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The Top 5 Advantages of Being an Outside Candidate for Police Chief

February 6, 2018
Billy
Chiefs, Command Staff
84 Comments

There are some distinct advantages to being an internal candidate for police chief. These advantages were discussed in detail in a previous blog post last week. While I believe internal candidates should be given a lot of consideration, there are many significant advantages for outside candidates. Let’s examine the top five advantages of being an outside candidate for police chief. 1.Culture Shift is Easier A quick scan of Google provides ample evidence that many police departments are in turmoil and need new leadership. An outside police chief can provide the change in direction that many agencies need. If the current police chief failed in some way, promoting the new police chief from within may only continue to perpetuate the problems that existed under the previous police chief. Although it is not impossible, it is tough for internal candidates to take their department in a new direction. In many cases, significant changes in the direction of the department are expected by the members of the department when an external police chief is hired. Therefore, the changes are more readily accepted by the staff. 2. No Long History With Staff Internal candidates typically have both positive and negative relationships with members of…

The Top 6 Advantages to Being an Internal Candidate for Police Chief

There is a continuing debate about whether an internal or external candidate is the best choice for police chief. The truth is it depends, a lot, on the dynamics of the particular job being applied for. I was an internal candidate for police chief at the Marietta Police Department and did not get the job. Just two years later, I was an external candidate for the police chief job at the Dunwoody Police Department and got the job. Of course, all candidates for the Dunwoody job were external candidates since it was a brand-new police department! Let’s examine the top six advantages of being an inside candidate for police chief. 1. Well Established Relationships The effectiveness of any police chief is predicated in part on having a good relationship with the community, department staff and the elected officials. An internal candidate typically has worked at the department for many years and built positive relationships with those three groups. Internal candidates answer thousands of calls for service, attend countless community meetings and participate in hundreds of citywide events all of which contribute toward that positive relationship. Similarly, having your fellow officers back over time and being there for each other through…

What Advice Would You Give Your Younger Self?

Recently, I was listening to the radio when a wonderful song by MercyMe titled, “Dear Younger Me” came on. The lyrics are beautiful. The song highlights how our lives and the choices we make would be different today if we could speak to our younger self. When I heard this song, I couldn’t help but think back to when I first started my career in law enforcement on October 15, 1981. Given the opportunity, what would I tell my younger self? #1. Put Family First The first and most important thing I would tell my younger self would be to put my family first. No question about it. No one warned me of the dangers of getting too wrapped up in the job of a police officer, while ignoring my family. I spent a lot of time and energy climbing the corporate ladder, so to speak, and neglected my family. I worked long hours, volunteered for special assignments and never said no. I was rewarded by getting the assignments I wanted and being promoted, all at the expense of my family. When I speak to new hires today, I take the time to tell them how important it is for…