A Darker Shade of Blue

Understanding Police: My PhD Research

Understanding Police: My PhD Research I’m still in shock over the North Miami Police shooting of Charles Kinsey. I keep waiting for a plausible explanation before I make any comment on this. It’s hard, very hard to just remain silent.   So many folks want to understand the world of law enforcement, but will never gain an objective perspective. My research conducted for my PhD has been published twice – once as a textbook titled, Cop Culture: Why Good Cops Go Bad, []

It’s My Anniversary:

the sacrifices are noble when offered with a sincere heart.

Silence in Policing | A Cultural Revolution

NOTE: Going back through articles I’ve written, this was and still is an important issue in the profession and use of social media by law enforcement. Police Silence in Research This post covers law enforcement’s “Code,” and the blue culture of police silence. I spent several years researching this culture during an anthropological ethnography for my doctorate degree. Going back into my research, I decided to use that as my source for drawing information for this post about the influence of Police []

Police Chief Scott Silverii: Sheepdogs in the Fringe

Editor’s NOTE: Originally posted at The Graveyard Shift as a contributing guest of Lee Lofland. Police Chief Scott Silverii: Sheepdogs in the Fringe I was recently asked to speak at a book reading for the local library to discuss my latest work on cop culture, “A Darker Shade of Blue; From Public Servant to Professional Deviant.” Unsure of what was expected, I looked for key sections or excerpts that might appeal to the civilian public. One of the selections discussed why cops []

I Quit

I Quit Johnny Paycheck popularized this song originally written by David Allen Coe in 1977, and despite having been his only #1 hit, we recall with clarity those famous words, “Take this job and shove it.” He sings about the dissatisfaction and hurt of a man who gave his life to his work without reciprocation of reward. Ok, I’m not quitting, but it gets your attention. It also gains the attention of supervisors, Chiefs and Mayors who ask, “Why?” Well, there are []

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do February 13, 2013 in Featured, Patrol, Posts by Chief Scott Silverii, Ph.D. Let’s explore why it is so hard to “break up” from a job you love and love to not love. before beginning, I was approached by a lady Saturday night while monitoring a downtown nightclub crowd following the Ambrosia Mardi Gras parade. She is not associated with law enforcement and I am not sure who she is. She was kind enough to share having []

Cops; Old Bulls & Young Bulls

January 22, 2013 in Featured, Leadership, Posts by Chief Scott Silverii, Ph.D. Who can forget Robert Duval’s advice to a young LAPD Officer played by Sean Penn in the 1988 movie “Colors?” While Duval’s character may have been referring to operational efficiency more than chronological age, the point is that better results are often associated with maturity. Oakland’s Chief of Police Howard Jordan recently announced increasing the Police Department’s minimum hiring age from 20.5 years to 25 years old. I hope this []

Discover Our “WHY” Week -Day 5

Once you discover your passion, everything else makes sense. This week, lets discuss and discover our “why.” If you liked this message, please share the vision by passing it along. Help ignite a cultural revolution.

Discover Our “WHY” Week – Day 4 – Guest: Sgt. Todd Prevost

I have known “Pre” for many years, and I am thankful for his friendship. Though I may have taught him a bit about POP Squad and SWAT, it was he teaching us about consistency, committment and humility. I am honored that he agreed to share his passion with us. He is blessed for having discovered his “WHY”  Bike Cop, “WHY?” After sixteen years in law enforcement, thirteen spent patrolling on a bicycle, I am still asked, “why?” Many accompany the question with further inquiries into as why I []

Discover Our “WHY” Week -Day 3

Once you discover your passion, everything else makes sense. This week, lets discuss and discover our “why.” If you liked this message, please share the vision by passing it along. Help ignite a cultural revolution.

Discover Our “WHY” Week – Day 1

Once you discover your passion, everything else makes sense. This week, lets discuss and discover our “why.” If you liked this message, please help share the vision by sharing our site.

“PEOPLE I LOVE” Week – Day 1

People I Love Week Dave Paul Thibodaux I recently published a book based on my doctoral dissertation research, A Darker Shade of Blue: From Public Servant to Professional Deviant. It is the culmination of 7 years in graduate school while earning a Master of Public Administration and a Ph.D. This is a commitment I made to sacrifice my time and energies in pursuit of something special to me; education. My friend and dear brother, Dave Paul “DP” Thibodaux also made a commitment, []

CHANGING the CULTURE and HISTORY of POLICING; PART 2

This is a two-part series about the needs, challenges and promises for revolutionizing the profession of policing.  We have performed brilliantly at times, and with an openness for improvement, we will be brilliant always. CHANGING the CULTURE and HISTORY of POLICING  PART 2 This is where the executives become increasingly interested.  There are zero additional expenses associated with the implementation of the DDACTS (Data-Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety) philosophy, strategy or tactic. Officers already assigned to Patrol are, or should []

The Old Bull & the Young Bull

The Old Bull & the Young Bull Written for LET and published this week about the Oakland PD searching for positive change, and the nature of Blue Culture.

01/24/13; Part 2 – CHANGING THE CULTURE AND HISTORY OF POLICING

This is a two-part series about the needs, challenges and promises for revolutionizing the profession of policing.  We have performed brilliantly at times, and with an openness for improvement, we will be brilliant always. Changing the culture and history of policing

Changing the Culture & History of Policing – Part 1

This is a two-part series about the needs, challenges and promises for revolutionizing the profession of policing.  We have performed brilliantly at times, and with an openness for improvement, we will be brilliant always. CHANGING THE CULTURE AND HISTORY OF POLICING  PART 1     The apple never really falls far from the tree, and this remains a truism of policing’s reactive paradigm of responding to crime.  The tree I’m referring to is England’s tithing system begun in 648 A.D. that included []

The Sociology of Racism

The Sociology of Racism.