The Changing Role of Law Enforcement

The Changing Role of Law EnforcementThe Changing Role of Law EnforcementRead nearly any police publication especially those written by and for thepolice and you will no doubt find pages filled with exhortations to embrace the mentality of the warrior. The idea is to encourage officers to be ready to face any challenge in the fight against crime. Visit almost any police academy, and you will hear much of the same. Warriors on the Thin Blue Line We train our police officers to be warriors, to be ready to face any fight and engage nearly any threat. Our officers stand on the thin blue line, ready to protect their community. In truth, that thin blue line is often a battle line we have drawn between law-abiding citizens and the criminals who would harm them. Make no mistake law enforcement is a dangerous job. There is little question that police officers need to be ready to access their inner warrior in an instant. There are some, however, who suggest that the current model of train ing, and indeed culture among police departements, is setting law enforcement up for a collision course with the citizens their officers are sworn to protect. Articles, and even books such as Radley Balkos Rise of the Warrior Cop, have raised concerns for what the perceived militarization of police means for law enforcement and citizens. Public Scrutiny of Police Practices Throughout the modern history of policing, the relationship between law enforcement and the public they serve has often been tenuous. When the concept of a uniformed police force was first championed by Sir Robert Peel in London in the early 1800s, he was honigwein with much resistance due to fears of what would essentially be a standing army within the city comparisons were made to police as a government-sanctioned occupying force. The problem of how to enforce laws while preserving rights is bedrngnis at all new. Public scrutiny of police officers and police departments is ever-increasing, and technology is only making that scrutiny easier. Officers have long been held to a high ethical standard, and so much more so now. Even the Rodney King tragedy in the early 1990s was a seemingly singular event due to the limited media outlets and relative cumbersome recording methods available at the time. Flash forward to the Age of the Internet and instant access to everythingand anyone with a smartphone can easily and instantly expose any officer misconduct or the perception thereof to thousands, if not millions of people. And there are plenty of people who think nothing of purposefully goading officers and pushing the envelope as far as they can while remaining within their rights, all for the purpose of exposing the ignorance of police with regards to the very laws they are supposed to enforce and the rights they are sworn to uphold. More unsettling is that research by George Washington University Professor of Sociology Ronald Weitzer, among others, indicates that the publics trust in law e nforcement is significantly and negatively impacted when high-profile incidents of police misconduct are publicized. With more and more opportunities to document police acting poorly, the need is more apparent than ever to ensure officers do the right thing for the right reasons at all times, lest the public trust in the police is diminished to the point where officers can no longer perform their jobs. Eroding Trust, Eroding Effectiveness Unfortunately, all too often officers do not help themselves in such instances. Rather than showing measured, thoughtful and niveauvoll responses, officers (at least the ones who are made famous on YouTube) view any challenge to their authority as a threat that must be subdued or eliminated. This bravado is getting both citizens, and officers hurt and only serves to diminish the public trust in law enforcement further. Peelian Principles Mistrust of the police is nothing new. In the beginnings of the modern police force, Peel and others off ered guidelines for police, noting the importance of their relationship to the community. These guiding principles, popularly known as the Peelian Principles, are concepts that the public demands still today. According to Peel The police force exists to maintain order and prevent crime.The approval and trust of the public are vital for police to carry out their mission.A police forces ultimate goal is to achieve voluntary compliance with the law from the public they serve.Police officers and departments must both adhere to the law and be unwavering in its enforcement they should refrain from being swayed by public opinion but instead be concerned with promoting and doing what is always right.Uses of force and control are the brde resort, not the first reaction. Other means of persuasion should be exhausted before force is used. Officers are civilians too, and members of their communities they come from, are a part of, and are answerable to the communities they serve.The effectiven ess of any police agency should not be measured by the number of arrests made or by the actions of other law enforcement, but by the absence of crime and delinquent behaviors in the community. The Jaded Warrior Police departments around the world still espouse these principles in their slogans and their mission statements. It does not take long, however, for new officers to begin to see themselves as set apart from, rather than a part of, their communities. Officers and even police recruits can very quickly and easily become jaded through their regular contact with criminals and neer-do-wells. When this occurs, that warrior mindset that serves so well to protect the officer on the job can very quickly drive a wedge between the police and their citizens. Guardians of Democracy Back to Basics Thats where the concept of Guardian Policing comes in. In a sense, its a return to those original Peelian Principles. The idea is to teach officers to view themselves not as soldiers in a war on crime but as guardians appointed to protect and uphold rights. To some, it may be a difference without distinction. In practice, though, it means smarter police officers who demonstrate a strength of mind, will, and character first, and brawn or force second and only then when absolutely necessary. Championed by the Blue Courage the Heart and Mind of the Guardian organization and law enforcement leaders like former King County Sheriff Sue Rahr, Executive Director of the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, the guardian concept teaches recruits to employ critical thinking, empathy, and common sense in their interactions with everyday citizens and suspected criminals alike. The training concept has been implemented in the states of Washington and Arizona so far, and while the results have yet to be seen, the hopes are high. High Hopes for the Future of Policing Those hopes are that if officers view themselves as guardians and protectors of the people - a ll people - and their rights, they will treat each and every person they encounter with respect and dignity. In turn, when people - even criminals - feel they are treated respectfully and fairly, given a aussicht to express themselves and interact peacefully with the officers, then officer complaints, uses of force, and injuries to both officers and subjects will decrease.

Job Search Tips from Job Central

Job Search Tips from Job CentralJob Search Tips from Job CentralTips to approach your job search with a mobile-first lens.As many of you know, I normally provide job-search advice through my weekly column on The Career Chronicles, and on Twitter and Facebook. So its always a great privilege when I get the chance meet professionals and answer their questions in person.Thank you to everyone who braved the crowds and made it into Job Central. For those who were unable to get in or may have missed one of the presentations, please visit www.theladders.com/jobcentral to gain access to the presentation materials.Ive also included a few key takeaways from my presentations hyperlinked with relevant articles to help you find that right job, soonerAs a job seeker, you are in the business of marketing a product yourself. Clarify your job goals, and then build a personal branding campaign around them. Craft a resume that not only impresses the hiring manager, but is koranvers to make it past th e electronic gatekeeper.Clean up your online presence and utilize social media to build an online brand that supports your job goals by highlighting your relevant work experience, skill sets, accomplishments and professional memberships.Dont rely on any one way to find job leads. Recruiters are only one of many sources you can use to learn about jobs. Try utilizing social media channels, online job boards and your network to discover both published and hidden opportunities in the market.Take advantage of every opportunity you have to network. Whether youre waiting in line to order a Starbucks or youre in a plane stuck on the tarmac, strike up a conversation with the person next to you. That stranger could be a valuable resource for your search.Interviewing is a three-step process. How you prepare and what you do afterwards is just as important as what happens when youre sitting in the interview room pitching your skills.With all the advances in technology, the recruiting process has become mora mobile. Always approach your search with a mobile-first lens to find the most leads and stay ahead of the competition. I wish each and every one of you the best of luck with your search and look forward to providing you with more job-search tips each week

7 ways to not feel so overwhelmed all the time

7 ways to not feel so overwhelmed all the time7 ways to not feel so overwhelmed all the timeFeeling overwhelmed? Are you constantly running from thing to thing but never getting it all done?When researchers survey people, they say theyre too busy - about everything.Too busy to make friends, date, sleep, have sex, to go on vacation or to even have lunch.Via Overwhelmed Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the TimeIn surveys, people say theyre too busy to make friends outside the amtsstube, too busy to date, too busy to sleep, and too busy to have sex. Eight in ten Britons report being too busy to eat dessert, even though four in ten say dessert is better than sex. Were in such a rush that the typical sound bite for a presidential candidate has been compressed from forty seconds in 1968 to 7.3 seconds in 2000. Remember those unused vacation days? People say theyre too busy to take a vacation and too busy for a lunch break.The average high school kid today experiences the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient of the 1950s.And being this busy isnt healthy - in fact, neuroscientists have found it shrinks your brain.ViaOverwhelmed Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Timethe prefrontal cortex. It is the key to human intelligence. In its size and complexity, it is, in short, what distinguishes humans from animals and makes us who we are. And, Ansell says, what she and other neuroscientists are finding is that when a human feels pressed for time, rushed and caught up in the overwhelm, that yellow blob does something alarming It shrinks.How did we get here? How did this happen?I have an answer but its going to surprise you and might even make you angryIts all an illusion. You have mora free time than you ever did.Do I sound insane? Keep reading.Youre not busy. You just feelbusy.John Robinson is the leading sociologist who studies time use. His colleagues call him Father Time.Looking at time diary studies he shows that globally we all have more l eisure time than ever.ViaOverwhelmed Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the TimeHe insists that although most Americans feel theyre working harder than ever, they arent. The time diaries he studies show that average hours on the job, not only in the United States but also around the globe, have actually been holding steady or going down in the last forty years. Everybody, he says, has more time for leisure.So why do we feel like were overwhelmed even though were not? Partly, its because our time is so fragmented.Switching between checking email, making dinner, watching TV and finishing that report is more mentally draining than doing one at a time.ViaOverwhelmed Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the TimeIts role overload, she explains. Its the constant switching from one role to the next that creates that feeling of time pressure. When all youre expected to do is work all day, you work all day in one long stretch, she says. But the days of the mothers she studied were full of s tarts and stops, which makes time feel more collapsed.Multitasking is killing us.And the best part?Multitasking doesnt even work. It makes us less efficient even though we feel were getting more done.In fact, it makes you dumber - effectively stupider than being drunk or stoned.ViaOverwhelmed Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the TimeNo two tasks done simultaneously, studies have shown, can be done with 100 percent of ones ability. Driving while talking on the cell phone slows reaction times and awareness to the same degree that driving over the legal alcohol limit does. And the distractions from too many things going on at once hamper the brains spam filter and the ability to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information. Or, as one British study found, multitasking makes you stupid- dumber than getting stoned.Ed Hallowell, former professor at Harvard Medical School and bestselling author of Driven to Distraction,says we have culturally generated ADD.Via CrazyBusy Ov erstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap Strategies for umgang Your Fast- Paced LifeHaving treated ADD since 1981, I began to see an upsurge in the mid-1990s in the number of people who complained of being chronically inattentive, disorganized, and overbooked. Many came to me wondering if they had ADD. While some did, most did not. Instead, they had what I called a severe case of modern life.Why do we do this to ourselves? In recent years being busy has become a status symbol.When you ask anyone what theyve been up to, whats always the first word? Busy.ViaOverwhelmed Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the TimePsychologists write of treating burned-out clients who cant shake the notion that the busier you are, the more you are thought of as competent, smart, successful, admired, and even envied.So what can we do about it? Here are seven things experts recommend1. Write it all downWhats the first step toward killing that overwhelmed feeling?Do a brain dump and write everything dow n thats on your mind. Writing reduces worry and organizes your thoughts.ViaOverwhelmed Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the TimeRight now, you need to free up all this energy thats being consumed by worry. She told me to take out a piece of paper, set a timer for five minutes, and write furiously about absolutely everything that was bugging meIf your to-do list lives on paper, your brain doesnt have to expend energy to keep remembering it, Monaghan said.More on the power of a notebook here.2. Prioritize or dieRepeat after meyou cannot get it all done. And some things are more important than others.So you need to prioritize or you will have a clean garage but get fired from your job.Decide what is important and do that first. Otherwise you may never get towhat really matters.ViaCrazyBusy Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap Strategies for Handling Your Fast- Paced LifeAt the heart of making the most of life today is the ability to treasure and protect your connections to what you care most about people, places, activities, pets, a spiritual connection, a piece of music, even objects that are dear to you. But you must not have too many connections or none will flourish. Pick the ones that matter most to you and nourish them religiously make that your top priority in life, and you cant go wrong.More on the power of work/life balance here.3. Make things automaticThings that are habitual dont tax yourwillpower. The more activities you make into habits, the less overwhelmed they will make you feel.Build routines and habits so that youre not deciding, youre just doing.The secret to getting more done is tomake things automatic.Decisons exhaust youThe counterintuitive secret to getting things done is to make them more automatic, so they require less energy.More on how to build great habits here.4. Work like an athleteWe were not designed to go 24/7. We were designed to sprint, rest, sprint - just like an athlete.You sleep in cycles and your mind naturally works in cycles. Alternate hard work with breaks to be at your best.ViaOverwhelmed Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the TimeWe ignore the signs of fatigue, boredom, and distraction and just power through. But were hardly doing our best work. Weve lost touch with the value of rest, renewal, recovery, quiet time, and downtime, Schwartz told me. Its hardly a wonder, then, with the pressure of long hours, putting in face time, and the constant interruptions of the modern workplace, less than 10 percent of workers say they do their best thinking at work.More on working like an athlete here.5. Switch to singletaskingForget multitasking. Thats what causes the feelings of burnout and its not effective.Discover what your peak hours are and protect them.Focus on the most important thing of the day. No interruptions, email or calls.ViaOverwhelmed Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the TimeTerry Monaghan sought to train me to work in pulses. The idea was to chunk my time to minimize the c onstant multitasking, role switching, and toggling back and forth between work and home stuff like a brainless flea on a hot stove. The goal was to create periods of uninterrupted time to concentrate on work- the kind of time I usually found in the middle of the night- during the day.More on how to use your best hours here.6. Live in OHIONot the state. Its an acronym Only Handle It Once.That email youve opened sixty times today, unsure of what to do with it? Stop it.Make a decision. Reply, trash it or set a time to properly deal with it.Revisiting unimportant things over and over is a huge time and energy thief.ViaCrazyBusy Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap Strategies for Handling Your Fast- Paced LifeOHIO only handle it once. When it comes to a document or journal or any concrete item, try your best to 1) respond to it right away, 2) put it in a labeled file, not a pile, or 3) throw it away. In the majority of instances, choice 3 is the best.More on how to be efficient with the onslaught of email here.7. Have leisure goalsIronic, right? fruchtwein of us think about leisure as doing nothing. But thats a dangerous way to view it.Research shows were happier when we accomplish things (playing tennis with a friend vs. flipping TV channels.)And given our habits, were prone to start checking email and firing up the usual 17 things we multitask on.So set a goal for leisure. When you have a fun thing to accomplish, you can singletask on relaxing.ViaOverwhelmed Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the TimeRoger Mannell, a psychologist at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, has directed perhaps the only lab studies of leisure time. His research has found that when people have a sense of choice and control over what they do with their free time, they are more likely to get into flow, that engrossing and timeless state that some call peak human experience. Part of the problem with leisure is that people arent quite sure what they really want. They dont kno w what leisure time is for them, Mannell said. And they never slow down long enough to figure it out.More on how to make your free time more awesome here.Sum upJust because the other people at the office are overscheduled and the other parents are doing 1000 things doesnt mean you need to.We all only have 1440 minutes a day. Accept you cant do it all, focus on whats important and do that well.Were all jealous of the people who arecalm and cool under pressure. Be that person.Next time someone asks how youre doing, dont talk about how busy you are. Dont get sucked into thinking busy means important.Busy doesnt make you important. Doing the important things you need to do makes you important.Join 45K+ readers.Get a free weekly update via emailhere.Related postsHow To Achieve Work-Life Balance In 5 StepsTime Management Skills Are Stupid. Heres What Works.What 10 things should you do every day to improve your life?This article originally appeared at Barking Up the Wrong Tree.