RELIGION: Your friends and protectors

How do you describe the experiences of police officers? How do you delineate their responsibilities? How do you define the character of those who put their lives on the line every day to protect people they don't know? Whether you know the officers personally or not, they are your friends and protectors.

As an ordained minister, I've known a few bad pastors. My brother-in-law, a pediatrician, knows some bad doctors. Well, there may be a few bad policemen too, but the vast majority of police officers have the best intentions of keeping the peace and keeping their communities safe while enduring some of the harshest criticism. And I find Siloam Springs to have one of the best and most qualified police departments in the land.

Very few people understand the life of a police officer, so I asked for an appointment with Police Chief Allan Gilbert. I had a list of 45 questions and the chief kindly handled them. He gave me a tour through the police station, explained the operation, discussed his leadership style and changes made in the past three years. He also introduced me to others, including Captain Derek Spicer, Captain Scott Miller and Lieutenant Chase Fine.

This will be the first of a three-part series, and you won't want to miss any of it. If you're going to be out of town, ask someone to save a newspaper for you.

The Siloam Springs Police Department is one of 17 accredited law enforcement agencies in Arkansas. They meet or exceed a list of 168 standards of best practices, policies, and procedures, and every officer in town has met or exceeded the necessary training for his or her position.

As we walked through the building, his staff and officers were smiling; they were happy. I felt a camaraderie among the team. That's it! They feel like a team ... they ARE a team.

Lieutenant Fine said, "Chief Gilbert has made a concerted effort to change some of the ideology and atmosphere that existed in the department. His leadership style has had a direct impact on the growth of the department, improvement in morale and the success of the staff both sworn and civilian."

Chief Gilbert said, "When I arrived, I didn't do the traditional thing. I didn't start making changes across the board. I watched, asked questions, evaluated everything that was happening, assessed attitudes and got input from my staff. I am a team player. Then we discussed everything and, as a team, we made changes.

"Including their regular work shift, my officers are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and I wanted to make life better for everyone in the department. They needed to enjoy their job, therefore I wanted to improve their work conditions as much as possible. I'm not an Alabama [Crimson Tide] fan, but I like Coach Nick Saban's philosophy: 'Get right people in and wrong people out.' That doesn't mean to fire anyone, but to assure that people are in a position where they can succeed."

Captain Miller mentioned that, although he liked the former chief, the department didn't work together or think as a team; but it does now.

Captain Spicer added, "Since Chief Gilbert has arrived, he has been more of a transformational leader, allowing his employees the freedom to push themselves leading to achievement of goals and both personal and professional growth. Being fully staffed in law enforcement is almost unheard of and it is a great reflection of the positive changes within the department and the mentality, professionalism and morale that exist within the department as a whole."

I asked the chief to give me five words that describe or define his character.

He showed me a Siloam Springs Police Officer medallion. One side shows a police officer's badge with the inscription, "In God We Trust." The other side shows the Siloam Springs Police Department arm patch: "Excellence, Honesty, Integrity, Commitment, Dedication."

He then took me to the training room. Everyone who enters will see on the wall the Core Values: Honor, Integrity, Courage, Service, Professionalism. Also, the department's Vision and Mission Statements are in plain sight.

Chief Gilbert then added, "My main priorities are, God, Family, Job. But, of course, in police work, my family understands that my job is 24/7. Law enforcement is hard and definitely needs the family's support and understanding. We see everyone's worst at times."

To be continued next week.

S. Eugene Linzey is author, speaker, and mentor. Send comments and questions to [email protected] Visit his web site at www.genelinzey.com. The opinions expressed are those of the author.

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