More than once, I have stopped in to check on an officer, or been relieved on a post by an officer, and found them in a state of aesthetic disarray. Boots untied, shirt untucked, hair…..

When confronted, their response is typically akin to “I was just chillin until I get here.” To which I’ve always wondered: “so you didn’t stop for gas?” or “what if the client was here to greet you when you arrived?”

My point is not to say “you should be ready for the job when you arrive on site.” You should, but also, who are you coming into contact with along the way? If you stop for gas, or a grocery store, or the post office, or are otherwise completing personal tasks en route to your post, who’s seeing you, and who’s judging you, along the way? Who’s judging our entire family based on your appearance, demeanor, behavior, etc?

To put it another way: every time you put on our uniform and go out into public, you have an opportunity to impact how people feel about our organization.