Case Studies
Chapter 08: Transactional Analysis
You are a lieutenant in charge of the fugitive section at your police department. You report to the captain of operations. At work on a Monday morning, the captain comes into your office and says “Something happened at our sub-office on Friday. You need to find out about it and report back to me.”
The captain is a friend of the sergeant who runs the sub-office, and was apparently called by the sergeant. The captain did not tell you anything about the incident. He apparently expected you to call the sergeant, find out the facts, and then report back to him.
Based on the captain’s inquiry, you believe that the captain is involved in a petty power play. You do, however, call the sergeant and ask him what happened. The sergeant tells you that a prisoner was being transported to jail and the brass loop on the waist chains (that the handcuffs go through) broke. The sergeant in charge of the sub-office tells you that he does not believe that the chain breaking appears to be related to an escape attempt. He believes that the chain was worn and weak.