Associate Magazine FBINAA Q2-2023

Continued from "Recruiting the Unrecruited", on page 12

In addition, once it is established that departmental recruit ment efforts are enhanced and inclusive of all, there may be criti cism and sometimes anger. Leaders should not allow their efforts to be critiqued, mocked, or labelled. Any hint of dissention of what has been mandated must be immediately addressed and eradicated. As leaders we must encourage advancement of those in the lower ranks who may one day be in charge. If we leave the organization no better than how it was when we began, we have failed the agency and the community. Recruitment is a departmental effort. Anyone who wears a uniform or even works for the police department is an inherent recruiter. It is incumbent upon all of us to recruit the best quali fied person for positions that need to be filled. Leaders have the additional responsibility of examining the agency’s personnel needs to ensure the right fit. Again, I am not saying fill a posi tion with a minority just to check a box. The applicant or recruit should be able to stand toe-to-toe against anyone else in the agency. The plan of action will include the following for success. • Recruitment will be strategic and intentional. Follow up will be done with all applicants. Career path and succession planning will be a part of the organization’s culture to cultivate future leaders and leadership staff will reflect all represented in the ranks. • Taking organizational temperature checks will not allow resentment, and gossip to fester and infect the organization. Leaders will lead from the front and will not be afraid to make difficult and unpopular decisions that will help the organization as a whole and long term. Many are resistant to any type of change and do not see the benefit until forced to do so. • Organizational leaders will recognize if there is a lack of diversity and work to create it. Unfortunately, many leaders do not recognize the issue even when confronted with it. They do nothing to fix the problem they cannot see, thus beginning their demise. Leaders will develop recruitment teams with the specific mission in mind and defined. Members of the team will be vetted to ensure they are on board and understand the assignment. • The recruitment team will be visiting specific venues, organizations or institutions which will ensure the team will garner the type of applicant they are looking for. They will establish relationships with these organizations to ensure constant communication. The intention of these relationships is to hopefully ensure that you are the first person they call when they have a potential and suitable applicant. • Leaders will address any diversion from the recruitment efforts, labelling of recruits (i.e., the affirmative action group etc.,) and dispel any rumors. • Leaders will follow up with new hires and establish a system that will monitor their progress or lack thereof. If the applicant is successful encouragement to promote up or laterally will be a common thread in the organization. • Agencies will establish a mentorship program or something similar. This connects people of like-mindedness and can ensure the success of the new hire. The mentor ship program can be organized but organic relationships that develop on their own should also be encouraged. Your match for someone might not be their match. • Agencies will encourage additional training, leadership

Neighborhood churches that are located in minority neighborhoods are also great sources of personnel. Every pastor knows which members are away in college or who has a child in college. Church leaders can connect your recruiters with their parishioners. An Urban League is in many major cities. This organization has been around for hundreds of years and was established to enable economic self-reliance, parity and power and civil rights. Agencies can contact specific fraternities and sororities to solicit their members. The Black community, for instance, has the Divine 9, a group of sororities and fraternities of primarily Black members, full of potential candidates. Once your agency has recruited the person the recruit will be paired with a mentor who will help with their hiring ques tions or any difficulties. All recruits regardless of race, creed, or national origin can use this service. The mentor will be vetted to ensure they fully understand the mission. Recruits should know they are in a welcoming environment to train them, include them in their decision making or at least consider them. They should know we will offer aid and support them retirement. Terminations and disciplinary action will be fair, and performance based. Agencies must ensure all applicants are tracked to follow up on successes and failures. Those deficiencies that can be cor rected should be addressed and those that cannot be dealt with accordingly and fairly. After completing the Field Training Program, officers will continue to train and learn, and we should continue to monitor their progress. Leaders should remember they are not above having a general and casual conversation with new hires to figure out their goals. These conversations do not have to be official-a chance passing in a hallway or parking lot for 4-5 min utes can prove beneficial. We must encourage open and honest dialogue, allowing leaders to stay abreast of current happenings. Leaders must promote growth within the ranks of their members. We should encourage additional training, leadership classes and leadership positions to those we lead. Many officers begin to rely on overtime and adapt the attitude they can make more in overtime than they can getting promoted this mindset must be debunked. Everyone, and specifically those non-repre sented within the ranks, should be encouraged to promote up to have a voice in decision making. Another argument that I have heard is those who will be promoted have already been pre determined and that studying and going through long, stressful and time-consuming, promotional processes is not worth it. Yet the very same departmental members complain when their, race, sex, etc. is not represented within the leadership ranks. We have a responsibility and must continually encourage and sup port those with leadership potential. Recruiting those who have not traditionally been a part of the profession can prove difficult. Leaders must understand the history that after being denied and mistreated by law enforce ment for hundreds of years there is some reluctance to join. I have often received resistance when attempting to recruit, hear ing that they do not want to be a part of the system. I respond by telling them that if they are not part of the solution, they may be part of the problem. They might be that sole officer who can understand the background of a youth in trouble and can steer them in the right direction.

classes, and the ability to step into leadership roles. Programs such as being a Field Training Officer (FTO), corporal, and continued on page 35

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