book reading in 2020

4 Lessons Learned From Reading 74 Books in 2020

I am an avid reader.  If you know me, have been connected to me through Top Cop Leadership, or have read any of the articles I have written, you already know about my passion for reading. My passion for reading developed when I was very young.  This passion grew over time and through my experiences. As part of my leadership journey with the Marietta Police Department, Chief Bobby Moody had us read leadership books for our staff meetings and make presentations at the monthly meeting about what we learned from the books we read. "Not every reader is a leader, but every leader is a reader."President harry truman I have continued a modified version of this tradition at the Dunwoody Police Department.  Our supervisory staff read a book together and discuss what we have learned at our staff meeting each month.  We try and focus on how what we learned can help us improve as leaders of the Dunwoody Police Department. 2020 Reading Goal In 2020, I set an ambitious reading goal for me.  I use Goodreads, and I set a goal to read 52 books this year.  One book a week.  Who knew that circumstances, COVID-19 amongst others, would…

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lady justice

Sir Robert Peel’s 9 Principles of Policing – Principle #5

I am continuing my series of articles about Sir Robert Peel's 9 Principles of Policing.  I am still amazed by the relevance today of something written in 1829.  Start here to read my introduction to the topic and discussion of Principle #1.   Click here to read about Principle #2.  Continue here to read about Principle #3.  Click here to read about Principle #4. Today, my focus is on Principle #5. Principle #5 To seek and preserve public favor, not by pandering to public opinion, but by constantly demonstrating absolute impartial service to law, in complete independence of policy, and without regard to the justice or injustice of the substance of individual laws, by ready offering of individual service and friendship to all members of the public, without regard to their wealth or social standing, by ready exercise of courtesy and friendly good humor, and by ready offering of individual sacrifice in protecting and preserving life. Again, this principle centers on how we, as law enforcement officers, treat others.  This principle also takes it a step further by focusing on how we apply the law.  This lengthy principle contains a lot of useful information. According to Peel, the police should never…

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Hope

The Timeless Policing Principles of Sir Robert Peel

Earlier this year, I began blogging about Sir Robert Peel’s 9 Principles of Policing.  My goal was to write a blog post about each principle and the applicability of that principle to policing today.  My plans were interrupted by COVID and the death of George Floyd followed by the protests calling for police reform. These challenges combined with some personal ones have kept me from continuing with my plans for this blog series.  However, I am ready to move forward with my plans now.  The challenges that law enforcement has faced this year has reinforced my belief that Sir Robert Peel’s 9 Principles of Policing are even more important and relevant today than when they were first penned. Imagine sitting down and developing these principles in 1829 addressing the challenges of the day and laying out the foundation for how police officers should interact with the community they serve.  Now, imagine fast forwarding 191 years and finding out those principles have not only stood the test of time, they have become even more important today. Truly amazing! Previous Posts I have previously written blog posts about the first four principles.  Click here to read my introduction to the topic and…

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