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Sarasota News Leader May 3, 2013 And that is why there is a 'book.' Page 18 and that's already written up in a [union] contract that's beyond my ability to control. "Right. Very few people that I've come into contact with are very good tacticians and "But I think overall: changing a cultural beknow how to fight a war in the long run, for lief. There's a history; this organization has lack of a better word. I've had commanders had a long history of police work. And peowho worked for me in the past … but they ple are used to doing things a certain way. don't know how to To come in from a difattack a problem. It's ferent state with a difalmost like a chess I need people to go out and make ferent perspective on game. You have to be decisions based on experience, based on policing, even though thinking a bunch of being at the scene and using good it's similar in a lot of judgment and their knowledge of the law ways — our policing steps ahead of time. to be leaders. styles were different in "You don't just move Maryland compared to Bernadette DiPino the pawn [thinking], Chief of Police Sarasota. 'That gets me into a good position, but what's the next move?' You have to think not even days or weeks; you have to think years in advance from a position of leadership. You have to think, 'How's this going to impact the officers and community and everything you do?' Sarasota "Getting officers to understand and then get the buy-in: As soon as they get it, it'll be like a 'click.' 'I get it. That makes sense; this is going to work. It's going to make my life easier, make me safer and the community safer, too.' But getting them to understand it, to make it 'click,' that's going to "I like games. I like chess. I like card games. I be the biggest challenge because everybody think that way. It's a blessing, because some- — especially police — everybody has a hard times I get to a scene where things are chaot- time with change. ic, and everybody's like, 'Oh, what to do?' and "It takes a little bit of time to win over the I can see so clearly the bigger picture with so confidence and the trust. And as soon as you many things that need to be done and how to have little small successes and people get to do it and keep people moving. It's tough to know you more — it's about developing those teach that." relationships. What's been your biggest constraint? Peo"And of course, money is always going to be ple? Money? Is it equipment or talent? a challenge. In the last seven years, I've seen "Probably right now there are two things that in law enforcement across the country monare challenging me. One is my ability to man- ey and budgets and pensions and anything age the Police Department. There's already a dealing with money is a super-heightened lot of restraints on what I can and can't do, challenge.