This website contains criminal justice articles written by former Police Chief and Criminal Justice Professor/Police Academy Manager Richard B. Weinblatt |
| THE COURIER-TRIBUNE (Asheboro, North Carolina, daily newspaper) Friday, April 23, 2004 Volume 128, Number 114 Guest Column: Appreciation for a job well done by Richard B. Weinblatt (p. 6A) |
In my first column, as part of The Courier-Tribune’s panel of guest columnists for 2004, I
wrote about understanding your partnership with your police. As I view this column as a
forum to reach out to the community and encourage a dialogue with the police, I wanted
to use this second column to highlight the officers and the very human need we all have
for positive feedback.
Recently, the Randleman Police Department, with the assistance of Mayor Bruce Moore
and City Manager David Cotton, held its second annual officer awards ceremony. Last
year in January, we held the first of what we hoped would be many annual recognition
events. I thought then, and do so even more now, that it is vital for the city and the
community to acknowledge the often-unnoticed work of our public servants in blue.
Law enforcement officers have an even more difficult situation than many employees in
that they often deal with people at their most distressed moments. We are not called to
come to a person’s dinner to hear “thank you” or stopped on the side of the road to hear
accolades. We are called when people have run out of other options and tension is at
its highest point.
Not that that I am advocating stopping when you see an officer running radar on the side
of road and running over to give him or her a hug for saving lives via their traffic
enforcement activity. A person opening the marked unit’s door and hugging a surprised
officer may get a reaction that was not anticipated. Rather, there are more appropriate
ways to let the officers know that they are valued and appreciated.
The awards ceremony is a chance for the officers collectively and individually to be
recognized publicly. We are genuinely proud of them all and we told them so at the
ceremony. The City of Randleman employs professional law enforcers and I am pleased
to have gotten to know them well.
The department as a whole has been very aggressive in its role as protector of the
Randleman community as shown by some very impressive statistics. We compared 2002
to the year 2003 and were pleased with the results. For example, DWI arrests went up
150%, arrests increased 109.5% and the serving of arrest warrants moved up 88.4%.
Randleman Police Officers Steve Nunn, Buddy Spencer, and Justin McAdams received
recognition for their high arrest rates in one or more of these important areas.
Almost all categories of enforcement action have risen over the past year. Across the
board improvements are not a fluke or attributable to just one officer. Rather, they are
the result of a department of officers who are motivated and work together as a team.
We are also proud of a member of our team who has recently returned from serving in
Iraq with the United States Army. Officer Jon Leonard was recognized for his very
important service to the nation.
Our 16 police explorers have come a long way since their program’s inception a little
over a year ago. The police explorer program is designed for young men and women
ages 14-20. Many of our police explorers are interested in a career in law enforcement.
Explorer Captain Tyler Reynolds and Explorer Lieutenant Taylor Ritch were presented
with Excellence in Leadership certificates for their role in building the successful
community relations effort.
As in my previous column, I encourage the public to take a closer look at the officers to
more fully understand the sacrifices they make. That dedication extends to their families
as their work schedules and inherent risks take them away from home.
All of the members of the Randleman Police team, and indeed all law enforcement
personnel in the area, deserve our gratitude. At 3:00 am on a dark and lonely night, the
glamour of the job can seem very distant.
Policing is not a lucrative field which draws people for the money. I view this work, as do
many officers, as a calling. It is a way to serve that can truly make a difference in people’
s lives. I encourage you to say thank you to an officer today. It may make a difference
in his or her day.
And yours.
Richard B. Weinblatt is a member of The Courier-Tribune’s 2004 panel of guest
columnists. He recently resigned as the police chief for the City of Randleman, where he
resides with his wife Anne, and son, Michael.
wrote about understanding your partnership with your police. As I view this column as a
forum to reach out to the community and encourage a dialogue with the police, I wanted
to use this second column to highlight the officers and the very human need we all have
for positive feedback.
Recently, the Randleman Police Department, with the assistance of Mayor Bruce Moore
and City Manager David Cotton, held its second annual officer awards ceremony. Last
year in January, we held the first of what we hoped would be many annual recognition
events. I thought then, and do so even more now, that it is vital for the city and the
community to acknowledge the often-unnoticed work of our public servants in blue.
Law enforcement officers have an even more difficult situation than many employees in
that they often deal with people at their most distressed moments. We are not called to
come to a person’s dinner to hear “thank you” or stopped on the side of the road to hear
accolades. We are called when people have run out of other options and tension is at
its highest point.
Not that that I am advocating stopping when you see an officer running radar on the side
of road and running over to give him or her a hug for saving lives via their traffic
enforcement activity. A person opening the marked unit’s door and hugging a surprised
officer may get a reaction that was not anticipated. Rather, there are more appropriate
ways to let the officers know that they are valued and appreciated.
The awards ceremony is a chance for the officers collectively and individually to be
recognized publicly. We are genuinely proud of them all and we told them so at the
ceremony. The City of Randleman employs professional law enforcers and I am pleased
to have gotten to know them well.
The department as a whole has been very aggressive in its role as protector of the
Randleman community as shown by some very impressive statistics. We compared 2002
to the year 2003 and were pleased with the results. For example, DWI arrests went up
150%, arrests increased 109.5% and the serving of arrest warrants moved up 88.4%.
Randleman Police Officers Steve Nunn, Buddy Spencer, and Justin McAdams received
recognition for their high arrest rates in one or more of these important areas.
Almost all categories of enforcement action have risen over the past year. Across the
board improvements are not a fluke or attributable to just one officer. Rather, they are
the result of a department of officers who are motivated and work together as a team.
We are also proud of a member of our team who has recently returned from serving in
Iraq with the United States Army. Officer Jon Leonard was recognized for his very
important service to the nation.
Our 16 police explorers have come a long way since their program’s inception a little
over a year ago. The police explorer program is designed for young men and women
ages 14-20. Many of our police explorers are interested in a career in law enforcement.
Explorer Captain Tyler Reynolds and Explorer Lieutenant Taylor Ritch were presented
with Excellence in Leadership certificates for their role in building the successful
community relations effort.
As in my previous column, I encourage the public to take a closer look at the officers to
more fully understand the sacrifices they make. That dedication extends to their families
as their work schedules and inherent risks take them away from home.
All of the members of the Randleman Police team, and indeed all law enforcement
personnel in the area, deserve our gratitude. At 3:00 am on a dark and lonely night, the
glamour of the job can seem very distant.
Policing is not a lucrative field which draws people for the money. I view this work, as do
many officers, as a calling. It is a way to serve that can truly make a difference in people’
s lives. I encourage you to say thank you to an officer today. It may make a difference
in his or her day.
And yours.
Richard B. Weinblatt is a member of The Courier-Tribune’s 2004 panel of guest
columnists. He recently resigned as the police chief for the City of Randleman, where he
resides with his wife Anne, and son, Michael.
| For contracting of articles, media commentary, or other matters, contact: richard@policearticles.com or rweinblatt@cfl.rr.com |
| policearticles.com home of published articles written by Richard B. Weinblatt |
Located just North of Orlando,
Florida, Richard B. Weinblatt
provides professional article
writing services and expert
commentary for the media on a
variety of criminal justice topics
Florida, Richard B. Weinblatt
provides professional article
writing services and expert
commentary for the media on a
variety of criminal justice topics
| FAST FACT "Reserve Reports" by Richard B. Weinblatt, a regular column in LAW AND ORDER: THE MAGAZINE FOR POLICE MANAGEMENT, ran for a decade (1991-2001). |
| FAST FACT Richard Weinblatt's March-April 1997 SHERIFF MAGAZINE article "Sheriffs Take on Rural Patrol Challenge" featured him on the cover. |
| FAST FACT The 250+ page book "Reserve Law Enforcement in the United States" by Richard B. Weinblatt, was published in 1993 |