DRNC Leadership Practicum - Research Paper Example

DRNC Leadership Practicum For over 40 years, the police in the city of Miami and Miami-Dade County have experienced civil unrest. As a result the police departments of these respective areas had to be innovative in order to deal with this civil unrest. The innovation process was not that smooth as a number of barriers led to the stagnation of Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD). The reason for stagnation was that the members of the Mobile Field Force Training Committee (MFFT Committee) rejected most new ideas on managing civil unrest. As the new manager at MDPD, I am going to focus on the factors that led to successful innovation and those that blocked innovation in the department. From these factors, I am going to take a number of steps to overcome the barriers to new ideas. A number of factors led to successful innovation at MDPD in the past. First, the McDuffie Riot in 1980 led to the innovation of the modern Mobile Field Force model for response to civil unrest. Both the police departments of MPD and MPDP had sustained injuries and damages both physically and to their reputation, as a result of civil chaos (DRNC Scenario for CRJ-565). It was noted that lack of aggressive response from the officers who had been shell shocked from the communities’ reactions to the killing of Arthur McDuffie resulted to the damages. The resulting non-guilty verdict of the involved officers too resulted to the damages. The Mobile Field Force Concept was successfully used to quell the Luis Alvarez/Overtown in 1982 and the Lozano riots in 1989. The innovation of the MFF was followed by the introduction of Special Event Response Teams (SERT) as a conciliator reaction to tranquil or slightly unruly crowds (DRNC Scenario for CRJ-565, 2003). The SERT was created because such crowds could not be handled the same way as the violent mob hence MDPD had to change the tactics. Secondly, the hosting of FTAA conference in Miami, Florida in 2003 posed the threat of powerful demonstrations that could be staged by an unofficial anti-globalization collaboration of unionists, communists, and anarchists. Similar protests had been witnessed in Washington D.C., Montreal, Canada; Genoa, Italy; and Cancun; Mexico, targeting the World Trade Organization conferences, G-8 conferences, and world Economic Forum conferences. The Mobile Field Force could no longer counter this new type of radicalized adversaries hence need for a new concept. Therefore, the lieutenants who had been aware of the problem in Seattle, Genoa and Montreal for several years suggested that the new paradigm demanded that changes be made to the tactics and weapons used by field officers. Among the recommendations made were the use of paperball and less lethal munitions, which were never implemented by the Field Force Training Committee. Age and experience also led to successful innovations in that the retirement of the old members of the Field Force Training Committee and replacement by the new cadre of veteran officers who had participated in the FTAA frontlines. These new officers implemented the recommendations initially rejected by the old committee such as the use of paperball munitions and use the bicycle for patrols (DRNC Scenario for CRJ-565, 2003). The old board stuck in the “stomp and grind” tactics, and perhaps since they were last involved in the frontlines in the 80s, it was difficult for them to embrace the change of tactics. The new committee had experienced a new paradigm hence were able to innovate new ways of dealing with civil unrest. Despite the past successes in innovation, resistance from the old Mobile Field Force Training Committee blocked change within the MDPD. They were too rigid to embrace change hence stuck in the old tactics that the forces used to deal with civil unrest. Age here and exposure played an important role here. First, the members were last involved in the frontlines in the 80s, here were not aware of the new paradigm shifts in civil unrest. Secondly, they had not encountered the frontiers during the violent protests in the late 90s and early 2000s by the radical anti-globalization groups. Lack of experience among the members of the old training council made it difficult for them to accept change. Lack of young minds with vast knowledge on the paradigm shift in civil disorder management by the police hindered innovation in the MDPD a great deal. The committee members had become cynical and desensitized because of the rejections of its ideas over the years (DRNC Scenario for CRJ-565, 2003). This means that the members gave up on innovation, since none of the proposed ideas were adopted by the committee. Lastly, there was much debating in the committee, out of which nothing good came out. Many ideas were born but were killed, as they could not be allowed by the old committee. Based on the above identified factors I am going to take the following steps to overcome the barriers to new ideas, and ensure that the DRNC is held successfully. Firstly, I would ensure that all members of the Mobile Field Force Training Committee went for a refresher course at least after every five years. This refresher course will help them get updated on the current trends and paradigm shifts in civil disorder management. The course will further help them accept new ideas and concepts with less or no resistance. New members of the committee will also undergo some training on new paradigm shifts in civil disorder before they are allowed to get involved fully in the committee’s business. By so doing, I will overcome the barrier of experience among the rigid committee members who may still be stuck in their old tactics. This goes hand in hand with the second step, whereby most of the MFFT Committee members will be the lieutenants who were involved in the frontiers in the most recent protests. These members will provide an insight to the committee on current crowd behaviors, which will in turn help the Committee, come up with new tactics on how to handle the protesters. Thirdly, I would put the age limit on committee members. Old members above 60 years of age should not serve in the MFFT Committee. I would rather engage young and innovative minds preferably those who have been at the frontiers in the recent civil unrests. By accepting these young associates’ ideas, they will become undoubting and witty. Involving young lieutenants will also help reduce the debates witnessed. These debates would occur between the young flexible and the rigid old members of the MFFT Committee as to what should and what should not be incorporated in the new strategic direction of the department. I would embrace the analytical mode of decision making to ensure that the top quality officers are recruited and retained in the MFFT Committee. Those individuals who are less creative will be dropped from the committee and replaced with innovative ones to ensure continuity in its innovativeness. Every member of MDPD should be encouraged to bring in their innovative ideas by being rewarded. Rewarding can be in terms of material incentives like money or psychologically by accepting and implementing their ideas, which will make them feel relevant in the department. Also in order to encourage new ideas from frontline officers, I will ensure that they are constantly in touch with the MFFT Committee. They will therefore update the committee on new ideas that could help improve crowd control tactics from their recent experiences in crowd controlling activities. This collaboration will make the committee keep updated on new changes in crowd behaviour and find appropriate ways of dealing with these mobs. It will also create a joint environment that generates consultation, problem-solving and great ideas. However, the committee will continuously evaluate these ideas for further development. In a nutshell, the Mobile Field Forces Training Committee should comprise of young, vibrant and innovative minds that will not only innovate new ideas but also help take the department to the next level. Old rigid individuals should be retired from the committee to pave the way for young and flexible minds in order to effect recommended changes without much struggle. The obstacle of the chain of command will have been done with, and members of the department will no longer feel isolated, but part of the division. This departmental change will boost their confidence; make them very cooperative for the effect strategic planning and implementation of the plan to host the DRNC. Confident officers will do their work with all their hearts, ensuring a successful implementation of the plan. Younger members of the MFFT Committee will not be looking down upon information from the equally youthful front liners. Hence, there will be no lengthy and fruitless discussions as the ones witnessed in the committee that was formed in the 80s. References DRNC Scenario for CRJ-565 (2003), Leadership in Criminal Justice Read More