Issue link: https://let.epubxp.com/i/423221
LEADERSHIP www.officer.com December 2014 Law Enforcement Technology 11 Circle 6 on Reader Service Card One of the biggest challenges that instructors must understand is that the latest generations want the most current data, and that they learn dif- ferently than we did. It is no longer accepted practice in the classroom to accept the 'because I said so' response. Another good note is that the youngest will mesh well with data driven training and data based crime analysis programs, they will thrive on this. Generationally speaking, my gen- eration always believed that our mili- tary drill sergeant was the meanest; our police academy was toughest and so forth. Now this is fine, but learning to work smarter and learning to better communicate between the genera- tions is what is important here. If you are sitting on the front porch of the old policeman's retire- ment home, then this banter is fine. If you are preventing good police instruction through stubbornness, nobody is going to win, and we as a profession aren't leading the way. Put egos aside, get to some training, and embrace the new methodolo- gies. There is a lot to be gained and your officers will appreciate it. ■ William L. "Bill" Harvey is a native Virginian. He served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps. He has a BA in criminology from St. Leo University and is a graduate of the Southern Police Institute of the University of Louisville (103rd AOC). He served as the Chief of Police of the Lebanon City Police Dept (Pa.) for over seven years and now is the Chief of Police for the Ephrata Police Dept (Pa.). He is on the advisory board of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association and other professional associations. Each senior generation likes to tease the younger one, matter of fact it can nearly become a sporting event. I know that when I showed up in 1979 my classmates and I were gossiped about as that young upstart bunch that was going to try to show them (old guys) how to do police work.