During my 12 years in law enforcement, I served in two very different departments—one with over 2,000 sworn officers and another with fewer than 100. Despite their differences, both departments had their fair share of curmudgeons. You know the type—those officers who seem determined to spread negativity, the ones whose bad attitude drains the energy from a room.
I remember one officer in particular who had been rotated out of his longstanding position as a School Resource Officer (SRO) to give other officers an opportunity. Instead of accepting the change and moving forward, he spent his days making everyone else miserable—whether it was in roll call, on a scene, or during routine interactions. It wasn't long before his attitude started to affect those around him.
I noticed a rookie officer beginning to mimic this negativity, parroting the complaints and sour attitude. I couldn't just stand by and watch this young officer get pulled into the cycle, so I pulled him aside and told him - young man: Misery loves company, and it's easy to get sucked into that kind of thinking if you're not careful. You don't want to become that officer.
When someone's pessimistic about the job, it's rarely about the job itself. Often, they're battling something deeper within themselves, and instead of working to fix it, they dump it on everyone around them. The real problem? It doesn't stop when the uniform comes off.
That same officer who complained and spread his negativity throughout the department? He retired, and guess what? I heard he's just as miserable in his new private-sector job. That's the thing—if you don't figure out what's making you unhappy, it will follow you. If you're unhappy at work, don't bring everyone down, especially rookie officers trying to navigate their careers. Take the time to understand why you're unhappy, and work on fixing it.
And one more thing—your reputation doesn't end with your law enforcement career. How you show up for work, interact with your peers, and carry your attitude will follow you into the private sector. That reputation will influence whether or not doors open for you when you're ready to transition out of law enforcement. Trust me, if you've been the "officer pity party" your whole career, finding a job outside the force will be harder.
By the way, that young officer I gave advice to had an amazing 20+ career, retired, and is now successful in the corporate world.
So, choose your attitude wisely. It might just define your future, in or out of uniform.
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