You’ve probably noticed we’ve had a little press lately. I hope this added attention allows us to widely share our San Ramon Police philosophy. Maybe you’ll read on, but if not, no worries. With all the names coming at me lately, it’ll take a lot more than that to offend.
We are very fortunate to serve an incredibly supportive community. I know that is a luxury. However, I am convinced our strong community support is firmly rooted in how we have always approached policing.
Since we began as a law enforcement agency in 2007, we have always taken a service-based approach with the utmost priority on community service. Our first Chief of Police, Scott Holder, used to routinely tell us anything less than “Nordstrom” level service was unacceptable.
We have held that same belief for the past 15+ years.
Our second Chief, Joe Gorton, told us to be the type of officer you would want responding to assist your loved ones if they needed the police. Or, be the type of officer you would wish was patrolling your family’s house while you were at work. This approach has remained a foundation for our agency through Chief Dan Pratt and Chief Craig Stevens.
Now, I have the pleasure of leading a group of incredible individuals using this same approach to providing law enforcement services. As I prepared for my interviews to become the Chief of Police, I was fortunate to have several conversations with outstanding law enforcement leaders.
One of those tremendous leaders is Chief Paul LeBaron of Hermosa Beach Police Department. As we talked, Paul shared his five-step decision-making process, which had been passed down to him by a former Chief.
I have shared this decision-making process throughout our organization, and we use it to ensure we continue on the right path.
Here it is:
- How will this decision or action impact our profession? As an industry, law enforcement is not confined by jurisdictional boundaries. What we do impacts every peace officer nationwide, and we must always consider this implication. Maintaining the highest level of professionalism is critical because what we do influences everyone who wears a law enforcement uniform. We can never forget the gravity of this concept. EVER!
- How will this decision or action impact our Community? Our choices and actions heavily affect our community. We work for and represent all of our community members. What we do and how we do it should have the community at the forefront of our decision-making process.
- How will this decision or action impact our organization? This includes both the City of San Ramon and the police department. Without question, what we do and how we do it profoundly affects our entire agency, and if we stray off course, the consequences can be severe.
- How will this decision or action impact the individuals within the San Ramon Police Department? Our organization’s success is dependent on our people. Considering how our choices will help (or hurt) them is a critical component of organizational health and officer wellness.
- How will this decision or action impact me? For those reading this who are in upper management roles, you know how rare it is to get to this point. But, for those who are out and about doing the hard (and often unrewarding) daily work at the patrol or investigative level this is a frequent consideration. And it is an essential aspect of the decision-making process. When you fully consider the personal impact a decision or action may have on you (and your family), you tend to think a bit more about actions and consequences.
For those who took the time to read this thread – thank you! I hope it gave you a solid perspective on who we are and our agency’s approach to policing. We are nowhere near perfect.
But, when you focus on doing the right things, the right way, for the right reasons, you sleep well at night
Note: Chief Denton issued these statements in a series of Tweets on his Twitter Account.
