All posts by : unchainedleadership

Politics is an ugly game and the truth is hard to come by from any particular party. Words and statistics are skewed by all to suit their intended message. One party is claiming that the crime stats are down and the other will tell you they’re out of control. Who do you believe? You have to believe your own eyes and ask yourself if you actually feel safe…especially in larger metropolitan areas. Can crime rates be lower, yet crime itself be out of control? The short answer is yes, and the following blog will explain how.

The law enforcement “system” consists of more than just the police. They are but one piece of that pie that includes prosecutors and judges as well. All must work in harmony to have an effective system, which catches, prosecutes, and eventually sentences those accused of crimes. This system is designed to punish offenders and discourage others from committing crimes. Unfortunately, the one group that you hear about the most is the police. They are on the front lines, the front pages of newspapers, and they are quick to be condemned and persecuted if they do something wrong.

Why are crime statistics down in some areas of the country? One reason is people have simply stopped reporting crimes. They believe, and often correctly, that the police won’t do much anyways. Another reason is the police have been demonized by the press and politicians, so finding qualified and willing applicants has become a struggle. Why face constant danger and scrutiny for pay that slightly outpaces a fast food worker? (No offense to fast food workers) Police officers, as a rule, have become less proactive because being so only raises the odds that they will in fact be scrutinized. They also lack the backing and support of their local agencies and governments, so what is their incentive to push the envelope, if you will. They get paid the same if they’re risking their lives, or sitting a parking lot reading a book. I was a police officer for thirty years, so while not an expert, I can intelligently speak on the subject. Don’t get me wrong, there are some hard charging officers out there who give it their all, but the percentage that do are dwindling. I felt like I was making a difference when I enforced the law. That feeling is NOT prevalent in today’s society.

The police make arrests and the prosecutors are tasked with either offering plea deals to the defendants, or taking their case to trial. I would challenge you to find out how many cases actually go to trial in your area. I dare say damn few. Prosecutors in many jurisdictions seem hell bent on dismissing or reducing criminal charges instead of putting bad people in jail. There are actually states that have enacted “No Bail” laws, so no bail money is needed to get out of jail. A person could literally rob a bank and be out of jail in hours…to go rob another one. That is quite an incentive to change their behavior…NOT.

If the police do something wrong, they should be held accountable. Having said that, prosectors must do their job as well and actually prosecute. Why do police officers not take action when they can and often should? Because in many areas they know that the case will be dropped or the charges reduced before they complete their report. How can a suspect be out of jail on ten or even twenty sets of bail conditions? Ask a prosecutor or judge. When the police fail to be proactive for the reasons I provided, it will appear as though crime is down. When prosecutors dismiss cases or reduce them for no good reason, it will appear as though crime is down. When someone is victimized by a person who should be locked up, but is free to roam the streets after violating their bail ten times…then is will appear that crime is up.

The criminal justice system is not perfect, but it is one of the best in the world. It doesn’t need to be fixed, it just needs to operate as it was designed. The police investigate and make arrests, the prosecutors work with the police to determine a fair an equitable resolution to a case, and the judges sentence appropriately. We need to put more stock in how crime impacts the victim rather than how incarceration will impact the offender.

Are the crime rates up or down? Do the numbers really matter? The question is do you feel safe? If you have doubts, I would encourage you to take a walk around Deering Oaks in Portland, Maine with your family at any time of the day or night and get back to me!

The holiday season is here and this is a time to enjoy family and friends…while being grateful for all that we have. We all lead different lives and our experiences teach us to be grateful for different things for different reasons. While we appreciate the blessings that we may have, it is also important to remember that not everybody is as blessed and cheerful as we are.

December 24th, 1987, I was a rookie patrol officer fresh out of the police academy. This was well before new recruits worked with a training officer for months prior to venturing out on their own. My field training consisted of a ride up and down Main Street with a supervisor and he handed me the keys and wished me well! I enjoyed the trial by fire aspect of the job and I wasn’t too worried. What could go wrong?

I was dispatched to a very nice area of the city where I was asked to check the well-being of a female who had hung up on a relative during a phone call. She didn’t answer when the relative called her back. I knocked on the front door, but nobody responded or came to the door. I assumed the female had left the house or perhaps simply went to bed as it was quite late. I walked back towards my cruiser, but something made me stop. No, I have no idea what it was that made me walk back to that door and climb up on the railing, so I could peak through the small window at the top of the door.

I saw her lying motionless on the floor. I didn’t panic, but I had no idea what to do. I was a rookie and this wasn’t a scenario I ran through at the academy. I tried to kick the door in, but I couldn’t get the leverage needed to force it open. I ran around the house looking for another way in, and I noticed that a window out back was broken and that made my mind race!!! Had someone shot this poor woman? Was she dead on the floor?

My backup arrived quickly (thankfully) and we managed to get inside the house. The young woman was alive and breathing, but we soon realized that she attempted to take her own life by overdosing on pills and alcohol. The window was broken when she threw an iron through it before she lost consciousness. She was all alone on Christmas Eve and the loneliness and despair was too much for her to deal with. She survived and hopefully went on to live a happy and lengthy life, but that was one of many incidents throughout my 30 year career in law enforcement that reminded me how the holidays are not a blessing to everyone. I grew to appreciate the little things in life and still do. While I encourage you to be thankful for what you do have…I recommend that you to be mindful of what so many others may not have. Give if you can because generosity matters. A simple smile or thank you can be the difference between a stranger having a good day, or a bad one. Try to be the light in darkness.

The biggest lesson I learned from what I witnessed that first Christmas Eve “on the job” came from my father. I told him about what happened the following day and being a career firefighter, he certainly saw things that I couldn’t even image. He could probably tell that I was a bit shaken by the fact that a young woman would actually try to end her life on Christmas Eve. His reasoned and completely accurate response was fitting and true…He said, “Don’t worry, you’ll see a lot worse”. I sure did dad, I sure did!

Tis the Season to be merry and bright. Enjoy every moment while trying to bring joy to others when given the opportunity. Why a picture of Maisie? How can you not smile and feel good when you see that face? Merry Christmas to one and all.

I have fond memories of being young and feeling invincible. Those days are well behind me now, but I have learned to accept that fact. I wouldn’t trade the scars, or the aches and pains for the experiences I’ve accumulated to earn them. Time stops for no man or woman and I am no exception to that rule. I am not “old” by any means, but the physical feats that came easily in the past have managed to abandon me. I may not be able to run like I used to, but I can still walk. I can’t lift heavy items, but I can still lift smaller items…several times!

The further into this thing called life we’re into, the more we tend to look back. We think about what we’ve done right and what we’ve done wrong. We remember what we have learned and how we managed to learn it. Mesh together our failures and our successes and we should gather wisdom. I didn’t say we gather intelligence, simply wisdom. We become “wiser” as we age. We hopefully use better judgment and rely on our experiences, so we don’t make the same mistakes that we did when we were younger. Life itself is a risk and living it is the reward.

My wife and I recently drove from Maine to Florida and we stopped in Virginia to spend some time with friends. Al and Carolyn are a bit older than we are and they have been through unimaginable experiences throughout their 66 years of marriage. It was fascinating to hear them speak and finish each other’s sentences. Oh, the stories they could tell! Their minds are sharp, but their bodies are starting to feel the effects of long lives well lived. I could tell you what they have endured individually and together, but the importance of that may come into play in a future blog. You need only know that they are good people, wise people, and experienced people.

As we were saying our goodbyes, I asked them both the same question…”Would you prefer to be young again or have the wisdom that you have now?” Carolyn spoke without hesitation and responded by saying, “Wisdom”. They were both very comfortable with their age and where they were in life’s journey. They are a testament to living life to its fullest, leaving it all on the field, and making memories instead of excuses. Sure, they’d like to feel young again, but they wouldn’t change a thing about their journey that led them to their destination, which is living the heck out of today. If we do things right, we appreciate our wisdom while thanking our youth for allowing us to obtain it. If we do things smart, we attempt to pass along our wisdom to the youth who will hopefully accept and absorb it. Done properly, neither youth or wisdom are wasted!

Leadership is not a complicated premise, but certain attributes should be present if a leader is what you aspire to be. I have loosely defined leadership in previous blogs, but as a refresher…leadership is essentially guiding a group of people towards a defined goal. Pretty simple when you think about it, but we all know that there are good leaders as well as bad ones.

I like to break down my leadership beliefs into three catagories, Opportunity, Purpose, and Vision. Opportunity is something that can be given, but it is not always seized upon. Good leaders empower those around them and provide them with opportunities to succeed, learn, and ultimately lead on their own. It boils down to having faith in the other people trying to achieve that defined goal. It could be a work project, a team sport, or facing any challenge that needs to be overcome. Opportunity is a foundational bedrock of most things that we do in life. Some of them come to us by chance or luck, but a leader intentionally provides them. Some people are happy with the status quo, but others want to face the roadblocks and challenge themselves. Failure can be defined as the absence of trying…so give people the chance to try!!!

The leaders that are revered and often imitated not only explain the purpose of the goal, they provide those around them with a purpose to succeed. They allow people to think outside of the box, to feel important and worthy, and they stress how important they are to the team. We need to remember that the little things matter!!! Feeling appreciated and needed is so very important to us as humans. Your co-workers or teammates want to be seen and heard. Acknowledging their efforts goes a long ways towards reinforcing that feeling. I always used to introduce my co-workers as just that during meetings. There is a big difference between saying, “This is Joe, he works for me” and “This is Joe, he works with me”. It is a subtle difference, but so important in the long run. Little things such as this inspire loyalty, dedication, and hard work.

How can a goal be realized without a solid vision and path? Good leaders learn to work smarter and not harder. They clearly lay out their vision of where the team needs to go, and how they plan on getting there. Ideas should be welcome from all stakeholders, but the vision should be consistent and easy to understand. Most will not recognize the man in the photo included here, but that man was Jeremiah Denton. He was a senior ranking prisoner of war in Vietnam. He was subjected to torture and interrogation regularly during his almost 8 years as a POW. Denton laid out his vision for his fellow prisoner’s of war and it was simple yet succinct…Return With Honor. That was not an easy task, but his leadership, and that of others held in Hanoi allowed that exact thing to occur. When Denton was interviewed by a reporter while being held as a POW, he actually used Morse Code to blink the word TORTURE during the interview. It cost him personally, but he always put WE before ME as great leaders do.

Leadership is not complicated, but I also believe it is a dying breed in today’s society. Put your people and teammates first and they will rise to the occasion for you. Don’t look for recognition, but share it with others. Put some effort into absorbing the pain and sharing the glory and you’ll be surprised what is possible. Anything is within reach when you provide opportunity, purpose, and a vision that is easily understood and clear. So you want to be a leader…work at it. Always remember that your greatest assets are to your left and right, not looking back at you in a mirror.

There is little doubt that the world is becoming a more dangerous place and there are several factors that impact the crime rates. The revolving door justice system allows criminals, including violent ones, to walk right out of jail following their arrest because of low or even no-bail policies that have been adopted across the country. Personal responsibility and accountability are becoming a thing of the past. When there are no consequences for bad actions, there is no reason to change your behavior…this is sort of a common sense realization.

Another factor that is not considered enough is the staffing and productivity of law enforcement. Police have been vilified in recent years and that has led to a serious recruitment and retention issue nationwide. When there are not enough officers, that means that the officers who are working are forced to work too many hours. That effects their safety and yours! Combine that fact with the previously noted revolving door policies and many who serve and protect are asking themselves why they are in the profession? All of these issues are interconnected, but they also impact all of us who simply want to keep ourselves and our families safe and free from crime. Note: I put a photo of Maisie on this blog because the post itself is a bit dark, but Maisie brings light into every situation. 🙂

The “Broken window theory” of law enforcement stresses the need to prosecute those who commit minor crimes such as vandalism, public drinking, or graffiti in order to discourage the commission of future crimes…while creating an atmosphere of law and order. In other words, go after the smaller crimes to prevent the more serious ones from happening. This theory has not only been forgotten, there are now open-air drug markets consuming our cities and most crimes goes unpunished or they even fail to get investigated. This is a societal problem that few of us have the power to reverse or correct.

Police response times have been reduced considerably because more crimes are being committed, but there are fewer officers out there to respond to the calls for service. If you have had to call the police for any reason, you will agree with what I am saying. This blog is not designed to lay blame with anyone. I fully support law enforcement and always will. I believe there are some fantastic prosecutors out there who want to bring justice to the victims, but their hands are tied by evolving policies and political mandates. Change will only occur at the ballot box, but in the meantime…how can you keep yourself and your loved ones safe?

I sent my kids off to college and I sent them off with a sense of reality…not fear. They needed to know that there are really bad people in the world who care nothing about them, but would not hesitate victimizing them. I believe that following these rules greatly enhance your ability to stay safe. I encourage you to print them off, give them to your kids and others, have them study them…and most importantly have them practice them. Everybody thinks that bad things won’t happen to them, until bad things do happen to them!!! Don’t be a victim.

• Be aware of your surroundings. Always know where the exits are.
• Pick a seat where you can see the door in any bar or restaurant. You want to see who is coming and going.
• Never ever leave your drink unattended or with someone else. Take it with you!
• Alcohol inhibits and slows your thinking. Drink in moderation if you must drink.
• Walk with your head up high. Don’t look weak and like a potential victim.
• Eyes can’t hurt you…watch the hands of people you encounter. Those can hurt you.
• Used properly, a pencil or pen can be used as a weapon. Always have one on you.
• Try not to walk alone at night, regardless of where you are.
• Trust few people, but still verify.
• Always tell someone where you are going and when you should be back.
• If someone wants to rob you of your money, give it to them. If they try to force you to go with them, fight to the bitter end right there. Holler, scream, kick, and claw, but do NOT go with them!
• If your 6th sense is telling you something is wrong, it probably is. Listen to your gut.
• Be smart, make good decisions, and get home safely. Others love you and worry about you!

Every one of us will go through life adding memories, experiences, and events that shape us as humans. Have you ever wondered why some random, seemingly insignificant memories linger…while we forget what we had for breakfast? I was playing golf with a buddy a couple of days ago and I recognized another golfer in the group behind us. I knew that he was a retired state trooper, but I couldn’t come up with his name for the life of me. It took me a couple of holes and a deep dive into my memory bank, but I finally managed to scrounge up his name. This was a guy that I worked with often over the years, but his name was a blank slate. I didn’t think that I was losing my mind, but it did get my wheels spinning.

The longer we live, the more people we meet. That should be true of all of us, but I am convinced that the human mind can only hold and manage so many images and names. Unless there is something unique or interesting about a person, perhaps we just go through the motions without any intention of remembering the encounter or the person themselves? Faces can look familiar, but putting a name with it can be daunting and frustrating. Sometimes we simply walk the other way and ignore the person because that would make it a lot less awkward for all involved. Sometimes we just say, “Hey”, and hope that something they say will jog our memory, but that can be a long shot!

The mind is a fascinating thing and it can play tricks on us. It can remember things we’d like to forget, and forget the things that we’d like to remember. I still remember being in middle school and performing a blocking drill against Jeff Gouzie. I somehow knocked him on his backside and the coach praised me in front of the entire team. I was too skinny for football and that may have been the highlight of my brief football career…because why else would I remember such a minor event in a lifetime that has spanned almost 60 years? I clearly remember the block, but don’t ask me who the coach was, or even what position that I played!

In 2004 I had the unpleasant experience of having a man take his own life while I was standing inches from him. I will be forever grateful that he decided to take his life instead of mine, but why do I remember everything about the incident, frame by frame, except what he looked like? I remember his name, what he was wearing, and the conversation that we had, but I have no memory of what he looked like.

I encourage you to think back to some good and bad times and try to remember even the smallest of details. You may be surprised by what you’re missing and what you’re not. So many people enter our lives, some only for minutes, but the mind decides which will be memorable and which ones will fade into obscurity. You have the ability to be that person that others remember due to a kind word or gesture. Sometimes the smallest, seemingly insignificant act will be remember for a lifetime…you just never know.

It has been said that memories never fade or go away, but that simply isn’t true. Most of us know people who have spent a lifetime acquiring memories only to have them snatched away by Alzheimer’s Disease. It is debilitating and sad to witness, but I have to believe that the memories are still there…fighting to come out. Feel free to challenge your mind and keep it as sharp as possible for as long as you can. Having said that, remember that your mind just might have a mind of its own, so just go with it.

If you are a dog lover, you will probably appreciate and understand the words that are in this blog. If not, that is okay as well, but you can wait for the next one to come along. I have had dogs for pretty much my entire life and I have loved each and every one of them. The focus of my thoughts today will be on the girl that keeps me busy and entertains me daily, and her name is Maisie. She came to our family by accident when we visited a friend who volunteers for a dog rescue organization called Almost Home Rescue of New England. We brought our friend a coffee and she happened to be at an adoption event with this cute little dog. She jumped into my wife’s lap and she (my wife) said something like, “We need to get her”. My wife will dispute my memory of the interaction, but I’m pretty sure it went something like that!

We knew very little about this one year old dog other than she had spent too much time in a kennel or various foster homes. What I did know was that she had an energy and enthusiasm about her, and she told me without saying a word that she wanted to become part of our family. We picked her up the next day and our lives have not been the same since then…to say the least.

In general terms, dogs are loyal to a fault and they are always excited to see you, even if you just walk around the corner and you’re out of their sight for a minute. Maisie is no different in that aspect. She wiggles her butt and runs to get one of her many stuffed animals to express how excited she is to see you. She will run in circles endlessly and then be sound asleep seconds later. It is as if she has a switch somewhere deep inside that only she can control. She is truly a member of the family with her own little quirks and behaviors that make her special.

Our Maisie has a way of talking to us with her eyes. She tells us when she is hungry or tired. She lets out a gentle grunt when she wants to go outside. She has learned over time how to pull her blanket over herself with her teeth, so she can cover her eyes with it. She is a smart dog, but she is also so simple. She just wants to be loved and go on adventures with her humans. She loves long walks while sniffing every inch of the ground she encounters. She also loves boat rides and jumping off the boat to swim after her floating toy. She is expressive in her silence, but that silence requires you to focus on her body language to communicate effectively.

We love our dogs for so many reasons. They are all unique, but they are also all special. We were told that Maisie was probably a Boxer/Whippet mix when she joined our family. She actually has zero Boxer and zero Whippet. When strangers ask what type of dog she is, I usually respond, “The good kind”. Dogs are amazing creatures that love unconditionally. They will be there for you in good times and bad. They come with the responsibility to take care of them, and shame on the people who fail to do that. Most dogs possess that gentle innocence that the world has lost. They can bring calm during a storm and they understand more than you think. No dog is perfect, but hell, neither am I. That is another thing that we have in common.

The biggest downside to having a dog family member is the fact that they don’t live long enough. That is probably why they put so much life into every day. They’re not here for a long time, but they sure want to have a good time. It must be true that it is better to have been loved and lost than to have never been loved at all…Dogs appreciate the little things and only you can offer them the life and love they deserve. Give them the best dog life and that will certainly improve your life! Why do I love Maisie? Because she loves me, no matter what!

My wife recently bought me a t-shirt that reads:

The list of people I like…1) Dogs. (True story)

Dogs will be there for you regardless of what is happening in your life. Be there for them when they grow old and weak. Never stop loving them and fear not their death…but make every effort to allow them to truly live and prosper while in your care. Maisie is truly a rescue dog, but it is she who rescued us…not the other way around. #adoptdontshop

It has been said that knowledge is power, but is power what you’re really in search of? Knowledge is the combination of listening, learning, making mistakes, and simply living. It takes time to acquire knowledge if we’re talking about well-rounded and much needed wisdom that can really help others. The people that have helped or guided me through life up to this point all had similar traits that I feel are very important to possess…they made mistakes of their own, they admitted their mistakes, and ultimately (and most importantly) they were willing to share those mistakes with me! That knowledge that they passed along allowed me to not make the same mistakes they did. For that, I will be forever grateful.

Book knowledge is important and I encourage everyone to soak up as much formal or informal education as they can. I can say that as a person who disliked high school, but eventually managed to get a master’s degree in his 40’s. Having said that, there is no better way to learn and gain knowledge than by actually doing something. Who better to teach you how to bake than a baker? A police officer is better equipped to teach a recruit how to stay alive because they’ve had to do that exact thing over and over again. These are both examples of folks who gained knowledge by “doing”.

Sometimes you have to step outside of the comfortable box to get better at what you do. Don’t be afraid to push the envelope, try new things, or actually take chances. Mistakes will be made, but it is those mistakes that make your knowledge even more valuable to others. If you’re a leader or supervisor, consider giving your subordinates the ability and encouragement to take those chances. It empowers them and makes them feel valued and supported. There are always boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed, but the rewards will be immediate when you show faith and trust in those you lead.

The question posed in this blog is a simple one…what good is knowledge? You may feel differently, but I believe that knowledge is good and best used when it is shared. We are all replaceable, so think about succession planning. Pass along your knowledge, so the drum will keep beating should something happen to you. Don’t look at mistakes as failures, but consider them to be learning opportunities for you and others. If you think you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re probably not. There are two things that everyone can do to improve their knowledge base, watch and listen! Take the good things that you see and implement them in your own life. Remember the things that you dislike and avoid doing them.

We are all different, but I try to be an options type person. Having made more mistakes than most, I tend to give people options and ask them to determine what action they should take. Let them think it through and hopefully they’ll select the option that allows them to avoid making the same mistake(s) that you did. If not, oh well…that’s on them. There is a good possibility that you’ve worked hard at something, be it a specific trade, talent, or profession and you’ve become really good at it. If you want to feel some sense of accomplishment, share some of that hard earned knowledge with others. Don’t be selfish and let it go to waste.