Chief Steve Watson shares Message of Purpose EPD officers see daily

From Chief Steve Watson:

This poster is prominently displayed on the wall outside the Eureka Police Department's roll call room where are our Patrol officers conduct their pre-watch briefings every day.


It serves as a daily "Message of Purpose" to police with pride, integrity and perseverance despite the ever-increasing challenges we face.

The bottom line is though these challenges are significant, they are not insurmountable and we cannot use them as an excuse to shirk our duty to protect and serve our community with steadfast spirit and purpose. EPD understands the public needs us, we need the public, and we have our community's support--for which we are very grateful.

"Our public expects of us and we must expect of ourselves fearless and selfless commitment to our oath and our badges."  ~Michael Josephson (President/Founder, Josephson Institute of Ethics)

This Message of Purpose was shared with my class during a lecture on Creating an Exemplary Policing Agency at the California Police Chiefs Executive Leadership Institute at Drucker. It resonated with me given the current highly critical national narrative toward law enforcement and progressively restrictive legislative policies that increase the stress, physical and legal risks our officers face during each encounter. 

Policing is and should be much more than just a "job" with benefits and a steady paycheck--it's an inviolable calling to protect and serve others to the best of our abilities, with purpose and conviction.  We're not perfect, but I'm proud of the women and men of the Eureka Police Department and the difficult work they do for their community 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.