Police Dynamics - Power for Effective Law Enforcement

Meetings recognize staff for character
by NITA BIRMINGHAM
Of The Post and Courier Staff

At first glance, the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office character briefings are just like staff meetings held at businesses across the country.

Fresh, hot coffee and cups are on a table outside County Council chambers in Summerville where department-wide briefings are held for two consecutive months. Then, training is done on the division level each third month.

Employees wander in just before 9 a.m., sign a sheet at the back of the room and pick up a handout. They get a 16-page booklet about a character quality. In February, it was wisdom, illustrated by an owl on the front of the book.

Character briefings begin with employees being recognized for exhibiting good character. Nash said he believes it is more important to praise someone for their character than their achievement, a point he stresses in his "Police Dynamics" videos.

A civilian employee who processes warrants was recognized at a February briefing for the quality of compassion. Linda Nino mentors a second-grade student to help raise the child's reading level, Nash told the group. He noted that the student, whose father is absent, "needs to know she has a safe harbor of love and encouragement. ... Linda, you are that safe harbor every week. Thank you for having a life-changing impact."

Nino received a certificate, a key chain and a round of applause from her peers before sitting down.

Major Mike Turner stepped to the lectern for the presentation about wisdom, prodding audience involvement when no one immediately answered his opening question, "What pops in your mind when you hear the word wisdom? Someone?"

One deputy quipped that an owl is associated with wisdom "because it's on the front of the book."

Turner talked about wisdom in several different contexts and included a well-known Biblical story of King Solomon. It was the only Biblical reference in the presentation. Turner also talked about the wisdom of George Washington.

Turner encouraged his peers to "step back" and look at a situation before acting, something applicable in everyday life. His presentation lasted about five minutes and was followed by a short videotape about wisdom.

"The owl has very big eyes, big ears and a very small mouth," a female voice said on the tape as a drawing of an owl flashed onscreen and the camera zoomed in on the eyes, ears and mouth. "We could learn a lesson from that," the narrator continued, to laughter from the audience.

Employees politely watched the character video but came alive as they watched a second tape that featured behavioral scientist and former law enforcement officer Kevin Gilmartin, who talked about the difficulty law enforcement officers sometimes have making the transition from their professional to personal lives. Deputies laughed and nodded their heads in agreement as Gilmartin described the "magic chair," the recliner or sofa where an officer takes refuge when he gets off duty.

A little blue language Gilmartin used in the video prompted Nash to publicly apologize to a woman who brought her little girl to the briefing. Employees are encouraged to bring their families to the department-wide sessions.

The remainder of the meeting was devoted to department issues, such as an employee survey and this year's "theme" for the sheriff's office, "Stepping Up to the Next Level." Nash tied the theme into the monthly character quality.

"One of the principles of wisdom we talked about was seeking input," Nash said, encouraging employees as they filled out the surveys to think about what can be done to take their unit of the sheriff's office to the next level.