You must feed your brain now and then.

Here I am in Santa Claus, Indiana.  It’s really in the middle of nowhere amongst cornfields already harvested but waiting for the rigid, orderly stalks to be removed.  This is the 4^th annual meeting of the Emerson Society Summit.  Bill Westfall, an old friend and training colleague, has again gathered 35 police professionals and budding young up and comers in the public safety field from all corners of the country to this idyllic neighborhood for a weekend of sharing and growing professionally.  As Ralph Waldo Emerson, who used to have these meetings with his closest colleagues, would say, “Tell me, what has become clear to you since we last met?”

This is a rare meeting where everyone can share ideas, new directions, network with other professionals, and maybe ask for help with some new challenge or discuss a heartache of a problem left unsolved.  It’s casual with absolutely no distractions!

Alan Brunacini, retired, longtime Fire Chief of Phoenix, was the featured presenter.  He talked about his opportunity to change the culture of his 2,000-person agency.  The turning point for him was when he realized that “being nice” and consumer-oriented was as important, if not more so, than efficiency and effectiveness in firefighting.  On a sad note, he acknowledged that his agency reverted to its past autocratic ways almost before the door hit him in the ass on his retirement.

A young Connecticut State Trooper who was a lead investigator in the Sandy Hook school shooting made a passionate presentation.  This tragedy forced every law enforcement officer even indirectly involved in this investigation to face personal conflicts.  He strongly made the point that everything anyone did during this investigation was prefaced with the thought, “What impact will this have on the survivors.”  What the police might have thought was important for the investigation was really not that significant when considered against the impact it might have on the surviving family members.  Troopers and police officers were assigned to each family who lost someone in this tragedy.  While this may now become the norm for agencies experiencing this type of tragedy, he cautioned us to ensure that these uniformed men and women need to be prepared for the psychological trauma they themselves will face. 

Pat Gallagher, my old best friend for the past 36 years, forcefully proposed that our police agencies must service two communities – the external one and the community within our agency of our employees.  He and several other presenters stressed the point that we need to reexamine our basic beliefs in what we are in business for.  Are we just law enforcers, or are we guardians of the peace and helpers for those who need our help.  This is a significant cultural change.  Can everyone in your agency define what the culture of your agency is and what direction it’s going?

Pete Sarna, another old friend and longtime retired Captain from the Oakland CA Police Department, harped on the need to seek purpose in what we’re doing.  Are we doing the right thing at the right time?  He lamented the problems perplexing his old agency, but knows it was foreseen and not addressed when it could have been. 

A young trainer from Raleigh Police Department talked about the need for situational training based on learned habits.  He asked that at the conclusion of a field incident how would you answer the question, “Was I good or just lucky?” 

This two-day meeting of aged and new thinkers in law enforcement and public service was reinvigorating for even an old-timer like me.  But it’s something that should be replicated throughout our ranks.  We can never sit contented or rest on today’s successes or our past laurels.  We need to learn from our histories and our shared experiences.  Tomorrow is here and it’s time to build each person’s and each agency’s legacy.  How about yours’?