Police Sworn 2 Honor

Overview

Sworn to Honor (S2H) revolutionizes law enforcement management by prioritizing integrity, accountability, and work ethical values over conventional command and control and control models. It ensures that commitment to public service, trust-building, and adherence to the highest standards of justice—because true law enforcement isn’t just about rules, regulations, and procedures, it’s about honoring promises. Donald J. Van Meter, Ph.D.

The Five Pillars of Sworn to Honor:

1. Legal Integrity (Lawful)

• Grounded in employment laws, including Constitutional, Civil, Statutory, Employment, and Contract law.

• Ensures compliance with legal frameworks, protecting both officers and the community they serve.

2. Empowered Decision-Making (Empowering)

• Simplifies rules and regulations by organizing them under core values.

• Allows proven officers to develop innovative responses to the diverse, unpredictable situations they face daily.

3. Outcome-Based Accountability (Objective)

• Shifts focus from traditional performer evaluation systems to qualitative outcomes (i.e., performance) of officers’ decisions and behaviors.

• Ensures law enforcement actions align with ethical organizational and public service goals.

4. Equitable Justice (Fair)

• Merges Procedural Justice (due process, just cause) and Distributive Justice (performance-based meritocracy).

• Provides all officers with fair opportunities, equal processes, and equity recognition proportional to their contributions and impact.

5. Personal Responsibility (Personal Accountability)

• Holds officers accountable for their decisions and actions.

• Reinforces a culture of integrity by ensuring officers accept their sworn duty and responsibility for governing themselves.

Sworn to Honor develops relationships based on commitments and exemplary conduct, emphasizing adherence to the values and behaviors pledged by every commissioned law enforcement officer. Employment inherently establishes an integrity commitment for both sworn and non-sworn personnel.

Management Science

Sworn to Honor is a Promise-based concept that emphasizes the importance of making and keeping commitments within an organization. It is based on the idea that an organization is essentially a network of promises made between employers, employees, and the public. Organizations can enhance coordination, cooperation, and overall best-effort performance (outcome) by systematically cultivating and coordinating these commitments.

The key elements of promise-based management:

• Personal and public accountability

• Actively and openly managed and monitored performance

• Voluntarily made to ensure personal and lasting commitment

• Explicit to avoid misunderstanding and ensure clarity

• Mission-oriented to align promises, conduct, and behavior with organizational values

The process of Promise-based management involves three phases:

Achieving a meeting of minds: Ensuring all parties understand the promises and their implications.

Making it happen: Executing the promise and delivering on commitments.

Closing the loop: Publicly acknowledging whether the promise has been fulfilled or not.

By practicing Promise-based management, leaders create a productive and reliable workforce, improve organizational agility, and build trust among employees and the public.

If you would like to know more about the police Sworn to Honor,

Contact: Van Meter and Associates, Inc.

Phone: 1.800.331.8025   9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Email: vanmeterassociates@att.net

Researcher and Author

Donald J. Van Meter, Ph.D., is a distinguished specialist in Human Performance Technology and the owner of Van Meter and Associates, Inc., based in Upper Arlington, Ohio. With a commendable background that includes service in the U.S. Army and a 15-year tenure as an Ohio State Patrol Trooper, Sergeant, and Lieutenant at the Patrol Academy, Dr. Van Meter brings a wealth of experience to his field.

A graduate of The Ohio State University, Dr. Van Meter earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees specializing in American Labor Relations, organizational development, human resources management, and human performance technology. He was recognized with the prestigious 'Pacesetter' award from the College of Business.

Dr. Van Meter has trained thousands of officers across the nation in police use of deadly force and has served as an expert witness in civil trials and arbitration hearings. He has also collaborated with numerous agencies nationwide to enhance police management operations and performance, and authored the book, Evaluating Dysfunctional Police Performance, published by Charles Thomas, Springfield, Ill. He lives in Upper Arlington, Ohio.