Importance of first line supervisory training
In the criminal justice system, the first line supervisors are the ones who are in charge of ensuring that the agencies policies and procedures are being followed by their subordinates working on fields. The first line supervisors are also called the sergeants who are the first line commanders of the officers working on the ground. They are considered to be the middle man between the staff and management. Training of the first line supervisors is extremely important because they are responsible for assisting and guiding other officers in any given situation so as to protect the agency, public and their subordinates (Miller, 2014).
Communication skills
First line supervisor is required to have excellent communication skills. The reason is stemmed from the fact that they communicate a lot with the staff, public and the management team (Miller, 2014). Therefore, they need to have skills that will enable them to articulate their opinions correctly.
Report writing skills
The supervisors are the ones in charge of writing and approving reports. Therefore, it means that they are obligated to have the knowledge and skills of how to write a good report (Miller, 2014). This fact will enable them to help their subordinates to write good reports about the work they have done.
Understanding the agencies missions and goals
The missions and goals of the law enforcement agency have to be at the fingertips of the first line supervisors (Stojkovic, Kalinich, and Klofas, 2014). This fact will enable them to conduct and reinforce the agencies objectives without problems. They can also teach their subordinates about the goals and missions of the organization.
Administering discipline
Training of the supervisor will enable them to understand that it is their duty to administer discipline in the agency (Stojkovic, Kalinich, and Klofas, 2014). This job proves to be hard because it entails confronting their subordinates including their friends whenever they have made a mistake. Therefore, this line of work can cause them to have enemies in the force.
Do you agree with the manner in which Sergeant Rick handled this situation?
I do not agree with the way in which Sergeant Rick handled the situation. No matter what situation a person faces it is important that they follow the rules and policies of the workplace. In Rick’s case, many circumstances led him to do what he did. In the beginning, it could be observed that he tried doing the right thing by disciplining his friend for breaking the rules (Stojkovic, Kalinich, and Klofas, 2014). His change of attitude and behavior began when the supervisor Lieutenant Murray reprimanded him for doing the right thing. The lieutenant’s attitude changed him to the point where he started looking the other way whenever an officer breaks the policies. It can be stated that these kinds of behaviors would not occur if both Rick and his supervisor had been properly trained on how to handle these types of situations.
How would you handle the situation?
If I were in a similar situation as Sergeant Rick, then I would have handled the situation differently. Training has taught me to be able to handle any situation that comes my way (Miller, 2014). In Rick’s case, he faced harassment from his lieutenant for following the agencies policies; therefore, he changed his attitude in the workplace (Stojkovic, Kalinich, and Klofas, 2014). If this were my case, I would not change my behavior in order to please the supervisor. I will continue to uphold my duties in the agency with dignity and pride. If the supervisor continues to harass me for doing so, I will report him. Hopefully after reporting him, he will be able to change his behavior. However, if he continues to harass me, then I will be forced to ask for transfer to another agency.
Reference
Miller, H. W. (2014). Effective Police Supervision. New York: Routledge, p.270.
Stojkovic, S., Kalinich, D. and Klofas, J. (2014). Criminal Justice Organizations: Administration and Management. Cengage Learning.
