8/8/14 I attended the Louisiana Municipal Association Conference in
Baton Rouge last week, and found the experience enlightening. I had earlier attended the Louisiana
Association of Chiefs of Police. As with any profession, one can find a
professional organization made up of peers, experts, novices, and retirees, and
attending those conferences and gatherings will enhance your knowledge. Admitting that I don’t know everything about
what I do, nor have experience in every conceivable scenario, I feel it is my
duty and obligation to take every opportunity to glean from others, gain from
their experience, and yes, be open to new concepts, new methods and ideas. Attending such conferences can also serve as
a valuable networking tool, and occasionally result in dividends and benefits
that would not normally come knocking on your door. At both gatherings, I was able to network with other Chiefs,
Mayors, and council members, as well as state officials and experts. I visited dozens of exhibits, talked to many
vendors, and brought home a stack of material.
But, more than the casual meetings, I found that when I spoke about our
wonderful community, the needs of our people, and the essential upgrades to our
police department, I was met with interested listeners, and several people
willing to assist me in attaining some of those upgrades. My wife has taught me that a donation you don’t
receive is the one you didn’t ask for; so, I am not too proud to ask! Guess you could say that a common theme at both conferences
was the emphasis on working together, not just getting along for the sake of
peace, but to actually work together to tackle issues, and that means setting
aside personal biases and prejudices, listening with respect to the voices of
others, and presenting to the community that elected you a body of elected
officials that really are able to work together for the common good. As in any venture you set out for, any goal you set, or any
trial you may be going through, we were not met to do it alone. We really are in the same boat. Whether it is a mayor, an alderman or a
police chief, the key to moving the boat forward is that all rows in unison and
in the same direction, understanding that each must maintain a level of independence. But, for the sake of our community, the
families we serve and the children under our care, we must have as our number
one priority – working together, asking
for help when we need it, and respecting everyone in the boat. |