PA Chiefs_Bulletin Winter_2016

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4 | PA CHIEFS OF POLICE ASSOCIATION | BULLETIN | WINTER 2016
TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE PCPA:
As your new Acting President, I am excited and humbled to lead
such a great organization. These are very challenging times for
law enforcement. As leaders, we all must speak with a reasoned,
consistent and passionate voice to the public about the overall great
job our men and women do on a daily basis.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
profession forward in a positive manner.
However, changing perceptions does
not happen in a vacuum. So, if you are
not already doing so, please get actively
involved. Among other things, come to
the PCPA Conference in July next year.
Many of our educational sessions will focus
on the new realities of our profession.
Never stop learning. Even when you
become the teacher, never stop being a
student. As law enforcement executives,
we have an important voice in the critical
conversations in our communities and
elsewhere. However, awareness and
intelligent analysis of new trends, tactics
and information is a prerequisite to
thoughtful and serious discussion. If we
want people to think of us as the good
guys, then we need to show them that we
are indeed the good guys.
As enthusiastic as I am to be the President,
it is tempered by the reason I am assuming
this office early. As you may or may not
know, Chief Mark Hall had to resign
his position as Chief of Clarion and as
President of the PCPA due to a long term
illness. Please keep Mark in your thoughts
and prayers as he deals with his unfortunate
and unanticipated circumstances.
Please do not hesitate to contact me,
the staff at PCPA Headquarters or any
member of the Executive Board if you
have questions or comments regarding our
association or our profession.
Sincerely,
PCPA Acting President
We must also educate the citizens we serve
about the difficulties of this profession.
Finally, we must take responsibility for
the occasional errors that do occur. If we
do not take an active and articulate role
in the ongoing dialog in our communities
and across the nation, then we only give
voice to our detractors or the uninformed.
Generally, a substantial majority of us are
frustrated when our elected government
officials act in an apparent cavalier
manner, then refuse to explain their
actions and use “spin” in place of facts.
To our citizens, we are by far the most
visible presence of government in their
daily lives. Additionally, they do not
make a distinction between elected and
appointed officials. The frustration they
feel with government in general often
spills over to us as we are the government
and we are there in the moment. We
must counter that perception by always
behaving in a manner that earns respect
instead of demanding or assuming such
respect. Treating people like they treat
us is a guarantee of failure. Treating
people better than they expect will alter
their perceptions and turn it into a reality
we need to encourage. Whoever is the
most important person in your life, treat
everyone you contact as you would want
an officer to treat your most important
person. Be courteous, be professional,
take time, explain what is or will happen,
consistent with tactical safety.
PCPA provides a tremendous opportunity
for us to all come together to develop and
implement consistent and comprehensive
strategies that will dispel the existing
inaccurate information and propel our