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- Live web chats with leaders in public safety where you can have an open dialogue with your peers to discuss challenges and share solutions.
- The honest and passionate Public Safety Voices blog series where we visit with leaders in public safety from all over the country to discuss your shared challenges, experiences and goals and illuminate the good work, heroism and humanity of our public safety workforce.
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Public Safety Voices | Warden Joe Chavez
Nearly everyone who comes in has either medical or mental health issues.
“The number of detainees we have with mental health issues absorbs a lot of resources. Nearly everyone (about 90%) who comes in has either a medical or mental health issue, which can be masked by dependency on medication or non-prescription drugs.
“We have 175-185 detainees at any given time. Of that number, 3-5 have a hardcore mental illness. It takes a lot of time and resources to meet the challenge of trying to determine how to help them while they’re here. You don’t want them to be restricted from the other detainees; it’s not good for them – isolation does more mental harm than good. But you also have to protect them from harming others and from others taking advantage of them.
“A lot of people don’t understand the difference between jail and prison. By the time a prison gets the detainee, we’ve baselined them to be ready for that incarceration. We get them raw. It may be their first time; they may be depressed or suicidal or have mild to severe mental health and medical issues.
“Our biggest expense is our medical and mental health staff. We have a psychiatric nurse and a team of counselors on staff. And, every year we try to add more hours to our mental health team, but it’s hard to budget for it. It’s a revolving door here. We don’t have the resources for long-term treatment.”
I speak to every detainee once a week; I go into every cell.
“I’ve been very lucky to be fully staffed. My main competitors are the prison across the street and the other detainment center, and now Facebook is coming in – and they all pay better. So we’re working on a stronger retainment package; I’m trying to get higher wages for my team.
“A seasoned officer for me is 8-9 years. You have to interact with the staff, show them you’re with them, help them to diffuse situations. Ours is not such an aggressive facility. That’s why the staff stays.
“I attribute this fact to our interaction with the detainees. They have access to us and an opportunity to voice their concerns. I and Deputy Warden Jesus Heredia go into every cell once a week to speak with the detainees, sometimes together or on different days. This also helps the staff because they don’t have to wait for an answer to issues they might be having. I or the deputy warden can make a decision immediately. It also helps us to see and address problems right away.
“That’s not to say that nothing ever happens here. There was an incident where a detainee didn’t want to lockdown. He had some inmates locked in a cell and was threatening to harm them; one was really scared. The guy had some grievances. I walked in there and was able to speak to him, and after a few minutes of talking to him, I was able to resolve it peacefully. When you can resolve something peacefully, with no physical contact, that’s a rewarding way to go home.”
I enjoy what I do: I’m in a position to help people.
“Prior to becoming the warden of this facility, I served our country as a U.S. Marine from 1986-1990. After that I went to work for the New Mexico Department of Corrections where I served as a correctional officer (CO) for 19 years, eight of those here. In August 2010 I became warden. I feel so fortunate to be in a position to help the detainees and the staff.
“Being proactive and considerate of each individual’s issues is important. I live in this community, so sometimes I go to Walmart or a restaurant and a former detainee will walk up and thank me for acknowledging them and listening to them when they were in our facility. That’s a good feeling. And when you see them leave and they don’t come back – it’s a rewarding thing.”
Being a warden is a difficult position with a lot of responsibilities.
“You’re dealing with a client who doesn’t want to be here, and who has some very unique needs. And you don’t just deal with detainees, you have to deal with staff and make sure they’re not being malicious, the families that come in, attorneys, judges, police chiefs and sheriffs, the commission … there are so many entities.
“Corrections is the hub of law enforcement. You’re pulled from all sides, and you have to be diplomatic and stern at the same time.
“People don’t understand the whole process of a jail. It’s a 24-hour, 365-day community all its own populated by people who don’t want to be here and can’t leave. You have to clothe them, feed them, make sure the HVAC works, do their laundry … it’s a lot.”
I’d like for the public to understand the high level of stress and anxiety detention officers face every day.
“We work 12-hour shifts. Each officer is assigned (direct-supervision) to a pod of 40-45 inmates. They’re with them all day long. The stress of dealing with all those different personalities, maintaining control, making sure you’re safe, your fellow staff are safe, and the detainees are safe is a lot. Plus, detainees can have a drug withdrawal at any time, and someone is always on some type of medical or suicide watch.
“The public doesn’t understand the high level of stress and anxiety correctional officers work under. If there is a bad situation – suicide, assault of one inmate on another, assault on a fellow officer, an overdose – the officers experience PTSD from that. They don’t just sit around and babysit (as perceived by the public and other law enforcement agencies). These are people who feel that they’ve lost everything – that they’ve failed their loved ones. And it’s up to us to care for them.”
–Warden Joe Chavez, Valencia County Detention Center, New Mexico
Public Safety Voices | Police Chief James Abbott
There are three major challenges we’re facing right now.
“Race relations, the opioid epidemic and active shooter situations: those are the three major challenges we’re dealing with right now. To address race relations, the township created a Human Relations Commission (HRC), and we have an officer who serves as both our bias investigations officer and as a liaison to the HRC. We also conduct implicit bias training and officer wellness training.
“We’ve also modified our training to include shoot don’t shoot programs. Instead of going in and shooting at a paper target, we work on when it’s appropriate to shoot or not shoot – and once again work on implicit bias awareness.
“Operation Hope is our program for combating the opioid epidemic. This program started when we lobbied for, and subsequently passed, legislation that allows people to surrender drugs without legal consequences. We then get them into detox and a rehabilitation program. If they need help paying for treatment, we can help them with that, too. We do everything we can to keep it in the social service arena and out of the criminal justice system.
“To protect the public from active shooter situations, we partnered with the DOD (Department of Defense) and received a half-million dollars in grants to run active shooter trainings. These drills are coordinated with our federal, state and county law enforcement partners and have been a viable tool in showing us what we’re doing right, what we’re doing wrong and how to do things better.
“All of these challenges require a different mindset among police agencies. We’re constantly evolving to stay in front of the curve.”
Few officers get to lead an agency in their career.
“There have been so many rewarding moments in my nearly 40-year career, but by far the most rewarding was taking the oath and being given the opportunity to lead this agency [West Orange Police Department].
“Yes, I was appointed by elected officials, but those elected officials were put in office by the people. My appointment to chief therefore reflects the confidence of the public. That’s something I take very seriously.
“So few officers get to lead an agency in their career. I’m very privileged to be one of them.”
The badge we wear is a symbol of the public’s trust.
“Young police officers today seem to grasp the concept that it is a privilege – not a right – to serve. The badge we wear is a symbol of the trust given us by the public, and we appreciate that the public has given us that confidence.
“It’s a tremendous amount of responsibility. Integrity is indispensable, as are training, education and the experience of not only learning from within [your own agency] but taking notice of what occurs in other agencies – both good and bad.
“We’re always striving to be at the forefront, to figure out how we can do things better. From traffic accidents to demonstrations, we’re always asking ourselves: How can we do this better?”
–Chief James Abbott, West Orange Police Department, New Jersey
Public Safety Voices | Police Chief Jennifer Tejada
Our history has led us to this place in time; we have to own the negative narrative that’s out there.
“The biggest challenge we face in policing today is the lack of public trust in who we are, what we do and our reason for being. Our history has led us to this place in time; we have to own the negative narrative that’s out there — to respond to and understand law enforcement’s role in the history of society’s unjust treatment of communities of color. We need to look at how we do things, hold ourselves accountable and figure out how we can build public trust.
“There are many issues we’re all facing as a result: Recruitment is the most significant. The negative narrative we’re in creates the impression that this isn’t a great profession to join. We’re facing a lack of diversity: We’re having a difficult time recruiting females, and people from different cultures and ethnicities.
“Another major issue is that officers are being called on to do things that aren’t necessarily aligned with our training, such as being the main social worker. Social transformation is now our role by default. Mental health issues, housing issues, drug addiction — we respond to it all. The problem is, we don’t have the resources to train people to be everything to the communities we serve.
“Looking forward, it’s not a very optimistic landscape.”
This profession and the nobility of it and the ability to serve in this capacity defines my day and who I am.
“I never lose sight of that. We are selfless in this profession. The rewards are few and far between.
“When I look back and think about the reminders of why this is important, I think about things like getting letters from domestic violence victims I helped. One in particular comes to mind — she was in a really terrible and violent relationship of 20 years. A year after she got out, she wrote to thank me and to let me know she was safe. If we hadn’t taken the extra time with her the night she was badly beaten and pistol whipped, and given her the encouragement she needed, she would probably be dead.
“Stories like that remind me to keep doing what we’re doing. We do good work, and sometimes, at the lowest point in a person’s life, we’re all they have.”
Every officer came into this career with every intention of being a hero of the community.
“Look at the human behind the badge. No one enters this profession to do something wrong. We all enter it to do good, to be pillars in the community.
“Today’s policing calls on us to deal with so much of society’s ills. It’s an emotionally and physically challenging job.
“We’re called upon to solve issues that have nothing to do with crime suppression. But every officer out there came into this career with every intention of being a hero of the community. There’s a human behind that badge with good intentions. Too often we forget to recognize their value and what they contribute to society.
“We have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession, also one of the highest rates of depression, anxiety, obesity and cardiovascular disease. We [those in positions of leadership] often don’t pay attention to the emotional needs of our personnel. We don’t give our staff the resources to address the constant stress experienced in this profession. We have largely ignored the relationship between stress, trauma and resiliency.
“We’re at a time where the burden is greater than it’s ever been. We need to figure out how we can create and maintain resiliency in our officers and our profession so we can be the best we can be.”
–Jennifer Tejada, Chief of Police, Emeryville Police Department
Public Safety Voices | Fire Chief Brian Fennessy
The volume of emergency medical service calls is increasing every year – to all our detriment.
“The increased volume of emergency medical service calls, especially in large metro departments, is a big topic of conversation everywhere. It continues to increase exponentially every year – so much so that the current trend is unsustainable. People who aren’t experiencing life-threatening emergencies are calling 911, which leaves our resources unavailable to respond to genuine emergencies. So we’re looking at our EMS response system and modifying how we respond to these calls.”
I can train just about anyone to be a firefighter, but I can’t train them to be a good person.
“Traditionally the fire service has not done a good job of preparing its future leaders; we’ve relied primarily on luck. The cost that comes from not developing your leaders can have huge ramifications.
“Many of our engine and truck companies are responding to calls for service nearly continuously each day. The ability to treat people with dignity when you’re tired and you’ve already run 30-plus calls can be a challenge for some, but it’s a critical part of the job. During the hiring process we do all we can to determine whether candidates share our organizational values and principles: I can train just about anyone to be a firefighter, but I can’t train them to be a good person. Someone who doesn’t have the right qualities can cause a lot of harm to the department and the public.
“We’re putting time into developing leaders at every level of the department (12 years ago we initiated a leader development program), and the results are clear. There are some amazing stories coming up about firefighters going above and beyond. For example, one of my engine companies recently responded to an elderly female who fell and cracked her head open on the hardwood floor in her home. After the crew had treated her and transported her to the hospital, they went back to the house, made entry, and cleaned up the area in her house where she had fallen (there was a lot of blood) so she wouldn’t have to return home to deal with cleaning that up all by herself.
Times of San Diego
“Another example came on a medical call – cardiac arrest. The engine crew responded quickly and took good care of the husband, as well as every family member there. The wife called me later that week to share how our crew had treated her husband and family with great care and dignity. I asked how her husband was recovering. She told me he had passed away. Even though she had just lost her husband of many years, she called to thank us for the care we gave him and her family. That says a lot about the quality and character of our firefighters.
“Statistics demonstrate that most people will never call 911 in their lives. However, when they do, they may be experiencing the worst day of their life. We have to remember that – to treat people well. The citizen and their family will remember that day forever. Those are the kinds of things that are most important.”
There’s no greater threat in San Diego than a wildfire.
“Wildfires are always a big concern here; there’s no greater threat to life and property in San Diego. It’s year-round, and climate change has only made it worse.
“Last year, more than 11,000 structures were destroyed in the state of California, and hundreds of thousands of acres were blackened. The average annual rainfall in the city is approximately 11 inches. We’ve received a fraction of that this year, meaning that we expect to experience critical fire conditions once again this year. And once the Santa Ana winds start blowing, we’re going to experience some fires that are uncontrollable.”
We show up ready.
“The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department has some of the best trained firefighters in the country. We work hard and spend a lot of time and resources on training. We’re also fortunate to have the best equipment available and the latest technology at our fingertips.
“We do this so that when we do arrive, our citizens have some of the most highly trained firefighters in the country taking care of them. We take a lot of pride in that. We’re going to show up, solve your problem, do it quickly – and treat you with great care and dignity.”
–Chief Brian Fennessy, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department
Public Safety Voices | Former Deputy Chief John Haas
Vacancies should be filled by those looking to make the world a better place.
“In general, this is a really challenging time for law enforcement. Bad judgment needs to be addressed. It’s getting a little tougher to hire good people and, as a result, agencies are dropping their standards just to get people in, which is only going to make things worse. It might solve the vacancy rate, but in the long term, it’s going to be an issue: problem employees create liability, poor community/police relations, bad media and press.
“Agencies need to hire the best and brightest they can – experienced, worldly, mature – those who are looking to make the world a better place.”
There are three events that stick out in my mind as “defining moments.”
“9/11 – the Pentagon is in Arlington, so we [Arlington County PD] were the first responders for that. I was in Miami Beach that day and immediately tried to get back home when it happened, but every travel avenue was booked. So, I ended up driving home in this huge white Cadillac.
“I’ll never forget the feeling of not being there. I was very disappointed I couldn’t be there with my department, helping. By the time I got there a couple of days later, everyone was so exhausted –emotionally, mentally, physically spent. But I was fresh and could take command of the situation, so that was actually a good thing. The first thing I did was walk to the site … and it impacts me still today.
“The second event was a hostage situation that took place when I was evening section commander. A former husband had taken his wife hostage. He was armed. We negotiated all through the night, and it kept getting worse and worse and worse. Finally, I authorized the SWAT team to go in. There were three rounds of shots and officers down. My heart stopped and for a moment I thought I’d sent three officers to their graves. Luckily, they all sustained minor injuries and had killed the hostage-taker – but that was really hard. It’s an awesome responsibility.
“And the third event (actually two events) involved use of deadly force — when I could have used deadly force and didn’t. One was the right call, and one was wrong. In the first event, I was working midnight shift when I came up on two guys breaking into a building. I got one guy on the ground, and he pulled a gun. I thought it was a toy gun and didn’t shoot. But it was real and if the guy had pulled the trigger, I would have been dead.
“The second time was during a burglary in progress. There was a woman screaming and crying on the front lawn. She convinced me that someone was in the basement. I went to investigate, and there was a dark figure in the corner. I started giving orders. But the figure didn’t move. It took me a few minutes, but I finally figured out it was a stuffed gorilla.”
What should people know about us? Cops get scared, too.
“Cops get scared, too. Split-second decisions in the field can be very, very difficult. We’re only human, and sometimes we make a mistake.
“But there are two types of mistakes: mistakes of the head, which are due to a lack of training, poor judgment, etc., and there are mistakes of heart – when you know it was wrong, but you did it anyway. When you make the latter, it’s time to leave.”
–Former Deputy Chief (retired) John Haas, Arlington County Police Department, Arlington, Va.