Running head: ORGANIZATIONS AS CULTURES 1

Organizations as Cultures

The Future of the Carlsbad Police Department

Sean Kearney

University of San Diego

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Organizations as Cultures: The Future of the Carlsbad Police Department

Greetings to the men and women of the Carlsbad Police Department. I stand before you

today at the proudest moment in my life as your newly appointed Chief of Police. Since 1952,

the citizens of Carlsbad have placed their trust in us to protect them from the evils of the world.

The legacy of our past lives on in our mission statement, “To protect and serve the community

with integrity, professionalism and valor” and our vision, “Embrace the future and honor the

past in pursuit of a safer tomorrow” (City of Carlsbad Police Department, 2018). This is our

CPD culture, as Gareth Morgan notes, as we share common knowledge, ideology, values, laws,

and day-to-day ritual (Morgan, 2006). You are here because you live and breathe these

attributes, and I now have the honor of leading Team Carlsbad to and through the next chapter of

its history. My family and I are grateful for this opportunity, and we will not let you or the

citizens of Carlsbad down. Our standard is to deliver the highest possible level of service, and

we will continue to do so as we strive for a new paradigm of policing in the years to come.

My job description in a nutshell is to provide the fertile ground for you to do the job you

already know and love, and I accept that solemn responsibility with profound gratitude for as

long as I am worthy. What I ask of you in return is always to uphold those principles which

make ours what I believe is the most honorable profession. But I am not the only leader in this

building, nor are the captains, lieutenants, sergeants, corporals, or civilian supervisors. Each of

us as members of the Carlsbad Police Department is looked up to by our community as

something unique and worthy of emulation, whether you realize that or not. Please make every

effort to recognize and take advantage of it as we show by example what it means to represent

our profession.
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One of the many things I learned during my Army career is that the job of a leader is to

provide purpose, direction, and motivation. As a private in basic training at Fort Benning,

Georgia in 1993, myself and my platoon were introduced rather quickly to the negative

consequences of failing to adapt to the leadership given by the drill sergeants. It became readily

apparent what we were to do, when, how, and what would happen if we failed to complete our

mission as trainees. As I look back upon that experience and compare it to the mission of

modern policing, I marvel at the simplicity of those days long past. Today, law enforcement is

faced with extremely complicated societal challenges, and every member of this department

shoulders that burden in one way or another. But as a leader, the job remains the same-providing

purpose, direction, and motivation. Our purpose is to serve and protect, our direction is towards

perfection at all times, and our motivation is our desire to make Carlsbad a better place. I know

that each of us is up to this task which at times may seem daunting, as I have seen day in and day

out during my tenure at the Carlsbad Police Department, and I challenge you to continue the

excellent work that you invariably display.

As for the future, we are at a challenging yet exciting place here in Carlsbad. Chief

Gallucci has left the Department in excellent stead, and I intend to continue the good work that

has been done during his tenure. In the spirit of the old adage, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Too

many times we have seen a new leader try to quickly make his mark, and I do not intend to go

down that path if it is not absolutely necessary. We have embraced technology in our

community, and I believe in its continued value to fight crime while being responsible with the

information we gather. We have embraced tough, realistic training, and I believe in its

prolonged benefit in preparing us for what may come. We have embraced advanced education,

as the Carlsbad Police Department may well be the best educated of any I have seen. We will
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continue to do all of these things and then some. Having said all of that, my intent is to fertilize

the ground in which more good ideas about how we should operate this department come from

you, the folks that are doing the job every day. Do not be afraid to bring your ideas forward-

they are welcome here. We will at all times strive for perfection, which we know is a seemingly

unattainable goal. Through constant reflection, admitting when and where we are wrong both

privately and publicly, and critically thinking about where we are now and where we should be,

we will progress as an agency and as a profession. University of San Diego President James

Harris, in some of his leadership assignments throughout a distinguished career, has taken as

long as two years to effect change in a new organization (LEPS 560 Presentation 6, 2018). I use

this example to emphasize that we will take the time to listen to those who have been here and

possess the knowledge for us to make informed decisions as to our direction.

To conclude, I am ecstatic to be a part of this new level of the Carlsbad Police

Department culture, and I am honored to have been chosen to lead you, the members of this

premier agency, into the future. I am confident that we are up to the challenge, and we will

continue to make Carlsbad an outstanding place to live, work, and play. Thank you for your time

and attention, and please join me as we continue our mission in earnest.

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References

City of Carlsbad Police Department. (2018). [Department Webpage]. Retrieved from

http://www.carlsbadca.gov/services/depts/police/default.asp

LEPS 560 Presentation 6 (2018). Retrieved from USD Blackboard.

Morgan, G. (2006). Creating Social Reality: Organizations as Cultures. In Images of

Organization (pp. 115-147). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications