Technology Is A Crutch For Cowards

In 1989, I was a senior in High School and I was told that I had to take a typing class to graduate. I’m not sure how I got out of the class but I plead my case with the main point being that police reports are written on paper and the class would be a colossal waste of time. I’m not sure why anyone would let me get away with saying something so stupid but they did and 35 years later, I’m pecking on my computer with two fingers.

In a sense, I was right. Of course, typewriters were in squad rooms but it was typically optional and four years later I was proven to be a kid genius as I found myself at a large metropolitan agency that wrote reports with pen and paper. Heck, I didn’t even have to use that silly cursive writing I wasted my time on.

It was block print and ink.

The day I took my first 911 call, the only technology I had was a 5 pound maglite and a suction cupped note pad on my car window. Three years later, not only was I lucky to get an email address (that cost $100 for each employee) but computers and internet had become the mainstay. It wasn’t long before those paper reports became a thing of the past and typing became a daily occurrence. It would still take a decade for the back breaking flashlight to start disappearing but the race for technology was on.

The Golden Age

A lot changed in law enforcement during my 30 year tenure but nothing changed more than the technology.

• The computers went from the office to the car to the hand.

• The internet went from a luxury that took a day to download a photo to the high speed digital landscape we all expect today.

• NCIC checks went from Motorola to a dispatcher to automatic readers in the car to 24/7 surveillance on the highways.

The efficiency now experienced in the profession is unthinkable compared to the daily bulletins handed to us on paper years ago but has there been a downside?

Despite the technology, do we still understand the most important asset to our organizations?

The People…

While there are certainly leaders that have struck a healthy balance between technology and those that work for them, there is evidence that suggests many have gotten it wrong.

• The majority of agencies are experiencing a recruiting and retention crisis.

• Crime, our measurement of success, has been trending up for years.

• Officer morale is in the tank and early retirements are common.

I completed my doctoral dissertation near the end of my career and I discovered something surprising. The study revolved around leaders and how they impact performance in law enforcement. An emerging theme in the study detailed how digital communication (technology) was actually not communication at all. Officers not only ignored much of it but the distraction significantly impacted performance. At the time, I was averaging over 100 emails a day at work alone and none of that shocked me but another theme emerged that we should all pay attention to. What I found is best described from direct quotes in the study:

“While the lack of communication was the most cited reason for the lack of morale, some participants lamented that they believed that leaders did not care for their well-being.”

“A lot of people feel like our leaders just really don't care about us and therefore they're not going to communicate with us and they're not going to care about what we feel, what we think, what could be improved.”

“we feel like no one cares about us.”

The results were damning…

• 94% of the participants said that the agency did not define goals.

• 76% of the participants cited a lack of morale within the agency.

• 71% of the participants cited low performance within the agency.

• 71% of the participants cited a lack of communication within the agency.

Technology Over People

How could a profession, that has embraced technology and thus efficiency be in such a toxic place? It’s simple…

We have embraced technology at a level that far outweighs leading those around us.

Many of you reading this know exactly what I’m talking about.

• You work for someone that doesn’t even know your name or could care less about you but they brag every chance they can on the latest and greatest gadget they have secured for your agency.

• You see leaders padding. their resume with the latest and greatest technology projects and use that for promotion and the next job.

• Leaders jump from their police job to the technology company they invested so much time and energy in, while you were simply ignored.

Granted, many leaders have balanced this well but so many others have not and the damage has been tremendous in the profession.

I know some may question all of this but here’s a little secret that isn’t much of a secret. Leaders will never be able to lead on the back of technology because when the officers feel the imbalance, they know exactly why it’s happening.

• Cowards use technology as a crutch towards so called success when deep down they know they lack real leadership.

• Without investing in those around you, there will never be success in leadership with technology because technology never lasts.

Go Backwards To Go Forward

I have an idea and it likely seems radical to cowards.

• What if we invested just as much into our personnel as we did the latest technology project?

• What if we cared for our officers just as much as that real time, data driven, AI wonder we are currently thinking about and funding?

I don’t have to “what-if”…I know.

Everything would change.

Nothing replaces the investment in people.

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Dr. Travis Yates retired as a commander with a large municipal police department after 30 years of service. He is the author of “The Courageous Police Leader: A Survival Guide for Combating Cowards, Chaos & Lies.” His risk management and leadership seminars have been taught to thousands of professionals across the world. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy with a Doctorate Degree in Strategic Leadership and the CEO of the Courageous Police Leadership Alliance.