Tyler Izen

September, 2010

I have enjoyed over 25 years as a member of the finest law enforcement agency in the world. Those aren’t just words on a page — I mean it with all of my heart. During my tenure, I have worked with, and around, some of the most talented, heroic and smartest law enforcement officers in the world. But, frankly, there are almost 10,000 of us (some still actually doing police work — that is a dig at the Mayor for gutting our civilian employees and/or a self-deprecating comment on my current position). So, the LAPD has also occasionally been represented by people who turned out to not be of the highest standard. Fortunately for all of us, that is the exception rather than the rule.

My primary job is to protect, enhance and improve our collective working conditions, legal rights, compensation and benefits. There are myriad factors that make my job easier or more difficult. For instance, several years ago my predecessor Directors were aided in securing benefit enhancements because management practices were determined to be the primary factor in our officers’ decisions to flee this Department in favor of other nearby police and sheriffs’ departments. On the other hand, the worst economy in over 60 years has resulted in two consecutive years without even cost-of-living increases for the current contract period. Obviously, neither of those situations were examples of circumstances that were within our control. In the first example, we were able to capitalize on a former chief’s policies and leadership; in the second, we were forced to work very hard to be able to hold our own.

The most significant factors in our success — and over which we have some control — are the talent, skills and attitudes of our members, and the quality of work that you do. In order for us to continue to be successful, we all need to continuously improve and have the citizens and leadership of this City recognize our increasing value. In that regard, actions speak louder than words.

Sadly, as the economy has diminished and unemployment reached record highs, people’s confidence has slipped and their attitudes deteriorated. Our membership may have escaped job loss, but there are none among us who haven’t felt the negative effects of this economy. It may be more difficult than ever to push past the negative influences in our lives, but it is definitely more important than ever to do so. While you have been doing a stellar job at your mission of protecting the citizens of this great City, I need you to continue to think of ways to maintain and improve your commitment to public service — even if you are not getting the support from your command that you deserve.

Each and every one of you has an obligation to the citizens of this City and to each other to exercise the leadership we expect and hope for from our commands, but do not always enjoy. Do not allow bad leadership to affect your attitude or your commitment to doing what you, your peers and the public deserve.

Last month, a member provided information that a commanding officer, in his effort to verify and update contact information, determined (in his reading of LAPD Manual Section 4/195, “Residence Telephone Requirement”) that a “hard line,” not a cell/mobile phone, at your residence was required. Some of our affected members, exercising their leadership skills — to avoid unnecessary aggravation that the CO’s misinterpretation would cause the rank and file — pointed out that a working cell phone with reception at an employee’s residence meets the intent (and letter of the law) of the manual section. Unfortunately, rather than engage in a respectful dialogue, the CO elected to write/talk at his subordinates and issued an order that would be overturned within mere days. Ultimately, that CO was told exactly what he might have heard from his subordinates (if he had enough respect to listen).

Surprisingly enough, the CO expressed the concern that his employees would not be available in case there was a need to recall officers for a City emergency. So, did he think that if the Department demanded that people without landlines buy landlines, officers would be more readily available?

That is an illustration of why it is so important to me that you continue to hone your leadership skills and work with us and your peers to exercise true leadership. There are some problematic gaps in leadership skills and practices at the command level in this organization. Do not assume that the command ranks always exercise good leadership, and do not forget your obligation to exercise good leadership for the citizens of this City and for each other.

In 25 years, I have not met an officer who does not recognize and appreciate his or her responsibility for the safety of the community and his or her fellow officers. Our wages are important, but there are few, if any, of us who do not derive true satisfaction from our public service. Sadly, bad leadership can tear you down. Please don’t let it. The public needs us and we need each other.

Catastrophic Illness/Injury Leave Bank

Lest you think of me as chronic management complainer, malcontent or rebel, I have a positive management story.

Command officers (captains and above) are salaried employees and are not directly compensated for overtime hours. There is a system in place to recognize off-hour call-outs, inspections and other duties wherein the command officer can gain credit toward a day off (similar to but not exactly the same as a T/O). The command officer days off are referred to as “POG days” or “POGs.” The origin of the term is not important. The commentary is about accumulation and the use of POGs.

As I understand it, command officers accumulate more POGs than they use. By contract, they can only accumulate 60 POGs, and it is not unusual for them to earn more POGs than they use. As a result, command officers regularly “lose” POG days off. Lost POGS go nowhere and nobody gains the lost POGS.

I happened to be present at one of Chief Beck’s regular meeting of direct reports (commanding officers who report directly to the Chief on a regular basis). During the meeting, Commander Andrew J. Smith, Operations-West Bureau, mentioned to his peers that he has been employing a strategy to avoid losing POGS. Commander Smith has begun using POGS on his regularly scheduled vacation so he won’t lose them.

Since Commander Smith uses POGS instead of vacation days, he accumulates vacation days and now has excess vacation days. At the end of each year, excess vacation days are “lost,” but the big difference is that lost vacation days are deposited into the Catastrophic Illness/Injury Leave Bank. The net result to Commander Smith is the same — he only gets a certain amount of time off and some of his accrued time is lost. But, because of his efforts to manage vacation time and POGs, the Catastrophic Illness/Injury Leave Bank is increased by those lost vacation hours.

Commander Smith is encouraging all members of the Command Officers Association (COA) to use POGs rather than vacation days so that they can donate excess vacation time. He hopes to see the COA donate 1,000 days per year to the Catastrophic Illness/Injury Leave Bank.

I would like to remind you that we, too, can donate CTO time or vacation time to the Catastrophic Illness/Injury Leave Bank. To those of you struggling with excess CTO balances who would like information on making a donation to the Catastrophic Illness/Injury Leave Bank, please call me for details.

My prayer is that none of you will ever need to utilize the Catastrophic Illness/Injury Leave Bank, but my hope is that there will be hours available if my prayer is not answered.

Let me know what you think, accept responsibility for your actions and hold me accountable. It’s why I’m here. Contact me at (213) 251-4554 or via e-mail at tylerizen@lappl.org.