About 15 years ago (maybe longer–time really does fly when you're a crime fighter!) I read an article in one of the police magazines called Why Officer Friendly Eats Lunch Alone. The author talked about the lonely life of the departmental crime prevention officer, a guy (or gal) who is often adored by the community but either ignored or sometimes openly disdained by his or her colleagues. I found the article mildly interesting, but not really applicable to me, a "real" cop who had no intention of ever going into crime prevention. No way. Not ever. I didn't become a cop to dress up in a McGruff suit or teach kids to "Just Say No." And I certainly didn't want to end up like the guy in the article, taking my meal breaks alone while my friends were out on the street, doing "real" police work.
And then I became one. A crime prevention officer. Actually, the crime prevention sergeant. In 1995, I found myself in charge of the "Community Education/Crime Prevention Unit." After a 15-year career in patrol, investigations, narcotics, field training, and other cool cop stuff, I'm suddenly the one you have to see to sign out the McGruff suit.
As I often tell my students, I now realize that crime prevention was the best seven years of my career. People actually love to see you coming! No one runs from you; in fact, they're all thrilled to see you walk in the door. For a 15- year veteran who had seen just about enough drug dealers and child molesters for awhile, it was a wonderful change of pace. However, I began to see what that "officer friendly" article was talking about. My officers and I were often viewed as "the DARE police," not real cops. I've talked to many crime prevention officers (and School Resource Officers) who have had the same experience, so here's a few suggestions to help you look, feel and act like part of that "Thin Blue Line."
Stay Tactical
When you're in crime prevention, it's easy to get used to "dressing down." Depending on your department's policies, you may be allowed to wear soft clothes or your uniform with just a handgun. Be cautious about taking advantage of the relaxed nature of the assignment. Wear your body armor when you're out and about. Make sure your equipment is accessible and ready, including a radio, extra ammo, and handcuffs. Don't blow off training; spend as much time, if not more, on the range and on the mats than the patrol officers do. Stay mentally prepared. Active shooters often attack in the very places you're likely to be at, such as a school, a church, or a community event. Run scenarios in your head. Make sure you know where the entrances and exits are, and always let dispatch know where you are. It's a dispatcher's nightmare to hear one of their officers calling for help and have no idea where he is. You're still a cop. Think like one. Train like one. Dress like one. Act like one.
Stay in Touch
Stay in touch with the rest of the department, especially the patrol officers and the detectives. After all, a big part of your job is trying to make their jobs easier. Sign up or volunteer for details or extra shifts that will take you back on the street. Have coffee with the detectives (or just hang around their desks; try to get invited to their meetings) and find out what's going on in the world of crime. On my department, our financial crime detectives worked closely with our crime prevention specialists to develop anti-fraud and armed robbery response programs that were extremely popular. Seek out an ancillary specialty that keeps you in touch with the rest of the agency. I had DARE officers that were on the SWAT Team, the Dive Team, the Elderly Services Team, and were firearms and tactical instructors. Get out there and get involved!
Be a Mentor
When I first took over the crime prevention unit, I had an opening to fill. I was fortunate to have an 11 member unit for a city of about 140,000 people (seven officers, three civilians and myself). Instead of waiting to see who applied, I sought out the guy I wanted. He was a former detective, then a patrol officer. He was crusty, crabby, and enormously talented. When I asked him to consider becoming a crime prevention officer, he looked at me with his signature "you are not only crazy, you are stupid, too" look, but eventually I wore him down and he applied, becoming one of my best officers. Like me, crime prevention had not been on his list of possible law enforcement career paths, but also like me, he grew to love it. Go out of your way to find people in your agency that may never have thought about crime prevention but might be really good at it. Invite them to a presentation or an event. Talk to them about the benefits and the advantages of your job. Sometimes that veteran patrol officer or detective who is starting to burn out will make an amazing crime prevention officer; they just don't know it yet. You can help make that happen.
Invite Others to Your Events
Everyone gets caught up in their own little corner of the agency; it's just human nature. So don't expect people to know what Crime Prevention is up to. Invite people to your events, and I don't just mean the brass. Invite the beat officers to your DARE graduations, your bike rodeos, and any other community events you're involved in. Tell them they don't have to do anything except show up–and then treat them like a rock star when they do. My unit always had a "fun night" for our DARE kids at a local arcade and bowling alley. It was a blast, but it became even more fun when we started inviting our own officers and their families to the event, regardless of where they lived or how old their kids were. It gave us a great chance to show our stuff and interact with our peers and their families.
Tactical Training
Make sure all your annual training hours aren't spent attending presentation skills workshops and crime prevention conferences. Attend some outside survival and/or tactical training like the Calibre Press "Street Survival" seminar or "Firearms and Tactics for the School Resource Officer" offered by LouKa Tactical Training. Remember, your ultimate goal is still to survive, as well as thrive, regardless of your assignment.
Take Pride in What You Do
In 2002 I found myself back on the street, supervising a patrol team. It didn't take me long to get back into full-time cop mode, but I continued to miss the people, the presentations, the fun we had with the kids at "Safety Town" and DARE. As I was finishing this article up, an officer I brought into the unit about six years ago came to the station to see me. When I selected him for the unit he was a chain-smoking, burned-out patrol officer who couldn't wait to retire. Well, he had just retired and I missed his going away party but he sought me out today, gave me a hug, and told me this: "I probably wasn't the best candidate at the time for Crime Prevention in a lot of people's eyes, but you were still willing to give me a chance and the past six years have been, without a doubt, the best in my career. Crime Prevention saved me." That made up for every single lunch I had to eat alone, and then some.