A Simple Lesson: Veteran Cop Shares His Wisdom

On December 15^th, 1989, I graduated from the New York City Police Academy. As a member of the now-defunct New York City Housing Authority Police Department, I was assigned to Police Service Area #6 (P.S.A. 6) in the confines of the 32^nd precinct in Harlem. My field training officer was a man named Joe Brown. Joe was a twenty-year veteran and a long-time field training officer who took his duties seriously. We were gathered in a classroom in the community center of the Drew Hamilton Houses on 143^rdStreet near the PSA for in service training. Joe was the first of the field training officers to address us. He stood in the front of the room and eyed all of us young rookies with a serious stare.

“Let me start by saying that the only people who are impressed that you’re a cop are your parents,” he said. “The way you’re going to get respect and earn the trust of the people in the community is by treating the folks you meet the way you’d want another cop to treat your mother. If a cop pulled over your mom and talked to her rudely, you’d chew his head off.” Joe paused and observed us. “If someone stops you on the street, talk to them. Help an old woman with her packages. Hold the door for the person behind you. Be nice and don’t act like you’re someone special. You need to give respect to get respect, and if you run around thinking you’re Dirty Harry, you’re going to get killed.”

After our lesson in the community room, we went on patrol. I was stationed on a foot post at the corner of Amsterdam Avenue and 125^thStreet. Being from Long Island, I was unused to the hustle and bustle of the city, yet I had an appreciation for the neighborhood I was assigned to protect. A gentleman in his forties approached me and asked me if I was new. The grin on his face indicated that he knew the answer. I told him I was in field training, and he said that he could tell because I was a “new jacket.” The man referred to my brand new duty jacket with the clean patches and my shiny, new shield pinned to my chest.

We spoke for several minutes. After exchanging pleasantries, he said goodbye and walked away. Days later, I was given the same post. I noticed a limousine parked at the curb not too far ahead of me. The limo driver opened the rear door and a man in a tuxedo stepped out. He paused, turned around, and took the hand of a beautiful woman wearing a fur coat. The man in the tuxedo saw me and called out, “Hello Officer, remember me?” I approached him and tried to play it off as though I knew exactly who he was.

“You don’t remember me do you? That’s okay, I wasn’t wearing this.” The man pointed to his attire and smiled wide. It dawned on me that he was the gentleman I spoke to a few nights before. We shook hands and he introduced me to his wife and then turned his attention back to me.

“I’m glad you’re here in this neighborhood, officer. We need young cops like you who are polite and willing to do the job. I’m a doctor. I grew up in this building here, and tonight, I took my lovely wife to a Broadway show. I feel safer knowing that you’re around when I come home each night.”

When we parted ways, I was impressed that a man of his stature appreciated the presence of motivated police officers in his neighborhood. If I had been aloof or dismissive during our first encounter, I not only would have missed out on meeting a remarkable person, but I would have lessened his confidence in the police. 

Throughout my career, I treated citizens with dignity and respect. I was impatient with officers who would no adhere to the basic rule of “do unto others,” and I passed on this insight to rookies who came on the job after me. Joe Brown’s wisdom was proof that courtesy and respect are crucial for police to win the public trust.

After field training, the officers in my unit and our instructors gathered at a local watering hole. Joe was uncharacteristically bright and cheery. He hugged each of us and wished us all long and healthy careers. It was on that night Joe announced his retirement. We were the last class of rookies he would ever train. The job would soon be in his past, and it would be our duty to carry on where he left off. Six months later, the sad news came. Officer Joe Brown had died. Each day on patrol, I recalled Joe and his simple, yet valuable lesson. I’d like to think I made him proud.

About the Author: Michael J. Kannengieser is the author of the police thriller, The Daddy Rock. He is a retired New York City police officer who lives on Long Island with his wife and two children. Michael worked as the Managing Editor for Fiction at The View from Here magazine, a U.K. based literary publication. Currently, he is employed at a performing arts college as an Instructional Technology Administrator. He has been published at The View from Here, and in Newsday, a Long Island newspaper. Michael speaks as a guest lecturer on campus. Click Here to buy a copy of Michael J. Kannengieser's new novel "The Daddy Rock."

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Good Cops Develop Safe Habits

Police officers rely on their training and experience to get through a single tour of duty. No matter what shift an officer is assigned to, the day tour, four-to-twelve, or midnight tours, the one thing keeping law enforcement officers attentive and careful is the desire to go home at the end of their shift. Much of the training recruits receive in the academy is focused on remaining alert and vigilant while on routine patrol. The ability to concentrate on details such as suspicious vehicles or individuals behaving in an unusual way, or hearing cries for help, are key aspects of effective policing. However, it is human nature to become lax, careless, and tired; this could be dangerous. Boredom and a fatigue are huge factors leading to poor performance, and to combat this, officers can develop good habits while on patrol.

There are techniques cops can use which will keep them safe even when they are suffering from exhaustion and there seems to be no activity in their sector. An officer can enter a dangerous situation and need emergency backup while on foot patrol or in a marked sector car quite unexpectedly. Calling for assistance on the radio and while unaware of one’s precise location can prove fatal. When chasing a suspect into a building, failure to take note of the address and losing track of which floor you’re on will prevent you from getting backup. An experienced officer will be able to inform the central dispatcher of their street address, the floor they are on, apartment number, and the nearest cross street without having to think about it. The ability to recite vital information under duress comes from not only becoming familiar with the area where the officer is assigned, but from taking note of the street name, direction of travel, and numbers of the businesses or homes. By keeping a running, internal monologue of these details, especially during periods of inactivity, cops can save themselves and citizens in need when a call for urgent backup is necessary.

Another technique employed by experienced officers in urban locations is to always look up before entering a building. Veteran cops will take the time to scan the structure from the top down from a safe distance to notice anyone who may be on the roof, or at the windows, and to also observe any items tossed at them from above by individuals willing to hurt them. As a rookie New York City police officer, I was taught by senior officers in my squad to beware of debris tossed from rooftops and out of windows at unsuspecting officers. While many in the community welcome police patrols in their neighborhoods, the sad reality is that there are those who do not. As such, there are individuals who will harm police officers by such means, and often they can escape arrest by retreating anonymously into the building.

Reciting aloud license plate numbers of suspicious vehicles, before pulling them over helps cops remember them more effectively in case the officer needs to provide this information to the central dispatcher if the driver pulls away. Saying the description of a vehicle (color, year, make, model, etc.) or a suspect (their clothing, hair color, height, build, etc.) audibly helps an officer recall these details efficiently. Getting into the habit of speaking the numbers, a person’s description, and even one’s location, increases your ability to remember them.

Finally, monitoring the radio for activity outside your sector is of extreme importance while on patrol. In busy precincts, officers have all they can do to pay attention to what is going on in their immediate surroundings. However, staying aware of the activity in neighboring sectors and precincts is crucial because often times officers will call for backup and you may need to come to their aid. There are also scenarios where other units are in pursuit of a vehicle or a suspect on foot who is heading in your direction and you will find yourself in position to intercept them. Also, if an officer informs the central dispatcher that they have a vehicle stopped at a certain location, and later on you hear that officer calling for assistance, knowing that officer’s last known location is vital to being able to respond to their call for backup.

Police work is inherently dangerous, and when performed with due diligence while utilizing proper training one can still fall victim to harm. However, if officers develop good habits while on patrol, they reduce the risk associated with their duties and may return home safely after a successful tour of duty. 

About the author: Michael J. Kannengieser is the author of the police thriller, The Daddy Rock. He is a retired New York City police officer who lives on Long Island with his wife and two children. Michael worked as the Managing Editor for Fiction at The View from Here magazine, a U.K. based literary publication. Currently, he is employed at a performing arts college as an Instructional Technology Administrator. He has been published at The View from Here, and in Newsday, a Long Island newspaper. Michael speaks as a guest lecturer on campus.

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