Cindy Pontes

LEPS 580
October 12, 2018
October 12, 2018

CONFIDENTIAL

Subject: Presentation to the Police Chief

The political pressure from the current case feels insurmountable due to the belief officers are
failing to turn on their BWC’s. The chief has agreed to fire Jessica because the Department needs
someone to blame (Cloke, Goldsmith, 2011, page 277). He has the false expectation (Cloke, Goldsmith,
2011, page 277) that the BWC’s will work when officers press the activation button. The chief fears he
will lose his job, and he needs to show the public he is willing to fire an officer. This action will save his
position.

The first tool that will facilitate my presentation to the chief is Respond respectfully and
nondefensively, acknowledging and addressing the other person’s concerns first (Cloke, Goldsmith, 2011,
page 52). I will actively listen to the chief’s concerns and acknowledge his needs and feelings. Once the
chief feels heard and understood; I will explain why I believe the BWC’s are faulty and have a history of
not activating when officers push the button. I will provide him with the research and allow him an
opportunity to absorb the information. I will answer any questions he may have and let him know I will
fully support him in retaining Jessica. I will offer to stand at the podium during community meetings and
press conferences to deliver the message and field all the questions.

The second tool I will utilize is State your interests instead of your positions (Cloke, Goldsmith,
2011, page 53-54). I will explain I am interested in the success of our Department and the wellbeing of
our officers. We will continue to have these issues if we do not replace our BWC’s. The chief can’t hold
the officers accountable for faulty equipment. I am also interested in retaining a good officer and
maintaining positive morale within the Department. If the chief fires Jessica, morale will decrease. We
recently lost four officers in the line of duty; we can’t lose another one without valid cause. I believe
Jessica did nothing wrong, and this will create an environment of distrust amongst the officers toward
management. There is no reason for Jessica to lie about not turning on her BWC. She has nothing to
hide. We can show the public the BWC’s are faulty and that we are taking action by supplying our
officers with new BWC’s that function appropriately.

The chief was not aware of the history of the faulty BWC’s. The chief immediately ordered new
BWC’s and agreed to retain Jessica. He called for a meeting with legal counsel and HR. The following
week a press conference was held where the chief explained why the BWC failed to activate and why
Jessica will not be fired. The Department then filed a lawsuit against the BWC manufacturer.

References

Cloke K., Goldsmith J., (2011). Resolving Conflicts At Work; Ten Strategies For Everyone On The Job. San
Fransisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.