Change Responsibly – Stretching the Police:
The occupational dichotomy between the enforcer and guardian ethos is a powerful pendulum swing in either direction.
Author Archives
Dr. Scott Silverii
Christ follower, husband, dad, author and retired chief of police discovering the amazing side of a servant's life.
FIT@50 / week 70
FIT@50 / week 70 White Flag: The white flag is usually associated with surrender. I’m not about to wave that sucker. This week my flag has been the Irish’s color of kelly green. Though it’s a bit exhausting. I’ve had a great time chronicling Liliana Hart and my adventures across Europe – If you’ve just awaken, check hashtag #EuroDash16 I’m going to minimize this post because I have to wear a shirt and regular pants for tonight’s event, and someone has to […]
FIT@50 / week 69
FIT@50 / week 69 Price of Pizza: This week while in Paris, Liliana Hart and I took off on the city in a series of pedicab driven adventures. To say the experience was anything less than epic would be an understatement. But at what price? I’m always talking with her and our kids about situational awareness. The boys think it’s funny, while the girls think I’m trying to make the junior high boys afraid of them (maybe both.) After […]
FIT@50 / week 68
mostly listen to little voices laughing, and reading to each other, or one would wander off into the dark imagining he was Ironman, while they watched lightening bugs spark throughout the wooded backyard.
FIT@50 / week 67
FIT@50 / week 67 Just Do It: I can tell you that the last place you would have found me on a Thursday night is the opera house. Yet, guess where I spent Thursday night? Yep, downtown Dallas at an opera house. Liliana Hart and I do lots of things for and because of each other. We’re a team, and it’s what we do. But when it comes to finding something that five very different kids agree on, she and […]
FIT@50 / week 66
FIT@50 / week 66 True Power: “When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.” – Jimi Hendrix This week I received two notices about Chief of Police positions in Louisiana. My immediate thoughts were “No thanks.” It was about this time last year that I’d announced my August 28th retirement date. I would’ve never in a million years thought retirement from the only job I’d known would’ve been a reality. To be honest, […]
FIT@50 / week 65
FIT@50 / week 65 It’s Because: Guys, this week has been so incredible. It was actually after 11:00pm before Liliana Hart reminded me it was Friday and that I’d forgotten to post my FIT@50. That’s just how amazing this week has been. This was our first family vacation since Disney last Christmas. We swam, BBQ’d, go-carts, arcades, stayed up watching movies, and ate bacon late at night (don’t ask). It was also our anniversary (I remembered) Memories from my childhood were so […]
FIT@50 / week 64
FIT@50 / week 64 3 Seconds: A few years back I wanted to compete in a triathlon. There was only one problem. I was a 260 lbs powerlifter and had no clue how to swim. I walked until I could jog and jogged until I could run. I bought a cheap bike until I could sustain the mileage and then I bought a less cheap bike. I taught myself to swim, but nearly drown in my first race under the white caps. […]
Memorial Day – You Are Never Forgotten
FIT@50 / week 63
FIT@50 / week 63 Retired Watch: I’ve worn this watch for many years. It’s probably not worked more often than it has. Yet, I wear it without fail. Why? It’s what I’ve tried explaining to Liliana Hart for years. This watch has been with me through the best and worst times in my life. While strapped around my wrist, it has hugged my sons, been complimented by a United States Attorney, swam miles in pools and open water, endured years of graduate school, survived […]
FIT@50 / week 62
It’s also that humanity that has stirred my emotions all week. I still miss each of my 7 friends who died in the line of duty. Actually, I grieve for the 20,789 names of American law enforcement officers senselessly killed while doing only what we all swore to do – Serve and Protect.
Common Sense, Ain’t So Common
Common Sense, Ain’t So Common So this week I had to get my new bike from Louisiana back to Dallas. Simple, right? No problem I told my wife, I’ll drive it there. The small voice in the back of my skull whispered, “You’ve not been on a bike in over 20 years.” I dismissed that little voice. It then said, “It’s about 525 miles, and it’s already 3:00 pm,” pesky voice spoke out. So what I thought. That little voice tried again, […]
FIT@50 / week 60
I’m a Mondaholic. With great intentions to start everything from being more productive in my work, to going to bed at a normal hour, it all was set to start on the next Monday.
FIT@50 / week 45
FIT@50 / week 45 Red Soles & Big Smiles: Yes, my wife, Liliana Hart has an affinity for those snappy shoes with the iconic red soles, but it wasn’t a purchase that brought about smiles. It’s my role as a support team member that had me grinning like I’d just busted a drug dealer. Being FIT means being able and prepared to adjust to life’s challenges or demands. I’d served in a command capacity since 1992 when I supervised my […]
The Eulogy: 2015
The Eulogy: 2015 Over the last few days I’ve witnessed so many who’ve cursed or eulogized the last year; yes 2015. Instead of rejoicing in the 365 days of life God allowed them, they dismiss the gifts of grace in hopes of happenstance instantly or magically changing their circumstances. What makes a person believe that the tick of a second-hand tock is going to erase the hardships, the failures, the could-have-beens, the should-have-beens and the never-have-beens? Good things happen, bad things happen, […]
FIT@50 / week 40
FIT@50 / week 40 Big Shoes Facebook launches these memories and top posts apps along with other fun and invasive things […]
FIT@50 / week 39
I walked across water
Game Changers
Overnight, SWAT took a back seat to the Patrol Officer, as rapid response required immediate deployment to neutralize the threat.
The Donut and San Bernardino
The Donut and San Bernardino NOTE: I originally wrote this for my Facebook page, which has since gone viral across the web. I wanted to share it with you – it’s been copy pasted in the original content from my page at Chief Scott Silverii, PhD. As a non-fan of professional baseball I always thought how ridiculous it was when players stepped on deck and began swinging their bat with the weighted ring (donut) on it. Good thing I’m not the commissioner of […]
What A Year
What A Year My wife and I are hustling to accomplish everything we still have on our plates. That was until I read her 2015 recap she’d prepared for a monthly newsletter. It was after reading this (below) that I realized – WOW – what a year. Feeling like I’d neglected this blog, I looked back at some point and realized something had to give (or bend.) I’d worked so hard to build this site over the last years, but life’s demands […]
FIT@50 / week 25
FIT@50 / week 25 The Ghost On Saturday I drove around the city in my POV (personally owned vehicle), sorry cop talk. I noticed drivers without seatbelts, easing through stop signs, and generally just motoring about their business. On the previous Friday, I’d been in my police cruiser. It had a wholly different effect. People immediately put on their seatbelts, they completely stopped at signs and they glance or nodded as they motored about their business. I thought on that Saturday, “I’m […]
Chief Scott Silverii’s Last Day & Final Message – I’m Taking The Sign
They’ve been an amazing experience, and while times were trying, most were rewarding.
FIT@50 / week 24
I witnessed hardened men – modern day warriors, sling their machine guns to carry children, pets or the elderly.
Does It Count?
If you visit with someone in your dream and it is so real that you see, smell, feel, hear and sense everything as if you were awake, does that count as visiting with them? I’m not talking about outlandish, sci-fi, or other world experiences. I mean with people. Often I’ll meet someone and we hit it off like old friends. After a few quick comments, we begin to share testimonies in a natural flow of conversation. I always believe the Holy Spirit […]
FIT@50 / week 23
FIT@50 / week 23 Less than half: Becoming fit often requires sacrifice. Be it food, ice cream, cake (yes, I went there), and often the bed. Hold on, this ain’t frisky talk. It’s about years focused on accumulation. Once I got fit, gathering meant less. The bed is a regular reminder. My kiddo still comes to sleep in the big bed on occasion. After five minutes, he has twisted and twirled and torqued until I’m on the very edge. Sleep may go […]
FIT@50 / week 22: Unmasked
expectation of going home and pretending like nothing special or horrific happened.
Chief Scott Silverii, PhD Announces Retirement
Hi All, It’s official – I’m retiring from law enforcement on August 28, 2015. I tried to think of an introspective post about bringing a career that began in 1990 to a close, but I could never capture what these years have meant to me. I told a friend that cop years are like hard dog years. I’ve had times that tore at my soul, but as many or more than have touched it. In the end, it’s been faith, family and […]
FIT@50 / week 20
FIT@50 / week 20 Sweet surprise: Last Sunday was 7 weeks married. We’ve known each other for a while now, but we always talk about the kids. Blended families are not to be left to an assumption they’ll just work out. They take effort, patience and understanding. There’s a fine line to balance in these relationships. Sun Tzu said that the leader who is complimented for his pleasant personality in his first year of command, is mocked because of it every year […]
FIT@50 \ week 19
FIT@50 \ week 19 Sidelined Growing up playing every sport imaginable, the idea of being sidelined was inconceivable. As I’ve grown more “fit”, the idea of shining light on others while supporting from the bench is amazing. I considered what a difference a week makes. We were in NYC for a thriller writers’ conference dominated by a different crowd – okay, it’s still very much a boys club. Liliana Hart stood aside as authors introduced themselves to discuss crime and mystery […]
FIT@50 \ week 18
FIT@50 \ week 18 Broken: Don’t Do It “They broke me.” Those words were hard to hear. “I know. It’s what they do,” was all I could say. The somber, wooden expression in my friend’s face showed what two decades of service could do to even the most dedicated. Some professions require a certain adherence to its culture, although not part of the official policy. Mavericks, self-starters and long-haired freaky people need not apply. Unfortunately, the conflict between old school tradition and […]
Fit@50 / week 17
Fit@50 / week 17 The more things change: The last time I was in NYC was the early 1990’s working a wiretap for the DEA. My partner and I came up to join with the NYPD & DEA’s New York field office to track down criminals operating across country. WOW, that was a long time ago, but coming back this week also included lots of concentration on crime and dastardly villains. I’m presenting and attending International Thriller Writers Organization’s ThrillerFest while on […]
FIT@50 \ week 16
Unplugged & Replugged: Last week was an amazing experience. I spent the weekend with my wife,Liliana Hart on a Trek Travels cycling trip through northern California. The grapes were the only things online out there. No cell or internet service, and the wifi was spotty to say the least. So what did I do with my cell phone? Used it as a camera to capture pics of the beauty of our country and the fun with new friends. I’d unplugged. And it […]
FIT@50 \ week 14
FIT@50 \ week 14 Balance Thursday night at a family birthday supper my niece said how odd it looked to see a wedding ring on my hand. I said it throws me off balance. Then I thought about what I said. There’s a weight associated with this ring. It’s called balance. To shift from decades of doing what I wanted, when I wanted to coordinating daily calendars for meeting the needs of the family took balance. Shifting gears from an “I want” […]
FIT@50 \ week 13
FIT@50 \ week 13 Sacrifice: Putting Others First WOW, what a week of being FIT@50. I got married—how cool is that. Liliana Hart and I had planned the wedding months in advance, but even before that, we had options to throw any size event, anywhere we wanted. The choice was simple – lets do this for our families. Putting others first was the right decision. Our kids come after God, so to make sure not only the young, but the not so […]
FIT@50 / week 12
I have no agenda, or master plan—I just enjoy people.
FIT@50 \ week 10
FIT@50 \ week 10 Tough Decisions: Right Reasons Friday is the kiddo’s last day of school. He’s happy. I’m happy. It’s been a banner year, but it didn’t come without challenged emotions–mine. The end of every school year includes an evaluation called IEP – individualized education program. It outlines his performance as compared to an expectation of established goals. At the end of last school year, we all sat in those small desks and chairs to form an odd semi-circle of uncomfortable […]
God covers all the bases.
God covers all the bases. Holding Max while he sleeps, I miss my mom more than ever. Always wishing that he could’ve known his “Nonny,” breaks my heart. For most of his young life I seldom mentioned my mom—speaking her name remains painful. As he matured I began to talk about “Nonny” and show him pictures. She was a God-loving, gentle soul. They would have loved each other. After 20 years unmarried, I finally began to pray for a wife because God […]
FIT@50 \ week 9
FIT@50 \ week 9 Signs and wonders: As I’ve matured, leaning on faith has become something on which I focus. Wishing I could say it came easy wouldn’t be the truth. I think it’s a by-product of occupational conditioning. Cops assume everything someone says is naturally not the truth until proven otherwise. Skepticism requires a difficult deprogramming process, but is necessary for learning to trust others. The bible talks about reliance upon signs and wonders versus leaning on faith. As I’ve learned […]
FIT@50 \ week 8
FIT@50 \ week 8 Teamwork: I’ve been a part of teams my entire life – from sports to SWAT. Victory by each definition was the ultimate goal, and I trained to achieve them like my life depended on it. In some cases it actually did. This past weekend, Liliana Hart and I joined our most favorite team to challenge ourselves and each other in an adventure run. Team Us enjoyed the planning, and kidding about how we’d perform. We even had fun […]
FIT@50 \ week 7
FIT@50 \ week 7 Standing Guard: I stood watch all night as poor kiddo was in and out of the bathroom. Watching from the foot of his bed I realized how easy it was to know when to react based on his body’s movements of feeling distressed. Being FIT requires an ability to guard against the things in life not so obvious. Things such as gossip and harsh words against your character. While you don’t have control over when or what naysayers […]
Saturday Stretch: When the greatest threat is yourself
Saturday Stretch: When the greatest threat is yourself The love God shows me is undeserved, yet unconditional. Each year I reflect on my son’s birthday and the circumstances surrounding it. The lesson of grace was shown to me that night, so I share it with you today. My son’s birth delivery came fast and complicated. Down syndrome was the blessing yet unknown at the time. Having zero experience with it—the depth of despair was deep. I hadn’t known sadness that intense since […]
FIT@50 \ week 6
PLEASE SHARE to SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAX
Hug a Police Dispatcher – Do it today
This week honors Emergency Dispatchers – the life lines who answer frantic 9-1-1 calls, dispatches officers to the scene and records the funny or painful details of each call for service. Often unsung, Emergency Communications Operators are the true heroes – Hug a Police Dispatcher – Do it today
FIT@50 \ week 5
FIT@50 \ week 5 Legacy Building Talking with a newly promoted commander I encouraged him to consider how he wanted to be remembered. “Think about building your legacy today,” I said, “not on your deathbed.” He leapt to his feet and shared a movie scene he felt applied. Warring kings agreed to have their respective champions fight in their place. King A calls a giant, menacing soldier. King B calls a guy—who’d decided to sleep in that morning. An apprentice was dispatched […]
FIT@50 \ week 4
FIT@50 \ week 4: 1 hour – I was feeling a bit omniscient this week as my 25th year in law enforcement roared around. Sharing a few old stories with the guys helped me reflect on how incredibly different my life had turned out. Our historical journey migrated to a generational generalization. You know the one about, “kids now a days…” Seems the moment 8 hours of accrued leave is earned, some employees miraculously become ill for precisely 8 hours. Just then […]
It’s My Anniversary:
the sacrifices are noble when offered with a sincere heart.
Be blessed by simple gifts
FIT@50 \ week 3
FIT@50 \ week 3 Empathy: It’s okay to care. No matter how “fit” I’ve become, minding my own business has always been my business. During the many years in special operations my job was to know other’s secrets. I was good at my job. Knowing the darkest moments in another person’s life is a cross of confidentiality I understood I’d carry to my grave. Over the years it might have even caused me to construct a wall around my empathetic understanding. During […]
FIT@50 \ week 2
FIT@50 \ week 2 Finding this picture earlier I thought about how much better shape I was then than now. Behind my computer the adrenaline returned to re-experience the rush. I still sensed the empty state of exhaustion after having completed an open water swim and a long bike, to only prepare for a long run. Then I took a deep breath, hit “save” on this document and looked at the picture of me. In that chaotic ocean of nylon, Velcro and […]
FIT@50 \ week 1
“…when I began the Friday posts my goal was to exercise like a teenager leading up to his prom night.”