In law enforcement, we operate under the Incident Command System. One of its simplest and most important principles is this: the first officer on scene becomes the initial commander.
That means before supervisors arrive, before specialized units deploy, before the full picture is even understood, one person is making decisions that can affect an entire community.
So the question is straightforward:
What kind of officer do you want arriving first on scene?
Do you want someone minimally trained, underpaid, stretched thin, and just trying to get through a shift?
Or do you want someone who is:
- Highly trained
- Mentally prepare
- Motivated
- Dedicated
- Grounded under pressure
- Capable of making sound, ethical, high-stakes decisions in seconds
- High level communicator
Because that’s the reality. The first officer on scene isn’t just “responding”, they are leading. ”Every call for service is a call for leadership.” (Eric Aguiar LLB)
Police Are Not Paid for What They Do, They’re Paid for What They Might Have to Do
Most days, officers handle routine calls, reports, and community interactions. But that’s not what defines the profession.
They are paid to be ready, prepared, able and available for the moment when everything goes wrong.
- The active threat
- The critical incident
- The split-second decision that determines life or death
- The situation where hesitation, poor judgment, or lack of training costs lives
We expect officers in those moments to:
- Stay calm under extreme stress
- Think clearly when others are panicking
- Apply the law correctly
- Use force appropriately and proportionally
- Lead others, often without warning
- Use diplomacy to the extent safety allows
- Quickly ascertain the issue and solution
- Be punctual
- Caring
- Empathetic
- Able to resolve all types of crisis and
- Several other attributes necessary in conflict resolution.
That level of expectation doesn’t come from average preparation and it shouldn’t come with average compensation. Can we expect our officers to take us and our situation seriously if we don’t take them seriously?
In other words, in a very real sense, law enforcement officers function as professionals with specialized expertise who are on standby for high-risk, high-impact situations. The question, then, is whether it is reasonable to expect that level of dedication, judgment, and performance in critical moments without consistently investing in the training, support, and conditions required to sustain it.
Leadership and Training Directly Impact Outcomes
There is consistent evidence across public safety and emergency management: trained leadership reduces chaos and improves outcomes.
- Incidents with clearly established command structures are resolved faster and with fewer complications
- Officers trained in decision-making under stress demonstrate better judgment and reduced use-of-force errors
- Agencies that invest in leadership development see improved coordination, communication, and public trust
In high-risk environments, training isn’t a luxury—it’s a control measure.
Yet too often, specialized training is treated as a privilege, something earned later, reserved for select units, or limited by budget constraints.
Meanwhile, the officer most likely to need it first,
is the one arriving alone.
The Gap: First on Scene, Last to Receive Resources
Here’s the disconnect:
- The first officer on scene carries immediate command responsibility
- But that same officer is often the last to receive advanced training opportunities
- Specialized instruction—tactical, medical, leadership—is frequently restricted or delayed
This creates a dangerous imbalance:
We expect the highest level of performance…
without consistently providing the highest level of preparation.
If the system says the first officer becomes the commander, then policy should reflect that reality.
Training must match responsibility.
Compensation Reflects Priority
Salary and benefits are not just about fairness—they are about what we value as a society.
Higher compensation allows agencies to:
- Attract more capable candidates
- Retain experienced officers
- Reduce burnout and turnover
- Create space for continuous training and development
More importantly, it signals that we understand the weight of the role.
If we want disciplined, thinking, high-character professionals making critical decisions in our worst moments, we have to invest accordingly.
This Is Not an Expense—It’s a Risk Management Decision
When we talk about increasing salaries, benefits, and training budgets, the conversation often centers on cost.
That’s the wrong lens.
This is not about paying officers more for routine tasks.
This is about investing in the people who may one day be responsible for saving your life, your family, or your community.
Think about it this way:
- What is it worth to have the right officer make the right decision at the right time?
- What is it worth to avoid a preventable tragedy?
- What is it worth to resolve a crisis quickly, professionally, and without unnecessary escalation?
Because those outcomes are not accidental.
They are the result of training, preparation, leadership, and experience—all of which require investment.
A Call to Policymakers and Leaders
If we truly believe in public safety, then our policies should reflect the realities of the job:
- The first officer on scene is a decision-maker, not just a responder
- Leadership is required at every level, not just at rank
- Training must be accessible, continuous, and prioritized
- Compensation must match responsibility
This is not about optics. It’s about outcomes.
Final Thought
A responding officer is often in a situation where they have to make a split second decision that stand to impact and entire neighborhood of even community.
There are four questions of transcendental importance that we must ask ourselves in this light:
What kind of officer do you want responding when it’s your emergency?
What are you willing to invest to make sure that officer is ready?
Why are so many law enforcement professionals leaving in large numbers for the private sector, where they are paid more and often valued more (this questions answers itself)?
And finally, why should we care?
The answer is simple. As the public, our objective should be clear: to attract, develop, and retain individuals of the highest caliber for a profession that may, at any moment, require them to act decisively to save lives, including our own. That responsibility does not come without cost. It carries a two-fold obligation on our part: to respect law enforcement officers in a way that genuinely reflects their value, and to compensate them in a manner that allows them to properly care for their families while they are entrusted with the protection and care of ours. If we expect expert judgment under pressure, calm under chaos, and leadership in the most critical moments, then we must be willing to invest accordingly, because the quality of the response we receive in our worst moment is directly tied to what we choose to invest in advance.
Eric Aguiar, LL.B. is a well-rounded law enforcement professional who brings a diverse and accomplished background to the field. His credentials include a law degree, SWAT certification, and advanced negotiation training through University of Notre Dame.
Eric believes that the most effective leaders in law enforcement are those who actively foster growth, motivate their teams, and help subordinates and peers recognize and develop their full potential. He maintains that when individuals are empowered in this way, the result is a more capable, cohesive, and productive team.
He is committed to the principle that every professional in law enforcement deserves the opportunity to grow into the role they aspire to—provided they are willing to put in the work required to achieve it.
