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19
core, about building relationships, develop-
ing others, and accomplishing organizational
objectives. Without the help of competent,
energetic, and committed followers, it is dif-
ficult and, in some cases, impossible to get
things done. In the end, good leaders realize
that effective leadership is less about ego and
more about others and the organization. This
is why the best law enforcement leaders con-
sistently place the needs of the organization
and the development of others above their
own interests.
Closing
Understanding, recognizing, and guard-
ing against each of these myths is an im-
portant step to becoming a better leader.
However, good leadership requires more
than simply avoiding popular myths. There
is simply no way around it—good leadership
is hard work. The best law enforcement lead-
ers work diligently to earn trust, develop in-
fluence, connect with others, mentor future
leaders, act as role models, and add value
to their organizations, while continuing to
learn, grow, and demonstrate accountability
for their actions. Today, more than ever, of-
ficers, organizations, and communities need
good leaders. Fortunately, leadership can be
learned and leaders can learn to increase their
influence. The challenges facing today’s law
enforcement organizations are too important
to leave to chance. To meet today’s challenges
head on, every officer must accept the chal-
lenge of being the best leader possible, while
law enforcement agencies must continue to
invest in and to develop the next generation
of leaders.
Notes:
1 Robert Hogan, Gordon, J. Curphy, and Joyce Hogan,
“What We Know about Personality: Leadership and
Effectiveness,” American Psychologist 49, no. 6 (1994):
493–504.
2 Gary A. Yukl and Rubina Mahsud, “Why Flexible and
Adaptive Leadership Is Essential,” Consulting Psychology
Journal: Practice and Research 62, no. 2 (2010): 81–93.
3 David L. Bradford and Allan R. Cohen, Influence With-
out Authority (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2005).
4 James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, The Leadership
Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in
Organizations (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2012).
5 For a discussion of the “Great Man” theory, see Ralph
M. Stogdill, Handbook of Leadership: A Survey of Theory
and Research (New York: The Free Press, 1974).
6 John C. Maxwell, The Five Levels 5 Leadership: Proven
Steps to Maximize Your Potential (New York: Center
Street, 2011).
7 Ronald Heifetz, Leadership Without Easy Answers (Cam-
bridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1994), 251.
8 James MacGregor Burns, Leadership (New York: Harper
& Row, 1979).
9 Jim Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies
Make the Leap... and Others Don’t (New York: HarperCol-
lins, 2001).
10 S. Alexander Haslam, Stephen D. Reicher, and Mi-
chael J. Platow, The New Psychology of Leadership: Identity,
Influence, and Power (New York: Psychology Press, 2011).
11 Bernard M. Bass, Bass & Stogdill’s Handbook of Lead-
ership: Theory, Research, & Managerial Applications (New
York: Free Press, 2008).
12 David L. Bradford and Allan R. Cohen, Power Up:
Transforming Organizations Through Shared Leadership
(Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 1998).
13 Jack Welch, Winning (New York: HarperCollins,
2005).
14 John C. Maxwell, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leader-
ship: Follow Them and People Will Follow You (Nashville,
TN: Thomas Nelson, 1998).
15 Stephen J. Zaccaro, Roseanne R. Foti, and David A.
Kenny, “Self-Monitoring and Trait-Based Variance in
Leadership: An Investigation of Leader Flexibility across
Multiple Group Situations,” Journal of Applied Psychology
76, no. 2 (1991): 308–315.
16 John C. Maxwell, How Successful People Lead: Taking Your
Influence to the Next Level (New York: Center Street, 2013).
About the Author: Brian D. Fitch, PhD, is a lieutenant and
a 32-year veteran of the Los Angeles County, California,
Sheriff’s Department. Dr. Fitch holds faculty positions at
California State University, Long Beach, and Southwestern
University School of Law. He possesses a master’s degree in
communication studies and a doctorate in human develop-
ment. He can be reached for comments at
Reprinted from The Police Chief 81 (August 2014 -
online only). Copyright held by the International
Association of Chiefs of Police, Inc., 44 Canal Center
Plaza, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314. Further
reproduction without express permission from IACP is
strictly prohibited.
Ten Leadership Myths Debunked continued from page 18
is creating a paradigm shift in how modern
policing practices can address emerging crime
trends. The results speak for themselves: 68
arrests of career criminals in 34 months. In-
novative uses of GPS technology has allowed
RPD to implement a new community polic-
ing program that will help residents protect
their homes “While You’re Away.”
About the Author: Travis Martinez is currently a police
lieutenant with the Redlands Police Department (RPD)
overseeing the Special Operations Bureau comprised of
Investigations, Narcotics, MET, Air Support, Forensics,
Crime Analysis, Animal Control, Community Policing,
GPS Tracking, and Property/Evidence. During of the fiscal
crisis of 2011 when RPD experienced a 22% decrease in the
number of sworn personnel and the property crime rate was
increasing, Lt. Martinez sought an innovative and afford-
able strategy to address crime trends occurring in the Red-
lands community. Utilizing existing GPS technology al-
ready implemented by financial institutions to protect their
assets, Lt. Martinez began deploying the same GPS technol-
ogy to apprehend those that were driving up the crime rates
in Redlands. Experiencing immediate results with arrests
for crimes such as vehicle burglary, armed robbery, and
commercial burglary, Lt. Martinez focused his California
Command College project on how GPS technology could
be used to address all crime trends and wrote an article on
the Redlands program that was published in the January
2014 edition of the Police Chief Magazine. The facilitators
of Command College selected Lt. Martinez’s project to be
presented at the Command College graduation attended by
several law enforcement executives from across California.
Lt. Martinez holds a Masters Degree in Public Adminis-
tration from California State University San Bernardino
and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administra-
tion from the University of Redlands. He has presented
at several conferences throughout the nation on how to
address crime trends utilizing GPS tracking devices and
taught POST approved classes on the topic in California,
Colorado, Montana, and Minnesota. In addition, he has
conducted webinars on the subject through LA HIDTA.
He oversaw the implementation of the GPS tracking pro-
gram at the Redlands Police Department which has led
to the apprehension of 129 suspects for various types of
crimes including robbery, bike theft, vehicle burglary, resi-
dential burglary, commercial burglary, metal theft, wire
theft, and laptop theft. As a result of the program, RPD
has recovered nearly $200,000 in stolen property includ-
ing two recent cases where detectives were able to locate
over $75,000 in stolen property taken from 11 different
residential burglaries in the Inland Empire. Lt. Martinez
created the “While You’re Away Program” in which Red-
lands citizens can pick up a laptop that has a GPS tracking
device embedded in it and place it on their kitchen table
to help provide the resident with 24/7 electronic stake-out
protection while the resident is away on vacation. The
program was recently highlighted in the February 2014
COPS Community Policing E-Newsletter and is now be-
ing replicated by other police departments throughout the
United States. Throughout his career he has received nu-
merous awards most recently being named the 2012 City
of Redlands Safety Manager of the Year.
cent of the 38 people arrested were on some
form of supervised early release. Six of the sub-
jects had stolen property in their possession
from other thefts. Fourteen of the subjects had
warrants out for their arrest. (Martinez 2013)
These numbers demonstrate that RPD’s arrests
not only solved the current crime, but likely
prevented numerous others by taking recidi-
vists who drive crime rates up off the streets.
Innovative projects such as the GPS
trackers have been solid force multipliers
for RPD and will most certainly serve as an
example for other police agencies. At a time
when many police agencies have been forced
to cutback on proactive measures such as po-
lice surveillances, RPD has figured out a way
to conduct 24/7 surveillance at a cost of $1
a day. As other agencies search for new and
innovative ways to protect the community
and preserve the quality of life at a time when
more and more prisoners are being released
early due to the mandates of prison realign-
ment, the use of the GPS tracking device sys-
tem will no doubt spread throughout the law
enforcement community.
The residents of Redlands can be assured
that RPD is on the cutting edge of providing
innovative policing to their community. RPD
While You’re Away continued from page 11