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Courageous Conversations


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ecently, the subject of Courageous Conversations has come up regarding motorcycle safety and officer safety in general. Courageous Conversations occur when someone feels the need to provide some constructive criticism, or feed- back to another, when the latter has started down a path of taking shortcuts, or taking chances unnecessarily. One


usually thinks of the person who initiates the conversation as needing the courage to provide constructive criticism to a peer, or maybe even a superior. However, this is the perspective of the officer being critiqued. When riding motorcycles, an officer is always compelled to


self-analyze his performance and make adjustments to ensure he is always thinking of safety first. Most motorcycle officers do a good job of this, so it can be difficult for one officer to bring himself to critique another officer’s performance. Yet there are times when this Courageous Conversation needs to occur. As cops, we do not particularly care for construc- tive feedback from the public, nor do we want the brass restricting our ability to do our job. So where else can that constructive feedback come from, if not from another cop? I would encourage all cops, especially motorcycle cops who


have been at their jobs for several years and have gotten very good at what they do, to take a critical look at themselves and see if there are shortcuts they have been taking. Think back to your initial training and ask yourself, are there things you can do better, or do safer? Then comes the really difficult task. Take a look at your beat partners, your friends, those you work with, and when you see one start to move outside the circle of what is normally considered safe, have the courage to meet them for a cup of coffee and see if they realized what you observed. If you are the one being approached, have the courage to listen, and realize this person must have a lot of respect and admiration for you if they are making the effort and taking the chance of upsetting you in order to bring this to your attention. There is no room for rank, seniority, and especially egos, when a fellow officer is concerned enough for your safety


12 THE MOTOR OFFICER™ | SPRING 2013


SUBMITTED BY SGT. DAVID KINAAN, RETIRED


that he is willing to risk the barrage of ridicule and insults, or risk the stigma of not being one of the cool officers, to bring a transgression to your attention. Law enforcement is always on the lookout for the next


thing to make the job more productive and safer for both officers and the public. The time for this constructive analysis and conversation is now. It is well within our ability to self- critique and make suggestions to enhance officer safety and maintain our public image. And the best part of all, there is absolutely no cost to the agency, or the public, to have this conversation. The cost of not having the Courageous Conversation can be a life.


Sgt. David Kinaan retired in 2012 as the supervisor of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) Academy Motorcycle Train- ing Unit. Sgt. Kinaan was an active member of the CHP for nearly 29 years and started riding enforcement motorcycles for the CHP in 1989. He served in the Central Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, Westminster and North Sacramento areas before coming to the academy’s Motorcycle Training Unit in 2008. The opinions expressed by Sgt. Kinaan are based on his experience and knowledge as a patrol officer, academy instructor and supervisor, and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or procedures of the CHP.


Officer David Kinaan and his Harley-Davidson® FXRP at the CHP Central Los Angeles Area Office circa 1994.


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