Stay Sharp

It can seem like a pain to do it, but you will be much more effective as a security or law enforcement professional if you keep your skills sharp. The best way to do that is to keep training. Police officer training has been in the news over the past week, with most headlines being about the murder trial of former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin. He is accused of killing George Floyd last May by holding his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes.

Last week I talked about personal care such as getting enough exercise, sleep, and showers to help you remain personally fit enough to make the best decisions possible while you’re on the job. However, those habits won’t mean anything if you are not practicing professional care.

Professional care means doing things like making sure your training is up to date, and your certifications stay current. For example, when was the last time you checked the expiration date on your security or firearm license? Do you need to take any special courses before the expiration date? Are those courses available? Since the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, many courses have switched to virtual platforms. If you have never taken an online course, you may need to make sure you have the equipment and internet access to participate.

Some programs cannot be completely delivered entirely online. If you need to take a course like this, such as for a firearm endorsement or first aid certificate, check the training location’s pandemic protocols. With concerns about reports of increasing COVID cases in many parts of the country, you could face cleaning, distancing, and mask-wearing practices that may limit class sizes. As a result, you may find it harder to get into a class that is scheduled at a time that works best for you.

My book Rent-A-Cop Reboot has a lot of tips about personal and professional care, as well as exercises to help you think about your future in security or law enforcement. Make time now to invest in your career. Good habits I learned and developed over my many years as a security professional are serving me today as I battle colon cancer. As I always say, today’s decisions affect your tomorrows.