From LinkedIn

Available Isn't the Same as Understood

This was originally posted on my LinkedIn on July 28, 2026.

One of the things I’ve learned during my first year as Chief happened because of a mandatory policy update.

We recently had to update several department policies because of changes required by state law. These weren’t changes I had chosen. They were changes we were responsible for implementing. Before they went into effect, I met with my leadership team to talk through what was changing, why it was required, and what it meant for our department.

A few days later, I was talking with several officers. They all knew the policies had been updated because they had received the automated policy notifications. As we talked, it became clear they didn’t understand why the changes had been made.

Some of the questions I was getting told me people were trying to make sense of the change on their own. They were wondering if someone had messed up or if something had happened that led to the update. (In law enforcement many new policies unofficially have names associated with them)

Until that point, I always thought transparency meant making sure my leadership team understood the change, trusting they would share it with their teams, and making sure the updated policy was available for everyone to read.

I realized making information available and making sure people understand it aren’t the same thing.

So I went back to my office and sent an email to the entire department explaining why the changes were required, what they meant, and why they mattered.

Since then, I’ve found myself spending a lot more time explaining the “why.” Not because I expect everyone to agree with every decision. They won’t. Sometimes, like these policy updates, the decision isn’t even mine to make.

As I finish my first year as Chief, I think that’s one of the biggest ways this job has changed me.

Maybe transparency isn’t measured by how much information we share.

Maybe it’s measured by how much people actually understand.

Want to see the conversation? Read the comments on LinkedIn.