they burn out and that longevity is gone.

Now for the breakdown. Distance—how many people does longevity impact? The way longevity affects more people is through veterans sharing valuable experience and knowledge with newer staff. When you have more and more veterans cutting their careers short, you lose all that experience and knowledge, and the cumulative wisdom of a team is diminished. Penetration—how long will that impact last? The loss of experience and knowledge creates a domino effect because as a team has less and less cumulative wisdom, you’ll have more staff that don’t have a clue what they’re doing or what’s expected of them, which causes morale to go down, which causes more people to leave, more wisdom lost, etc., etc. Ricochet—that domino effect affects everyone. In Law Enforcement and Corrections, when you have less experienced officers on the street and in the block, they are less safe, and the public is less safe.

How do we fix it? A massive paradigm shift has to take place. People in leadership positions must make a conscious effort to do everything in their power to change the culture. They have to lead by example. They must practice servant leadership and make sure their people have everything they need to get the job done. And they have to connect with their staff to ensure they are taking care of themselves mentally, that they’re not burning out.

Go ahead, be in it for the long haul, if you’re able. Be dangerous. But be safe, as well.

Want to support the page but don't know how? Why don't you visit our shop and buy a sticker, a coffee mug or a t-shirt?