After starting as a 19-year-old intern at Davidson County Sheriff’s Office and building Solaren Risk Management into a 300+ employee company, I’ve discovered that the best business principles come from law enforcement fundamentals. Here’s what two decades of police work taught me about leadership, operations, and growth.

People often ask me how I transitioned from law enforcement to running a business. The truth is, I never really left law enforcement — I just applied its principles to the private sector. Every lesson that made me effective as a deputy sheriff became the foundation for building Solaren Risk Management from a small office in a mall to one of the Southeast’s leading security companies.

My journey started at 19 as a paid intern with the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-byrd-iii-4415a056). Within my first year, I earned promotion to corporal and was assigned to the Armed Services Division handling inmate transportation. Later, I joined the U.S. Marshal Service as a District Officer before co-founding Solaren in 2017. Each step taught me something crucial about leadership, accountability, and building systems that work under pressure.

How Does Law Enforcement Prepare You for Business Leadership?

Law enforcement operates on principles that translate directly to business success. Every decision in police work has consequences, and those consequences affect real people in real time. This creates a mindset where preparation, training, and clear protocols aren’t just good ideas — they’re survival tools.

When I started Solaren with Curtis Dodson, we had no business plan, no venture capital, and no corporate mentors. What we did have was experience in high-stakes environments where failure wasn’t an option. That experience shaped how we approached everything from hiring to client relationships.

In law enforcement, you learn that your reputation is everything. One bad decision can destroy years of trust-building. The same principle applies in business — your company is only as strong as the trust your clients place in you. We built Solaren on the understanding that every interaction, every contract, and every employee reflects our commitment to professional excellence.

What Does Chain of Command Teach About Organizational Structure?

Police departments succeed because everyone knows their role, their authority, and their accountability. Clear chain of command isn’t about control — it’s about efficiency and responsibility. When emergencies happen, there’s no time for committee meetings or unclear decision-making processes.

At Solaren, we’ve implemented similar command structures. Our field operations coordinators know exactly who reports to them, what decisions they can make independently, and when they need to escalate issues. As Bethany Gill, our Chief of Operations, explains: “Chain of command is definitely something that we try to convey. Rather than reach out to or try to reach out to the CEO directly about any problem, they have to understand that when they’re on the field, if they have an issue, they talk to their supervisor.”

This structure allows us to manage over 300 contractors across multiple states efficiently. Each supervisor manages multiple contracts and locations because they have clear authority and established protocols. One of our field operations coordinators manages almost all the hotels we service — close to 10 properties in a certain area of Nashville — completely alone.

Law enforcement also taught me the importance of documentation and reporting. Every incident gets recorded, every decision gets justified, and every action gets reviewed. We’ve brought that same discipline to Solaren through comprehensive training programs, regular performance evaluations, and detailed incident reporting.

How Do You Apply Police Training Methods to Business Development?

Police training focuses on preparing officers for situations they hope never to encounter. The goal isn’t just to teach skills — it’s to build instinctive responses that work under extreme pressure. This approach revolutionized how we think about employee development at Solaren.

Our investment in comprehensive training programs reflects law enforcement principles. We don’t just meet state minimums for security certification — we exceed them because we understand that training saves lives. Our training coordinator, Darrell Webb, brings active law enforcement experience to every session.

As Bethany Gill, our Chief of Operations, notes: “We have our training coordinator, Darrell Webb, he’s phenomenal. He’s active law enforcement and he knows his stuff for sure. He does a lot of the training through the law enforcement agency, the department that he works in.”

The training covers multiple areas:

• Report writing and documentation standards
• Emergency response and first aid procedures
• Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC)
• Deescalation techniques and conflict resolution
• Radio protocols and communication procedures
• Specialized skills for different client environments

Recently, this training proved its value when one of our officers used TECC skills to save someone’s life outside a Nashville venue. That officer didn’t hesitate because the training had created muscle memory — exactly what we aim for in law enforcement.

Police academies also emphasize continuous learning and recertification. At Solaren, we hold regular training sessions, update certifications annually, and recognize outstanding performance through our awards program. Officers who complete specialized training receive certificates and often pay increases, just like promotions in law enforcement.

What Role Does Community Policing Play in Client Relations?

Community policing taught me that effective law enforcement requires building relationships, not just enforcing rules. The best police officers become part of the communities they serve, earning trust through consistent professional behavior. The same principle applies to client relationships in private security.

During my time with the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, I worked on community initiatives like “Toys for Tots” and the “Sober Ride Campaign” (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-byrd-iii-4415a056). These programs showed me that law enforcement works best when it’s integrated into community life rather than imposed from outside.

At Solaren, our officers don’t just provide security — they become part of their clients’ operations. Whether they’re working at hotels, bars, events, or corporate facilities, our goal is integration rather than enforcement. Clients trust us because our officers understand their specific needs and adapt accordingly.

This relationship-building approach has enabled rapid growth. As Bethany Gill describes our expansion: “The company kind of skyrocketed as soon as it started. Jack has a lot of connections. He knows a lot of people, which is really invaluable when you’re starting a business.”

How Do Crisis Management Skills Transfer to Business Operations?

Law enforcement teaches you that crises are inevitable, but preparedness determines outcomes. Every police officer learns to think three steps ahead, plan for multiple scenarios, and remain calm when everything goes wrong. These skills become invaluable when running a business.

Hurricane Milton provided a perfect example of how law enforcement training translates to business crisis management. When clients in Florida needed emergency security support, we deployed mobile command centers and multiple patrol vehicles. The deployment required the same kind of rapid resource mobilization and clear command structure that characterizes police emergency response.

As Bethany Gill recalls: “We ended up taking a command center down there and we had multiple vehicles so we could patrol the properties. We had to gather as many people as we could to go down there.”

We gathered qualified personnel through social media outreach and email campaigns, verified their credentials, and coordinated a convoy to Florida with all necessary equipment. The operation succeeded because we approached it like a police operation — with clear objectives, defined roles, and backup plans for every contingency.

Crisis management also means maintaining operations while addressing emergencies. During the hurricane deployment, we couldn’t simply pull officers from existing Nashville contracts. We had to balance emergency response with ongoing client commitments, just like police departments balance emergency calls with routine patrol duties.

What Does Internal Affairs Teach About Quality Control?

Every police department has internal affairs processes to maintain professional standards and public trust. The principle is simple: maintain rigorous standards to preserve credibility. We’ve implemented similar quality control measures at Solaren.

Our weekly operations meetings bring together leadership to review incidents, discuss performance issues, and make personnel decisions. If an officer makes a serious mistake, supervisors and operations leadership meet to determine appropriate responses, including potential termination for severe violations.

As Bethany Gill explains: “If the guard did something that was genuinely their fault, then we’re going to have to consider maybe letting them go depending on the severity of it.”

We also conduct regular performance evaluations, both quarterly and annually. Outstanding performers receive recognition at our company Christmas party, including awards that correlate with pay increases. This system creates accountability while rewarding excellence — exactly what effective oversight should accomplish.

Documentation plays a crucial role in our quality control process. Every incident gets reported, every training completion gets recorded, and every performance evaluation gets documented. This creates the paper trail necessary for fair personnel decisions and legal protection.

How Do You Scale Law Enforcement Principles Across Multiple States?

Managing security operations across multiple states presents challenges similar to multi-jurisdictional law enforcement operations. Different states have different laws, different licensing requirements, and different professional standards. Success requires understanding and adapting to local regulations while maintaining consistent quality.

Building our company from a two-person startup to a multi-state operation required the same coordination skills used in major law enforcement investigations. We’ve established local partnerships, hired qualified local supervisors, and adapted our training programs to meet state-specific requirements.

Technology helps us maintain consistency across locations. We use integrated platforms for scheduling, documentation, training records, and communication. All contractors can access their schedules, pick their shifts, and complete required forms through mobile applications — but only if they meet the qualifications for specific assignments.

As Bethany Gill notes: “We have one platform that we use where we keep track of all the documents for our contractors, all of the time sheets, the schedules, everything all in one app.”

Different locations require different certifications. Armed officers need specific training, school assignments require active shooter certification, and some clients only want off-duty law enforcement. Our system tracks these qualifications and ensures proper assignment matching.

What About Recruitment and Hiring Standards?

Police departments succeed through rigorous recruitment and hiring standards. Law enforcement taught me that hiring the right people is more important than training the wrong people. You can teach skills, but you can’t teach character, integrity, and work ethic.

Most of our supervisory staff started as field officers who proved themselves through consistent performance. We promote from within because we can observe character under pressure over extended periods. This approach mirrors law enforcement promotion practices where officers advance based on demonstrated competence and leadership potential.

As Bethany Gill describes our promotion process: “Nine times out of 10, it comes from people who have worked for us out in the field and have really done a good job. We’ve got plenty of people that we’ve pulled in from out in the field to become field operations coordinators.”

Our hiring process includes panel interviews where candidates meet individually with multiple staff members, then participate in group interviews with both administrative and operations personnel. We ask situational questions, test problem-solving abilities, and evaluate communication skills.

Performance standards remain high throughout employment. Officers who consistently demonstrate punctuality, professionalism, and competence receive advancement opportunities. Those who fail to meet standards face consequences, including potential termination — just like law enforcement agencies.

The Business Impact of Law Enforcement Values

Law enforcement instilled five core values that define how we operate Solaren: professionalism, accountability, integrity, diversity, and commitment. These aren’t marketing slogans — they’re operational principles that guide every business decision.

Professionalism means meeting or exceeding client expectations consistently. Accountability means taking responsibility for outcomes, both good and bad. Integrity means doing the right thing even when no one is watching. Diversity means building teams that reflect the communities we serve. Commitment means staying dedicated to our mission regardless of challenges.

These values have enabled us to build strong relationships with clients, maintain low employee turnover among key personnel, and establish a reputation for reliability in a competitive industry. Law enforcement taught me that reputation takes years to build and seconds to destroy.

My background and experience across both public service and private enterprise has shown me that the best business practices often come from public safety fundamentals. The principles that make effective police officers — training, accountability, clear communication, and community service — create successful businesses.

After seven years of building Solaren, I remain convinced that law enforcement provides the best foundation for business leadership. The skills that protect communities also build companies that serve clients effectively and treat employees fairly.