Just what is this?

Many years ago, I found myself and some friends talking to a veteran police officer about what type of college education would be most helpful for becoming an officer. As genuine ‘wanna be’ teenagers, we were all convinced that police administration degrees (now days called criminal justice degrees), would be the most obvious choice. Our informal mentor made a remark that I have never forgotten. He told us that we should look at getting degrees in business administration because, after all, the police department is just that; a business. For the most part, we thought he was crazy.

Boy oh boy, was he ever right.

During my last 20 and then some years as a police officer I have seen this to be very true, and I have become more and more interested in the ‘business side’ of the policing industry. Interested may be an understatement. I am passionate about the topic, and I am convinced that the formal introduction of real business units in police departments is the next big step in the professionalization of our industry.

This blog is my way of generating conversation about policing and the world of business, by comparing the things that the two worlds have in common, and pointing out the things that go on in a successful corporate world, that can be applied in police agencies.