Turning Resolutions into Reality
Are you relentless in your resolve?
As we find ourselves only six days into the new year, many of us have already made resolutions. In fact, nearly 50% of Americans start the year with goals aimed at self-improvement. Yet, according to a 2023 Forbes Health survey, less than 10% of these resolutions endure beyond the first month. By the end of the year, only 1% manage to stick to their resolutions. This striking attrition rate is not just limited to personal goals - it mirrors the challenges faced in professional settings, particularly in leadership roles.
A 2016 Harvard Business Review article highlights that 61% of executives feel unprepared for the strategic challenges they face in senior leadership roles. Alarmingly, 50-60% of these leaders fail within their first 18 months. This high failure rate underscores the importance of not just setting goals but also committing to strategic planning, execution and review.
In the realm of public safety, the stakes are even higher. Consider the sobering reality of recent events. According to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), a not for profit corporation formed to provide free online public access to accurate information about gun-related violence in the United States, in just the first six days of 2025, there have been six mass shootings, resulting in four fatalities and 34 injuries.[1] These incidents are part of a larger pattern of gun related violence that has already claimed over 50 lives and injured more than 150 individuals this year.
The connection between personal resolutions, strategic planning, and reducing gun related violence of criminal and terroristic nature, may not be immediately apparent, but it’s crucial.
Let’s reflect on the stories of five remarkable individuals:
Bob Cieplensky, a New Jersey State Trooper, who apprehended international terrorist Yu Kikumura at the Vince Lombardi Rest Area on the New Jersey Turnpike.
Jeff Scott Postell, a police officer from Murphy, North Carolina, who captured Eric Rudolph, the Centennial Olympic Park bomber, when he was picking through a dumpster behind a Save-A-Lot store.
Greg Stevens, a Garland, Texas police officer, who thwarted an ISIS terrorist attack while working a detail at the Curtis Culwell Center.
Michael Collazo and Rex Engelbert, Metro Nashville officers, who responded and heroically ended the mass shooting at the Covenant School.
These stories all highlight the critical role of frontline officers. They are often the ones who figure prominently in the timeline of an act of violence. They are the first responders who can make a life-saving difference during a critical incident such as a terrorist attack, active shooter situation, or other crimes of violence.
The recent New Orleans terror attack, while tragic, could have been far worse if not for the swift action of two officers who confronted the terrorist and stopped him from inflicting more carnage.
For police executives, these narratives emphasize the necessity of incorporating strategic planning into their efforts to maximize officer readiness and effectiveness.
Here are key areas where strategic planning can have a significant impact:
· State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training: Ensuring officers are equipped with up-to-date training needed to identify, investigate, prevent, and respond to terrorism, targeted violence, and hate crimes.
· Access to Intelligence Products: Providing officers with formalized intelligence products from fusion centers, Joint Terrorist Task Forces, and crime gun intelligence centers so they can best understand the evolving threat picture in their jurisdictions.
· Active Shooter Response Training: Preparing officers to respond swiftly and effectively to active shooter incidents.
· Officer Survival and Wellness Training: Enhancing officers’ ability to protect themselves and others in critical situations and ensure resiliency in the days, months, and years that follow.
· Collection of Evidence and crime gun Intelligence: Training officers in finding and preserving ballistic evidence and related crime gun intelligence data in the field to aid in investigations and prosecutions, which can ultimately disrupt the shooting cycle of frequent trigger pullers and stop them from doing more harm.
As we move forward in 2025, let’s resolve to not only make personal improvements but also to be relentless in committing to strategic, actionable plans that can enhance public safety.
By doing so, we honor the bravery of those on the frontlines and take meaningful steps toward a safer society.
Be Relentless!
[1] https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/reports/number-of-gun-deaths