em•pow•er; Pronunciation: im-?pau(-&)r; Function: transitive verb 1: to give official authority or legal power or authority to; 2: to endow with an ability; enable; 3: to promote the self-actualization or influence of - em•pow•er•ment, noun.

Since assuming the leadership of the Virgin Islands Police Department, I have strongly advocated and practiced the concept of empowerment. Building an empowered Police Department has been a multi-faceted effort that has involved providing officers with improved crime-fighting tools, training and the knowledge and power to make decisions. This effort has also involved creating a more transparent agency, and crafting a strategic plan that clearly articulates the goals of the department and leads us toward a more functional and effective entity. The “empowerment initiative” has led to the development of new priorities and new directives, all with the intent of moving away from the traditional authoritarian style of management that stifle independent thinking.

Leading the department towards an attitude of empowerment has been a challenge, which is probably reflective of the greater issues of our society. As the old saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.”

As Commissioner, I have made it clear that I do not consider micro-managing to be good management. I am a firm believer that independent thought, creativity, and innovation will lead the Virgin Islands Police Department to greater service and efficiency. Limited financial and human resources often creates the negative “can’t do” attitude that inhibits progress. An attitude of empowerment often leads to the belief of “I can”.

People become empowered when they move to a higher level of self-understanding, self-confidence and self-respect. The absolute necessary step towards self-empowerment involves changing one’s attitude. It is not a single, static action. It is a process – a highly personal and individual one. Becoming empowered involves accountability, commitment, creativity and initiative. A person’s attitude or their belief system will either help or hold them back from taking accountability, or taking action, or doing the right thing, or leading…or drinking that so called water.

For me, and any leader worth their salt, empowerment is the purpose of having the leadership responsibility. My whole purpose as a leader is to be a facilitator in extracting the excellence out of people and to serving as a catalyst in helping each person realize their highest potential. This process takes people, including our police officers, from waiting to get orders or direction to making independent analysis of a situation and making decisions consistent with established policy and objectives. I am puzzled when people are given the position, rank, responsibility, trust and opportunity to lead and do not have the basic desire to take action or to make more of a difference. It makes me wonder if empowerment is about inner strength. Being given the tools to achieve empowerment mean little if an individual cannot accept the responsibility and commitment that it entails.

I guess my best definition of empowerment is summarized by what I attempt to accomplish here at the Virgin Islands Police Department – to lead people to learn to lead themselves. I am interested in ways to engender the quality of empowerment in the professional staff people who surround me and among the police officers who are the public representatives of the VIPD. At the VIPD, leaders must be able to meet the ambitious objectives of safety, security and protection with the available resources. They must all be a cohesive unit of many eyes, ears and hands working toward the same goals.

VIPD officers and civilian staff are empowered to achieve. I believe empowerment is more than giving employees the free rein to solve the public’s problems. It is giving and sharing the power to make the Virgin Islands Police Department better. It is their responsibility to take the gift of empowerment and optimize it.