Question for LEO's
 

What are examples of conflict within a dept? Internal or external like unions and city/county/state admins.

If you feel more comfortable sending me a PM, please do. All will be treated with total confidentiality and deleted once read.

The purpose of this is to help a nephew doing a paper on the subject. I told him I could talk to a couple of cops. He probably thinks I'm on my way to the donut shop.

Please, please don't PARF this up. It's only a high school essay project. It's light weight.

I would suggest posting this at officer.com, but then the 'tudes there are generally worse than any on PARF. Maybe some good searchable content there though.

Rick, I wondered about posting on a site like that. I'll let the nephew take that initiative if he so wishes. I might get more civil answers here that I can strip of identity and forward to him for suggestions of areas to look into.

I don't want to wade into a cesspool if that is how it goes over there.

Well Milt good luck with that! Most any "civil service" or government organization will not discuss any "non feel good" issues, even off the cuff as the person will be afraid the info will leak out. Of course it might depending on how exciting the story is.

As an example, in San Diego the city has spent millions and millions on an upgrade to their "antiquated" online water billing system. Why you ask when it had "worked fine for over 20 years" as the spoke person said but could not do some things that management wanted it to be able to do??! So a bid went out to migrate to SAP and the wining contractor bid completeness in a year (not realistic) and at the end of a year all the $$$$$ was gone and the city had to bring on SAP themselves to complete the task. It was done for lots more $$$$$ and then rolled out last spring and the complaints poured in, I.E. no user access, can not pay bill, water being shut off, bills show as unpaid, can not do electronic payments, etc, etc. The charming and beautiful spokes-lady said there might be a "few issues" but the new system did all that MANAGEMENT wanted now and it had PASSED 92.8% of the tests when complete!

So I tried calling the office in charge of all this to get some test plan info, thoughts on project management, tools used to migrate, etc. I teach business systems design for several colleges locally and told the folks that, but they would not speak to me at all about any issues and the one person did say they felt 92.8% was better than it had been! I asked if she would buy a car that was 92.8% okay and she hung up one me! So info can be hard to get at times.

So far through channels I have identified promotions as a source of a problem. Now you say that can be a problem in any sector. However, the police have different powers than the citizens and that power extends and builds through the ranks. I think there are some interesting implications concerning how police handle their duties as superiors.

I ask that if you don't know of the inner workings of a police organization, don't try to help. It won't. I'm trying to connect with officers.

92.8% for SAP has got to be a world record!

SAP is one of the worst things that has happened to our economy and business structure since the dawn of mankind.

IMO There is nothing that can be done to harm a company quicker than implimenting SAP.
It really is that bad.

Now before any data monkeys who have memorized 4 SAP screens start flaming, I use SAP every day and have at 3 different companies. Everything from inventory management to maintenance management to cost control to purchasing.
We have a list of people here who are authorized to instruct SAP, the list is called SAP gurus and unfortunately my name is on that list.
When I have to present a class the SAP consultants hate me because i always start off saying somethnig like "I'd like to apoologize in advance for what I'm gonig to force you to do, it isn't by my choice. It just plain ole sux.

Did I mention that I hate SAP?

I assume you two are talking about SAP, Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing? Do police departments use this software? I know they are getting to be big data mining users. Does this affect morale (the nephew would ask)? Are there conflicts involved?

I know that if the DEA breaks down your door as a result of poor data you might be pissed. But, does the DEA give a rat's ass?

Not trying to send my own thread down the sewer. I'm asking real questions on behalf of an interested (and interesting) young man.

That's a hot subject to use for a paper. Not lightweight.
Mabye he could first research statistics such as reasons for leaving/dismissal/extended leaves/etc. then go in and talk to someone higher up(desk sargent or someone with time) in another county. He could sign a confidentiality agreement, but that wouldn't mean legal squat 'cause he's a minor.
Probably get more info from the DA's secretary....

Enterprising kid if he could pull it off as (f)actual research.

Not an officer here so ignore if you like. We are having a big brouhaha here on Kauai, there was some sort of complaint against the department, so far, of an undisclosed nature. The response was for the Mayor of the island to suspend two deputy chiefs, then the chief was suspended a couple days later. Then all hell broke loose as our county charter has the supervision of the department in the hands of the police commission. So they challenge the right of the Mayor to take the decision that he did. Ended up being a pissing contest between the two power factions.
Well the Chief has been given back his Badge and gun, first thing he did was to reinstall the two deputy chiefs.
Now there is a big battle to determine who is really supposed to take care of such a situation in the future.

All this and we still have not learned the nature of the complaint in general or specific terms.
The ironic thing is that this chief came in a few years ago to right the ship so to speak of a department that was having a lot of problems over the preceding years. And he had moved things with the force and its relationship with the community well forward in his tenure.

So here we sit wonder what it was all about, and if or when the government will stop fighting its self and spending lots of our tax dollars in the process.

Some research can be done thru The Garden Island Newspaper on line.

Cheers Richard

John, where are you coming from in perspective? Are you involved with LE?

Here's the deal: it's a paper about being a policeman and the pitfalls unique to that profession. We all have issues in the order of life's hierarchy, but police may be subject to a different set of circumstances. Should this be some top secret issue?

Lord, I hope not. I started looking around on my own and all I can say is I've gained more respect for police work in one day than they've taken away from me in a lifetime. Exceptions have been noted.

I'm going to give this thread a few more hours and then have it deleted.