Where it Started
Early morning, 2/6/17, it is Super Bowl Sunday. Patrol takes on fire after an armed male leads them on a short pursuit. Armed male is now barricaded. Multiple teams activated from outside agencies. After 12-hour stand-off, male is taken into custody. From this... a new team is born...
Who We Are
Without them, how can you measure performance?
Standards
We do not lower them, we raise them. Every challenge is meant to bring out the best of you and the people standing around you. The higher the standard, the higher the performance. Expect this from everyone, make it your non-negotiable.
Tactics are theories until contested
Training
In high-risk situations, they say you always revert back to your training. This holds true in every high stress situation. Standards and training go hand in hand. Patrol is the backbone of every response, arriving well before any Tactical Element is even activated. We've seen time and time again, the bar be lowered on what will keep officers alive. Instead, the prevention of being the next case-law has been the primary objective rather than the methodical approach to situations.
If not me, then who?
Culture
Culture, the heartbeat of every entity. Every Squad, Unit, Team, Department, has a culture. A good culture can propel you forward. When a team rows the boat in the same direction, they get to their objective faster. Whereas a team rowing in different directions will go nowhere except in circles. If a member falls behind, the team picks up their slack to meet the goal. The boat may slow down a little, but it's still moving forward. They're still held accountable.
Boats don't sink from the water around them. They sink from the water you let inside them.
Team Before Self
Reflection
Ego...The killer of all men. Selflessness in the team, mission, and goal. The mirror is the greatest ally, if you allow it to be. Growth comes in the dust that settles from being broken down. Be the person that walks into a room, and everyone says, "thank god" ... not "oh god".