Client Outcomes

How does a department maintain discipline, without having an adverse affect on it's employees?

DSA Representative Comments on Discipline
Steve Collyer, Stanislaus County DSA Representative

On an enjoyable Wednesday evening, I received a request to write an article concerning discipline. “Discipline you say? Have you lost your mind?” I exclaimed. Do you know who my audience is? The group smiled and stated, “Go for it Steve, If they hate it, you can always hide in the court tunnel.” Later on that evening, I thought about it. How hard can it be? We have all been disciplined before. We have even been disciplined when our sibling was the culprit. We vowed revenge, and took it upon ourselves to repay the favor when our new sworn enemy least expected it. Wait a minute, these are cops though. How could I possibly appeal to the entire Sheriff’s department? Then I realized how on a late September 11th evening I could bring the whole picture together.

It is natural, and healthy, to find positive lessons learned from our own worst tragedies. While being accused of wrong doing by a supervisor may not rank as a tragedy to most, it doesn’t dismiss that fact that it is stressful. I truly feel most of you don’t qualify your actions every minute, on the possibility such may be scrutinized. Like most, we act as we are trained and if complications arise, we react. What needs to be realized is we all react. Administration reacts, your supervisor reacts, the employee reacts, and if necessary the DSA reacts. What makes law enforcement/correctional discipline unique is that we are all reporters. We have been trained time and time again, to investigate and report.

So the monumental questions lurk. How does a department maintain discipline, without having an adverse affect on it employees? How does the employee provide for the needs of the department? How and when should discipline be fairly administered? In my limited experience as the Men’s Jail DSA representative, I have had the opportunity to “listen in” and advise within a limited capacity. What I have realized is that in the majority of cases, the employee readily admits to his or her actions.

The department also responds under the mindset of progressive discipline, and recommends a particular course of action under such. So where does one go wrong? I blame it on the err factor. I can here it in the break room already. So who does this “Steve” guy think he is….Dr. Spock? What makes him an expert? Well folks, I am no expert. I am a DSA representative that keeps his ear to the ground. I talk to my supervisors, facility commanders, and trainees. I solve issues at the lowest possible level.

I’m in most cases a lot like the rest of you. In understanding the common ground, I’ll ask you how you would impose discipline if it were your department. Would you be strict or lenient? We are all human beings, we all make “err’s.” It’s the same mistake twice that bites us; our first mistake is always a learning experience. So think about it, talk it over, and take this small bit of advice with you to your next assignment. The DSA and Goyette & Associates provide a beneficial service to line staff and administration alike. By promoting communication, and experienced litigation we all work hard at taking the “err” out of daily operations and discipline, and make us a little more human in the process.

Stay safe.