Office politics

[elrey500]

Before I went into law enforcement, I worked in the private sector for a few years and I understand that there are politics in every office. If you have a couple of guys who are competing for an open position and theyre all very qualified, it will usually come down to who the bosses like more. However, in my 2 1/2 years with CBP/Legacy INS, the level of politics Ive seen that goes on is disturbing, sickening and completely unfair and wrong.

I learned today that a coworker who started a few months after me received one of the best gigs at our port. The officer is now part of the Legacy Customs Air Cargo Team (ACT). The officer is a legacy INS inspector and has NEVER done any customs work. None of the other INS guys can do any Customs work and yet this officer not only is now doing Customs work but has a gig that ALOT of the Customs guys would love to have. Dont get me work, the officer is a nice person and does their share of work but obviously doesnt deserve such a generous reward. The reason the officer got it is because someone with influence likes the officer, thats it. Meanwhile, there are plenty of guys and gals that I work with who bust their tails everyday and are very good at what they do. But do they get any special perks or details or rewards? No. This type of crap goes on all the time where I work and what I found out today just really put me over the top. I realized that no matter how hard I work, I will be doing the same boring, meaningless crap everyday. This agency does not reward good employees. Its almost like the mafia and "cosa nostra" with people taking care of each other. Heck, another guy was made a permanent firearms instructor but he has no experience with guns, no military, no special skills, nothing! He got it over a guy whos a retired cop and knows his guns. Now, he gets a nice little office and does nothing all day.

Ive taken all I can take from this agency as I have never seen this level of unfairness and border line corruption. Its just really unfair to see people who do little or nothing receive all these benefits while the others who actually do work hard, have to work even harder to make up for their end. I apologize for the rant but this BS is sickening.

[TAC803NY]

It's sometimes hard to remember why we do what we do, and it's hard to maintain perspective when others who work with us are treated with deference. Especially when these folks who get special treatment don't know the job as well, or their work ethic isn't the best. It happens everywhere, and it's important to try not to let it affect us. If your sense of self worth is determined by what happens to other people, or what other people think of you, it's going to be hard to develop a positive work ethic and enjoy the job. Do the best you can...it's important to you, and it's important to the rest of us....you guys are on the front line.

Stay safe....dltbgyd

Tac

[Midtncop]

I found out a long time ago that there will be bad people who will have good things happen to them. There will be good people who have bad things happen to them and allot will go on in the middle. Life is not fair. There will always be office politics and it is worse in the government.

I understand your frustration. What has always worked for me in situations like this is to focus on doing the job I'm paid to do to the best of my ability and to stay out of the bitching, gossip and rumor mill. It is easy to get caught up in the negativity in LE. I believe we sometimes relish in being quasi martyrs. We sometimes get caught up in what we perceive as being unappreciated, and start picking out the negatives and forget the positives.

Try to focus on what brought you in to this profession and try to rekindle the excitement you had when you first came on the job. Try being a mentor to a newer officer and be a positive influence. Unselfishly helping others sometimes helps me get out of myself and re-energize. Good Luck!

I'm going to move this thread to the stress forum because I think we all suffer from this at one time or the other and it causes a great deal of the regular stress many officers suffer from. Maybe we can find some positive solutions and not get into an agency bashing session.

[tacguy]

elrey, I hear you brother. The g, wether it be big or little, does not always make the best or correct decisions. We have a saying in my office, "there you go thinking again," when someone points out a wrong decision, policy made by the g and or upper management.

Favors, biases, all things that as trained LEO's we are warned against from the first day of the academy, are rampant throughout LE organizations and beaurocracies.

Try to stay positive, do your job and don't sweat the small stuff. I know it is hard but hang in there bro'.

Stay safe.

[Astor]

I'm a new police officer in a big city dept. Some days I come home feeling the same way. On one particularly bad day at work, I came home and was just burnt.

I had recently signed up for Calibre Press's newsletter. I checked my e-mail that night, and the latest one was entitled "Mental Preparation". When I read the first paragraph, I realized I wasn't the only person in the world having these feelings. That helped a lot.

Here's an excerpt:


"The Greek philosopher Epictetcus wrote that the key to happiness was to control those things in life that you could control, and not worry about those things you couldn't. This theme has been echoed by philosophers throughout the centuries. Too often people today feel as though they just don't control their lives, and one of their biggest sources of stress and frustration is trying to control things they simply cannot. You cannot control what other people do or say, you can't even always control your own body. You might become ill, and you may or may not get well.

Epictetcus taught that the key to happiness is to take control of those aspects of life you could change, such as your attitude, your thoughts, your beliefs, and your faith. These principles for living have often been called The Soldier's Manual, which was issued to military officers for centuries. This philosophy has been key in helping people prepare for life threatening situations, but it also helps people prepare for life. There has been nothing since, in research or philosophy, to contradict those simple statements made so long ago."

[ds36]

What is sad, is that in order to survive you have a choice to make. You can go along with "the program" and be a "team player". Which really, in my experience means, drop the dime on what your co-workers talk about or are doing , not p*** the wrong person off and support all of managements decisions whether they came out of left field or someone actually put some thought into making them. Again, in my experience usually management is reactive instead of proactive. Or you can go to work, give them a straight 8 for the money you are paid, build good relationships that hopefully will last the rest of your life and remember why you choose LE as a career. As long as I can look at myself in the mirror every night, the rest is all BS. Don't sell out.

[Dawn_Fighter]

I recall myself saying at one point in high school, "I want to be the police in the worst city, worst area, worst shift...some place people spit on me and swear at me and wish me dead, because there is the place police are needed most."

and 10 years later by some act of God I am a police officer in the worst city, worst area, worst shift, I've been spit on, swore at, and shot at. AND I'M HAPPY AND THANK GOD EVERYDAY FOR LIVING MY CHILDHOOD DREAM and then I wonder WHAT WAS I THINKING!!!!!

So when some wench for midnights files a union claim for some bs trying to bump me off my shift so she can partner up with her girlfriend or payroll looses all memory of 20 hrs O.T. pay or my favorite partner is out there scream'n for help and I'm stuck on the report desk. I try to remember my innocent desire to save the world.

I believe deep down under all the disgrunteledness (lol is that a word?) a large number of officers are still just trying to save the world and are in despirit need of a "thank you" from command. Besides I don't know of a single super hero that hasn't wanted to quit at some point!

Next time some idiot supervisor's kid gets the spot you wanted or the brown nose gets the new car..............rewind back to the state of mind you had when we were all still young and stupid (swear under your breath and resume saving the world one a$$hole at a time) :p

[ds36]

Dawn Fighter,

It sounds like we work at the same place. I have come to realize that just when I think they (management) couldn't f*** things up anymore then they have, they create ways to f things up

[elrey500]

Heres another load of corruption BS I recently found out. Its a general rule that our scheduling team will NOT make any reasonable accomodations so that someone can pursue a college degree, be it BA, MA or PHD. So if you want to go to school, you have to struggle with trying to trade shifts(which can be very difficult sometimes) and if you cant, youre screwed. Our schedules are done at two clips. So if you work midnights, you work it for two weeks before the next schedule youre assigned, like 12pm. This one girl has her shift changed on a DAILY BASIS to accomodate her schooling. Why? Because she is liked by one of the supervisors AND it just so happens that she is black, like the supervisor. Shes not the only black employee that receives special, "the rules dont apply to me" treatment. This is not me just saying this but this is what Im told by everyone else. Meanwhile, my friend has to bust her ass trying to switch shifts and go to school in the mornings and work til late at the expense of not seeing her kid.

With all the BS that goes on here, I wouldnt be surprised if someone made a complaint to an outside agency.

[pikevt]

Whether you work for CBP, DEA, DMV, or any other three letter acronym within state/local or federal government, there will be bureaucratic BS to deal with. I worked for INS for a little over a year as an Intel Research Specialist at a Service Center. I found fraud, fakes and felons on a daily basis yet managerial adjudicative officers would continue to push anyone of those particular situations through the approval process regardless. In fact they still do post 9/11.

So, wanting to get out of the bullcrap world of the INS I went to Customs. I figured that I have family in the service all over the country and they seem to enjoy it. Here I am now a CBP Officer almost three years later after starting with Customs and the service is just as convoluted, frustrating and in cases demoralizing. I have more drug and money seizures as well as arrests than most everyone at my port has had in their career. My Supervisors can't stand me for that. I don't get sent on training or TDYs, my Supervisors blow me off most of the time. They won't approve my patdowns and if I turn my head for one second, they have blown some of my secondaries down the road. We have no CET, PAU or any other specialized unit at my Port. I am convinced that I wouldn't be on it if they (management) created it.

I always speak with my wife about stuff that goes on basically to vent. Without my wife, I am fuc#$%. She listens and she comments, sometimes I am told I am wrong. I need that. Anyway, through all of the changes and crap that we are currently going through within CBP, please understand that you are not alone. I work on the landborder in Northern Vermont. I know people all accross the country that are going through some of the same things with co-workers and managment.

I have grown to persevere through managments restraints. If they send someone down the road that I am positive has dope, I call BP or Vermont State Police, let them get the knock. If they talk shit about me to coworkers I laugh it off. I love getting letters from the Director of Field Operations about seizures and having my supervisor include it in my files.

Bottom line:
Ignore the bullshit it will eat you alive, it did to me for a long time and now I won't allow it.

Worrying about what others get only will get you in trouble.

No matter where you are within this agency you WILL deal with petty garbage, it is not just a local thing.

[donnie999]

[QUOTE=elrey500This one girl has her shift changed on a DAILY BASIS to accomodate her schooling. Why? Because she is liked by one of the supervisors AND it just so happens that she is black, like the supervisor. Shes not the only black employee that receives special, "the rules dont apply to me" treatment. This is not me just saying this but this is what Im told by everyone else. Meanwhile, my friend has to bust her ass trying to switch shifts and go to school in the mornings and work til late at the expense of not seeing her kid.
With all the BS that goes on here, I wouldnt be surprised if someone made a complaint to an outside agency.[/QUOTE]

elrey500,

I can feel your pain. I am not in law enforcement yet but here at my office job, it doesnt pay great but i love being here. Until they give me all sorts of problems when I want to move up and around. People who are hired after me are given all sorts of promotions, extra-curricular activities and projects to work on. It makes me sick. All I am trying to do is feed my self the best way I can.

Like everyone else said it happens everywhere. You know you are doing a good job, and everyone else knows that you do a good job. Everything will come to light at your agency just be patient.

About the complaint to the outside agency, that may be a battle someone at your agency may decide to do but tell them to be careful, to pick their battles wisely.

Heres to fairness
Don

[Rasputin]

Whether you work for CBP, DEA, DMV, or any other three letter acronym within state/local or federal government, there will be bureaucratic BS to deal with. I worked for INS for a little over a year as an Intel Research Specialist at a Service Center. I found fraud, fakes and felons on a daily basis yet managerial adjudicative officers would continue to push anyone of those particular situations through the approval process regardless. In fact they still do post 9/11.. It happens at the POE, that is no surprise.

So, wanting to get out of the bullcrap world of the INS I went to Customs. I figured that I have family in the service all over the country and they seem to enjoy it. Here I am now a CBP Officer almost three years later after starting with Customs and the service is just as convoluted, frustrating and in cases demoralizing. I have more drug and money seizures as well as arrests than most everyone at my port has had in their career. My Supervisors can't stand me for that. I don't get sent on training or TDYs, my Supervisors blow me off most of the time. They won't approve my patdowns and if I turn my head for one second, they have blown some of my secondaries down the road. We have no CET, PAU or any other specialized unit at my Port. I am convinced that I wouldn't be on it if they (management) created it.
The problem is that you create work for supervisors that don't know their jobs. You have to remember that when you have a workforce that has been together for 20+ years animosities and hatreds build up. Secondly, as Elrey has stated, Management has their cronies. Unfortunatly, in your case, the one cronie hasn't done anything to speak of in her illustrious career except kiss up to the PD talking about classical music. Also, you have made it know that you wish to advance beyond Northeastern Vermont. That is a Cardinal sin, almost like being a flatlander or a minority at your port.
I always speak with my wife about stuff that goes on basically to vent. Without my wife, I am fuc#$%. She listens and she comments, sometimes I am told I am wrong. I need that. Anyway, through all of the changes and crap that we are currently going through within CBP, please understand that you are not alone. I work on the landborder in Northern Vermont. I know people all accross the country that are going through some of the same things with co-workers and managment. . I spoke to friends in the Southwest and they have said the same thing. You are not alone.

I have grown to persevere through managments restraints. If they send someone down the road that I am positive has dope, I call BP or Vermont State Police, let them get the knock. If they talk shit about me to coworkers I laugh it off. I love getting letters from the Director of Field Operations about seizures and having my supervisor include it in my files. Definately a lot better than the letter of reprimand for falsifying offical reports like others at the POE..[/QUOTE]

Bottom line:
Ignore the bullshit it will eat you alive, it did to me for a long time and now I won't allow it.

Worrying about what others get only will get you in trouble.

No matter where you are within this agency you WILL deal with petty garbage, it is not just a local thing.

Every dog has its day, right now you are the tree, but one day, you will be the dog. :vader: