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Pivotal Experiences Shaping Leadership Approach
Hans Lehman, Assistant Chief of Police, City of Lakeland
Early in my career as a very young sergeant, I had an officer wanting to talk to me about a personal issue who was also a good friend. I had my face buried in my computer and was not giving him any attention when he suddenly pushed my laptop screen down onto my hands and essentially yelled at me, saying, “Why won’t you listen to me?” That was a defining moment for me to be a better listener and have compassion. To this day, I am still hypersensitive to this, so I always try to turn away from my computer when someone is talking to me in my office. This allows me to give them my full attention. Looking back, I am so glad that happened, as it made me better. I continue to try to take that focus with me to community and work meetings and listen instead of talking. Many people just want to be heard.
Navigating Resistance to Departmental Reforms
A couple of years ago, our agency went “all in” on body cameras, and I was the initial lead for the project. There was a big push by the community for us to get them and a lot of pushback by agency members. In the end, we were getting them. A small team of mine had the task of training, issuing, and trying to show members the benefits for the officer, not just citizens. After several months, we finally started gaining traction, and the culture shift started to happen. It took two years to get to that point, but now most officers don’t want to do police work without it. It was constant positive reinforcement and always willing to answer questions to increase buy-in. In the end, we were trying to tell the troops that honesty, transparency, and integrity lead to public trust, and it shows we are an extension of the community.
“Effective law enforcement leadership requires compassion, transparency, and community engagement. By listening, fostering relationships, embracing innovation, and advocating for team members, leaders can build trust, improve public safety, and create a unified approach that strengthens both the agency and the community”
Integrating Specialized Teams with Department Goals
I truly believe in the three main pillars of traffic safety— education, engineering and enforcement—and these pillars can be used across all aspects of law enforcement. No matter what specialty unit you are assigned to, we must educate the community on what we do. This education piece builds trust, community partnerships and relationships, and we do a lot of this through static displays, community outreach and participation in events such as Leadership Lakeland. In looking at engineering, I would compare that to technology for police. This always allows us to look for better and more innovative ways of doing things. Finding efficiencies with staffing shortages is crucial. And finally, we will never arrest our way out of a problem, but enforcement is a critical component of law enforcement and public safety. It is a deterrent, and it must be used in that way. Taking these 3 pillars into daily operations and joint unit operations and initiatives helps get department-wide buy-in and a unified approach.
Defining Moments Reshaping Leadership Philosophy
As a young lieutenant, I was transferred to the Office of Professional Standards, which encompassed Internal Affairs, Planning and Research, Policy Development, and Accreditation. During that time, I saw things from a macro level where decisions impacted the entire agency, not just a squad, shift, or unit. It really made me slow down and think non-critical issues through from various aspects and levels of supervision. From that point on, many of the projects and initiatives I have worked on were thought of from that perspective. I would recommend any supervisor wanting to move through the ranks to work in these types of sections to help learn the business side of the agency, as there are so many different nuances compared to daily operations.
Balancing Accountability with Community Engagement
One of our goals in our strategic plan is community engagement, and we have every one of our 12 lieutenants report out on this every month. We focus on numbers and outputs and outcomes and how problems were solved. This is one of our internal mechanisms. I also frequently check in with my captains and lieutenants. Transparency builds trust and relationships, which helps us be responsive to the community. It allows us to collaborate better and lets community leaders get to know us on a personal level so they are comfortable calling our cell phones. This alone opens up lines of communication and reduces those formal layers and barriers of accessibility
Fostering Police-Community Partnerships and Trust
Our agency has a very strong Community Services Unit that manages over 100 neighborhood associations. We believe strongly in community policing and push that in culture. One way we do this is we try to always have a member present at these monthly meetings. This allows us to be present and available to listen so we can address concerns sooner rather than later. Some issues are very simple to solve, and others may take time or are recurring, but being present allows us the opportunity to work with our citizens. One of our former chiefs used to say, “We are not just a police department, we are your police department.” That has always resonated with me, and I try to always remember that we are the community’s department, and we are here for them to ensure the best quality of life we can.
Advice for Future Law Enforcement Leaders
Technology is not cheap, and I would encourage one to always be on the lookout for different funding sources. It could be a budget appropriation, grant, capital improvement project, or even a donation. Ten years ago, we partnered with a local civic club to buy 100 AEDs for our patrol units to have defibrillators readily available. There was no way that was going to be budgeted, but through conversations, relationships, and civic engagement, the purchase happened. Secondly, to better prepare yourself, you must get out of your comfort zone, get to know other leaders outside of law enforcement, and attend public functions. Those relationships over the years will yield great things and come to fruition when you become a member of the senior leadership team. Finally, never take someone’s WANT away. When you kill someone’s WANT, they no longer want to help or work for the agency or be part of the team, which can lead them to be a disgruntled employee or even toxic. Take care of your folks and let them know you are advocating for them as much as possible, and they will WANT to work for you and the agency and make the agency and community better.
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