The vast majority of citizen complaints and lawsuits are generated by the alleged misconduct or negligence of a very small number of law enforcement officers. It is crucial, therefore, that leaders can effectively discipline these individuals to save careers when they can and terminate officers when they must.  But the fundamental purpose of discipline—to correct behavior and maintain organizational integrity—is only served if the discipline actually sticks.

For many law enforcement leaders, the work that goes into diligent supervision and internal affairs investigations seems wasted in light of the reality that many of their disciplinary decisions are overturned in arbitration or in court.

In this two-hour webinar, Attorney Matt Dolan will discuss the common pitfalls that law enforcement leaders should avoid in their efforts to make discipline stick.  He will also discuss practical steps leaders can take to ensure fairness in their disciplinary processes and significantly increase the likelihood that their disciplinary decisions are upheld.

Topics covered will include:

• Utilizing the Just Cause Doctrine in making ethically and legally defensible disciplinary decisions
• Recognizing inconsistent discipline as the most common reason for discipline being overturned
• Resisting the temptation to allow past misconduct to unreasonably impact an internal affairs investigation
• Following due process standards—particularly in the face of public pressure to act immediately

Recognizing the role of performance evaluations and “good work history” in making discipline stick