The Cop's Manifesto shares the five essential qualities that every cop, and every person, should strive for in their life. Brought to you by Chief John Patrick Weiss. Visit Chief Weiss at www.JohnPatrickWeiss.com.

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The Cop’s Manifesto
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Five Essential Qualities
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2. Passion
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Law enforcement is a noble profession. Many good men and women have served before you.
On their shoulders we carry on the tradition of protecting and serving. If we are to honor them
we must have a passion for this work. In fact, it should be a calling and not just a job. Passion
means you look forward to coming to work and serving your community. You don’t resent even
the simplest calls for service for you are helping someone, somewhere. You look for opportunities
to help others, including your partners. You take care of your body, eat right and exercise. You
don’t abuse alcohol and you get enough sleep. You enrich your mind with books and try to learn
from others. You do all these things because you are a police officer and you have passion for
your calling. The community members you serve look forward to seeing you and your coworkers
are glad you’re on their shift. You offer to take calls and paper when your partner is overloaded.
You admit mistakes and settle differences with others directly and respectfully. All because you
have passion for this honorable profession.
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3. Ethics
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Police officers do the right thing. Not the convenient, expedient or easiest, but the right thing.
Retired Louisiana Police Captain Jere Joiner illustrated this in the following quote: “ Integrity is
what people do when no one else is looking. It is total commitment to honesty in every aspect of
a person’s life. Integrity goes to the core of conduct, what people believe in their heart of hearts.
It cannot be bought or bestowed. It does not come with office, title or appointment. It simply
exists. The person who has integrity rarely claims it. The person who claims it rarely has it.
Integrity is best manifested quietly in day to day living and in the workplace. It cannot be stolen
or taken away, however, it can be lost. Integrity is more valuable than riches, awards or world
acclaim. It should be treasured above all things, for after integrity comes decency, honor, trust
and principle.”
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Accountability
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Professional police officers understand that their authority reflects the consent of the people.
Even in a representative democracy some freedoms are curtailed to insure our security. The
public accepts this trade off so long as there is transparency and accountability in government.
To that end, police professionals know that their actions are always subject to review. The best
police agencies maintain informative websites and are responsive to community requests for
information. Officers are not offended by citizens with cell phones videotaping them, for they
know their professional actions are above reproach. Accountable police agencies do not fear
grand juries and media scrutiny. Such agencies view public scrutiny as a chance to reaffirm their
professionalism and dedication to transparency and accountability. Professional police officers
hold themselves accountable. They honor the tradition of “an honest day’s pay for an honest
day’s work.” Such officers own their own mistakes and strive to improve.
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5. Courage
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Courage is not the absence of fear but the will to soldier on in spite of it. It is often said that
police officers run towards the gunfire when others are running away. Their courage in doing so
comes from a higher calling: the fulfillment of a promise to serve and protect. Men and women
who serve in uniform reflect the best in us. They are brave protectors who still believe in the
principles of duty, honor and service. Theodore Roosevelt best expressed this in the following
quote from his “The Man in the Arena” speech:
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6. “ It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or
where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is
actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly;
who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and
shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the
great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the
triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly,
so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor
defeat.”
Empathy
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Merriam-Webster defines empathy as “the feeling that you understand and share another
person’s experiences and emotions: the ability to share someone else’s feelings.” The best law
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7. enforcement officers treat all individuals with basic human dignity, even those struggling on the
margins of society. Beyond the natural desire to help victims, cops recognize that offenders have
their story too. Every person who slips into criminality or addiction represents the lost hopes and
dreams of a parent, spouse, sibling, son, daughter or friend. The best cops may apprehend and
incarcerate violators, but they never abandon their faith in the human spirit to overcome and
change. Cops are pragmatic and understand that some crooks never change, but they don’t give
up on humanity or give in to cynicism.
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You will or have already experienced joy, loss, hope, cynicism, inspiration, exasperation and more
in this proud yet profoundly challenging profession. Colleagues will come and go and the years
will click by. In the end, all you have is your family and your reputation. An unforgiven
conscience is a heavy burden. Make peace with your past mistakes, make amends where you can,
and then proudly stand your post. Your legacy will be the example you set for your family and
others, and those you have helped. If you stay true to the principles of Passion, Ethics,
Accountability, Courage and Empathy, then in your life you will experience what the first letters
of these principles spell, and that is PEACE. Be well, stay safe, laugh a bit and thank you for
your service.
About the Author
John Patrick Weiss is a writer, artist and police chief currently serving in Northern California. To
read more of John’s work, visit his website at www.JohnPatrickWeiss.com. © 2014
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