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lip2Comic-2025-04-28-16-59-06
briefing
brief·ing ˈbrē-fiŋ
: an act or instance of giving precise instructions or essential information
Briefing is the foundation for a street cop’s workday, like a good breakfast.
My focus is on briefing for a patrol shift, rather than any of the pre-event, pre-operational sessions that happen.
Because it is so foundational to a street cop’s workday, I have some pretty clear memories about certain ones over the years.
For this article, I asked friends in the profession for their thoughts on briefings. Whether they were sergeants or street cops, all were adamant that start-of-shift briefings were necessary. Done correctly, that time was very beneficial.
An evening patrol shift briefing that had reserves and administrators present. The reserves were being recognized for years of hard work.
What
My survey group saw several benefits if briefings were done correctly.
One involved applying problem-solving skills, via discussion or tabletop exercises, to tactics and techniques before the event, once on-scene, and afterward.
The camaraderie and team-building aspects were mentioned, too. One respondent said that the better connected the shift is, the better the employees will perform, creating a better work product for the community.
It also gives the officers a voice. They can ask questions about decisions and issues they don’t understand. Using the questions as starting points, you might identify the why behind any disagreements.
How
In addition to ensuring you are covering high liability areas, such as case law, work through the regularly occurring high-risk events and the tactics for them.
My panel said the briefing had to be put together purposefully and follow a format. They thought the format needed to include constructive critiques of events, identification of training needs, and mitigation of the “never thought it could happen to me” issue.
The schedule should allow everyone time to ask a question or share information before it ends.
I made it a point to cover new case law and review anything we’d recently encountered. This included watching body-worn and dash camera footage before discussing it, keeping in mind state law and organizational policies. It allowed the shift to see an event and the way(s) of working through it.
The Sheriff came into the briefing that night and found a pretty humorous poll that included him. He is a great leader and amazing to work for. He was just checking on his people.
Inclusion
Include your officers by assigning them topics to discuss. Nothing lengthy, but a 3-5 minute training session can help develop them. That is important for the newer officers. Get them comfortable with speaking in front of their peers.
Exchange
Several cited the information flow between generations of officers. Experienced officers can pass on hard-earned tips and tricks to stay safe and catch bad guys.
Likewise, younger officers can share contemporary training and issues, including emerging technologies. One retired sergeant, now working with another agency, mentioned that younger officers are reminded of changes in acceptable arrest and control tactics. He specifically said, “I’m reminded by baby cops that we can’t do that any longer.”
Another offered, “Cops learn, and problem solve by talking and debating among themselves. Over the years, my shifts have come up with a variety of ways to solve problems through open debate and discourse in briefing. We can’t all know everything individually, but communally? We know a lot.”
One of your officers is following the newest case law rulings on narcotics, another has expertise in street gangs, and a former domestic violence detective is on the shift. “Collectively, we just learned a lot from one another.”
One summed it up this way: “We have different passions and areas of expertise and training that we tend to gravitate towards. Sharing is caring.”
Team Building? In a number of little ways, a COPS TV camera & sound crew that rode with us, photographed with my shift.
Covid Era
I had heard that briefings went away in many places during the COVID era, at least in the first months. Realizing that another medical event with similar restrictions, regardless of validity, could occur, I was curious about how briefings were handled. Not every place was the same, but there were similarities.
Initially, the briefings were, at best, remote. The problem was that these were not briefings, not what they were used to doing. Add in that most everyone was at home and very disconnected. For a time, hot washes or de-briefs were also shut down after calls. Losing briefings and de-briefs were bad things.
One respondent felt a tremendous disconnect and loss of cohesiveness. It was get to the station, decontaminate the car, and head out on patrol with little idea of what had gone on. The words “weird and bizarre” were both used.
Good sergeants eventually said, “We’ll work through this.” That retired supervisor just resumed briefings without asking for permission.
Another friend was working dayshift in that time frame. He told me the shift took their briefings off-site. They still met, talked through everything going on, and shared necessary information. Those briefings were out of sight, hidden from both the command staff and the public. He specifically told me they kept “… the tradition and the team building” alive during a time when it was desperately needed.
The patrol sergeant on Hill Street Blues – Sgt Phil Esterhaus – and his iconic closing line for each briefing.
What Else?
Pat said, “use them for public praise when a cop or unit does something well … celebrate your guy’s good work.”
One example is the deputy who earned a stolen vehicle recovery award from the Highway Patrol. In addition to the pin and certificate, his sergeant got him a faux license plate with the state’s vehicle code section for a stolen car on it.
However, do not use the briefing to run down a subordinate. Anything adverse to the individual should be said in private. It is one thing to discuss lessons learned or what can be done better, but do not use briefings for verbal beatings on individual officers. My panels specifically asked that part be included.
As a supervisor, you can learn a lot about your shift and what is going on just by paying attention during the briefing.
