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Sarasota News Leader May 3, 2013 Page 16 and the gun violence in the community — and there are some cultural changes that need to take place within the police organization — those things are a little bit new. into those shoes and grow into those shoes along the way. Their own training and knowledge will help them become the future leaders of the organization." "Every police organization is a little bit different. Their histories are different. I'm very happy with the officers that are here, and I think there is a lot of really great raw material to work with. And with the transition of people being in the DROP [deferred retirement program], it's going to allow for an opportunity to make some of these sweeping changes that I see will benefit the department and the community." How do you distinguish between training leaders and training micro-managers? That segues into another question I have. Since you joined the department, it has lost the equivalent of almost a century of experience. "Not as a result of me coming. They were in the DROP and ready to go." How do you envision replacing that? "I really don't like micromanagement, because then you don't develop leaders. That doesn't mean you don't guide and mentor people, to point them in the right direction. "The way I like to lead and the way I like to train leaders is give them a task, tell them what the goal is and not care how they get to the goal as long as it's legal, moral and ethical. They'll make mistakes along the way, and that's where you guide them and pick them up — just as long as they are not doing something that gets you in a huge liability. And that goes throughout the entire Police Department; not just the captains, lieutenants, sergeants, but all your officers. "You can't really replace the history. What you do is tap into it and make sure you understand it before the people leave. And you make sure you have good people around you that do have that history. I've been getting as much 'intel' as I can to know about it. "That's one of the things I'm finding within this organization. I think a lot of officers feel they can't go out and make decisions on their own, without going, 'What's the book say? How do I follow this exact procedure?' That's not being smart and that's not being a good leader. "As opposed to replacing it, you look at developing leadership and having them step "I need people to go out and make decisions based on experience, based on be- Chief Bernadette DiPino. Photo by Norman Schimmel