Dwight D. Eisenhower once said of the military, “Morale is the greatest single factor in successful wars.” The business world has also found this to be true; several studies and companies have found that when morale is up, employees are more productive, 1 use less sick time,2 and are less likely to leave even if offered more money elsewhere.3 Many of the world’s most successful military units and Fortune 500 companies trust their success to the members of the organization. It would be reasonable to assume that for policing—paramilitary in structure and highly service oriented—morale would also be a significant factor in success. So why then are acknowledging, reviewing, and improving morale on the back burner for so many law enforcement agencies?
