leadership in law enforcement essay

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Police Leadership 2.0.: A comprehensive systematic review of the literature

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Rui Coelho de Moura, Andreia Borges, Sónia Morgado, Nelson Ramalho, Police Leadership 2.0.: A comprehensive systematic review of the literature, Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice , Volume 17, 2023, paac068, https://doi.org/10.1093/police/paac068

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Police are required to operate in complex social, political, and organizational environments. Nowadays, challenging times highlight the role that police leaders play in ensuring that the organization is effective in dealing with such environments. The purpose of this paper is to expand the systematic review of literature of Pearson-Goff and Herrington (2014 , ‘Police Leadership: A Systematic Review of the Literature.’ Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice 8(1): 14–26) by: (1) including studies after the date considered by the authors; (2) following the PRISMA-P approach to systematic reviews; and (3) include European studies. Based on 7,041 records, which ended up in 101 eligible empirical pieces, evidence supports previous findings about what are the characteristics of police leaders as well as the actions expected by them. This comprehensive systematic review also identifies additional characteristics and actions that are important nowadays in police leadership. Overall, the current study encourages future studies on the thematic, and contributes to practitioners aiming to develop continuous improvement strategies inside the police.

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Leadership development series: Why adaptive leadership is imperative for law enforcement

Adaptability is a requirement at all levels of the law enforcement profession, not a luxury.

Adaptive leadership involves the ability to recognize changes in the environment, understand their implications and respond appropriately.

By Al Bello, MScTRM

The nature of law enforcement has dramatically evolved in the past few decades. While maintaining law and order remains at its core, the complexity of this mandate has been significantly amplified due to a variety of factors including societal changes, technological advancements, negative sentiments about the law enforcement profession and the escalating intricacy of criminal behaviors.

It’s clear that for law enforcement to meet these challenges effectively, adaptive leadership is an indispensable strategy. As we preach to our students in our Adaptive Leader training: Adaptability is a requirement at all levels of the law enforcement profession, not a luxury.

Understanding adaptive leadership

Adaptive leadership, a concept first introduced by Heifetz and Linsky from the Harvard Kennedy School, is essentially about embracing change and learning to adapt in challenging situations. [1] It involves the ability to recognize changes in the environment, understand their implications and respond appropriately. Unlike technical challenges that have clear solutions that can be found in existing policies, rules or practices, adaptive challenges often involve complex problems with no clear solutions, requiring leaders to learn and adapt as they navigate through them. In essence, they require innovation.

To give an applicable and relevant example, the U.S. Marine Corps establishes doctrine – an institutional-level belief and philosophy of things – in many sectors of its organization. The Marine Corps has doctrine that guides warfighting, campaigning, logistics, etc. This way of setting the foundation will always give Marines a fallback whenever there is confusion on any one issue by asking the question: “Does this align with the doctrine on X?” The reason this is relevant to the para-military structured police departments around the globe is this: The Marines have doctrine on LEARNING. Do an online search for Marine Corps Doctrine Publication 7 (MCDP-7) and you will find the Marines’ philosophy and beliefs on the topic of learning. Think about it, they have a belief and philosophy on learning. Learning demands a growth mindset and breeds innovative thinking. This is built into the organization at ALL LEVELS.

The relevance of adaptive leadership in law enforcement

In the context of law enforcement, adaptive leadership involves a shift from traditional command and control models toward more flexible, responsive and network-centered approaches. This involves understanding the community’s needs and values, being open to new ideas and methods, and continually learning and adapting to the evolving landscape. A key takeaway from our Adaptive Leader approach is that truly adaptive leadership should be looked at as a network, and not as a hierarchy.

Law enforcement agencies confront adaptive challenges on multiple fronts, ranging from evolving crime patterns and community expectations to the adoption of new technologies and the need to build public trust. In the face of such challenges, adaptive leadership and embracing a growth mindset are imperative.

Building an adaptive law enforcement agency

Building an adaptive law enforcement agency involves fostering a culture of learning, innovation and collaboration. It requires leaders who are not just experts in their field, but also facilitators who can guide their teams through the process of change. Agencies get the behaviors they reward, so it is imperative that in order to foster innovation, new approaches to problems and risk-taking are permitted. If those who take risks are constantly punished or judged, agencies will create risk-averse leaders.

What is your agency’s philosophy on learning? If the answer is unknown, or this is the first time you’ve asked yourself this question, here are a few ways to trigger the change that will enable learning to be a part of your agency’s “normal":

1. Encourage continuous learning: Adaptive leaders understand the importance of continuous learning in staying relevant and effective. They not only strive to update their own knowledge and skills but also create opportunities for their teams to learn and grow. They understand that every encounter or situation, whether it’s a community interaction, a criminal investigation, or a crisis situation, is an opportunity to learn and improve. [2] The U.S. Marines excel in this environment in that they have made learning an institutional priority. They not only expect Marines to learn, but demand it. With the well-known approach of Improvise-Adapt-Overcome being at the forefront of most battlefield training, learning new ways of looking at problems sets Marines up for success. Real-world application: What if, before anyone could be considered for promotion in your agency, there was a requirement to read the following three books:

• “ Extreme Ownership ” by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
• “ Leaders Eat Last ” by Simon Sinek
• “ The Infinite Game ” by Simon Sinek

What baseline would a requirement like this create for your future leaders? In the Marine Corps, this is referred to as “Professional Military Education” or PME. It is the learning requirement for any Marine to be viewed as promotable. I submit to you that Professional Law Enforcement Education or PLEE should be a concept all police administrators put into motion.

2. Promote innovation: Adaptive leaders recognize that the traditional “we’ve always done it this way” approach is not sufficient in a rapidly changing environment. They encourage innovation and are open to new ideas and methods. This may involve adopting new technologies, exploring alternative policing strategies, or experimenting with new ways of engaging with the community. [3] In addition to this, truly adaptive leaders will accept and understand that any failures along the way are a step closer to success, and will not do anything to kill momentum.

Real-world application: We’ve all read/heard and are living through the current police recruitment and retention crisis. It seems that departments around the country can’t hire fast enough (or enough at all for that matter) to stay at proper staffing levels. Have you considered asking the youngest officer at your PD about how to use social media outside of the 20+ year platform that is Facebook? Answer this question and you’ll be a step closer to solving the recruiting crisis your PD is experiencing: “What social media platform are all the 20-26-year-olds of America on right now?” Innovate and bridge that gap.

3. Build collaborative relationships: Adaptive leadership in law enforcement also involves building strong relationships with the community and other stakeholders. This includes not just communicating effectively but also listening to different perspectives and incorporating community input into decision-making processes. It’s about building trust and collaboration, which are vital in effectively responding to the complex challenges faced by law enforcement agencies. [4] Think of the way your organization is structured. Is it an “only leaders are at the top and driving the bus” kind of organization? Do your staff meetings include midnight shift patrol division officers from time to time? Having a pulse on the way things are perceived at the lowest levels of your organization will bring insight and much-needed perspective to adaptive leaders that are driving change. In this way, leadership can be a network and not a top-heavy “decisions come from the top” kind of structure. After all, the value of good ideas will always outweigh rank.

Real-world application: I’ll make this one easy. Relationships create resources, and resources help your mission.

Adaptive leadership is a strategic imperative for law enforcement in the 21st century. It provides a framework for navigating the complex and ever-changing landscape of law enforcement, ensuring that agencies remain effective and responsive to the communities they serve. By fostering a culture of learning, innovation and collaboration, law enforcement agencies can better meet the challenges of today and prepare for the uncertainties of tomorrow.

To learn more about Offset Consulting’s Adaptive Leader training, visit www.adaptiveleadertraining.com .

1. Heifetz RA, Grashow A, Linsky M. (2009.) The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World. Harvard Business Press.

2. Uhl-Bien M, Marion R, McKelvey B. (2007.) Complexity Leadership Theory: Shifting Leadership from the Industrial Age to the Knowledge Era. The Leadership Quarterly.

3. Anderson T. (2011.) The Leader’s Role in Strategy Execution: Creating an Adaptive, High-Performing Enterprise. Leader to Leader, 2011.

4. O’Toole J. (1995.) Leading Change: Overcoming the Ideology and the Tyranny of Custom. Jossey-Bass.

About the author

Al Bello, MScTRM, is the founder of Offset Consulting LLC, parent company to Offset Training Group, a veteran-owned company that focuses on culture change in law enforcement through leadership consulting and training. He is a Ph.D. Candidate in Organizational Conflict Analysis and Resolution, with a focus on training, and holds a master’s degree from the University of Chicago in Threat and Response Management. He is a 21-year veteran of the United State Marine Corps Reserves, during which he spent over 15 years in the infantry and retired as a Gunnery Sergeant. Al is the creator of the Gap-Free Narrative Report Writing system and Adaptive Leader Training. He has hundreds of hours of proven leadership exposure.

Al is a full-time sworn law enforcement officer and leads an intelligence section in a significantly active Chicago-bordering police agency. He is also the training coordinator for his agency. He has been a police trainer in multiple disciplines for over 15 years. Through his time in policing, Al has brought new concepts and changes that changed department-wide operations. Through his leadership, his department has been able to shift culture and achieved a change in the way operations take place. All of this is through adaptability.

Click here to access the entire Leadership Development Series.

Challenges for Police Leadership: Identity, Experience, Legitimacy and Direct Entry

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• Published: 19 March 2018
• Volume 34 , pages 145–155, ( 2019 )

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The police service in England and Wales has developed a new approach to police leadership where individuals from outside of the police service can now enter directly to leadership ranks. Previous research identified that officers place great value on being led by someone who has experience of being a police officer. Adopting a social identity perspective, the current paper reports on quantitative and qualitative data about police officer views on direct entry and existing police leadership captured as part of a wider national survey ( N  = 12,549) of police officers in England and Wales. The paper identifies the importance that shared identity and credibility play in police follower/leadership relationships. It argues that direct-entry police leaders face credibility issues linked to their lack of shared police identity but also that serving officers perceive existing leaders to be poor because they believe they have forgotten what it is like to be a police officer. This paper develops a new theoretical and empirical approach to police leadership utilizing social and organizational psychology theory and research. The paper suggests that if police leaders understand police identity, then they can create propitious conditions within which police officers will follow their leaders.

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Introduction

Recent developments to the police service in England and Wales have led commentators to suggest that it is facing some of the biggest and most controversial challenges in the last 60 years (Brain 2013 ). Government austerity measures required the police service to find total savings of £2.42bn by 2015 (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary 2013 ) while a recent comprehensive review of police officer and staff pay and conditions suggested substantial reform to policing was needed (Winsor 2011 , 2012 ). The police service also faces increased demand for accountability in relation to issues such as the emergence of new crime types and public legitimacy issues (College of Policing 2015 ). In order to respond to such challenges, police leadership has emerged as a focal point for development. As Peter Neyroud ( 2011 , p.2) states in his Review of Police Leadership and Training for the Home Secretary,

I have concluded that, in the light of the government’s published ambitions for policing and the challenges that policing needs to meet, this is a moment for radical change in the approach to police leadership and training

Leadership in Policing

Police leadership has long been an area of interest for academic research (Bryman et al. 1996 ; Kerr and Jermier 1978 ). While effective leadership appears such a desired commodity within policing, limited scholarly attention has been given to studying leadership processes and the barriers to developing more efficacious leadership practices (Mastrofski 2002 , 2006 ). Instead, police leadership research appears to be dominated by a focus on individual idiosyncratic leader traits, characteristics, and behaviors (Schafer 2009 , 2010 ), which can be traced to traditional leadership theories and are not reflective of the substantial developments on leadership research and theory that have occurred in the last decade (Dinh et al. 2014 ).

More recently, two models have dominated police leadership research (Dobby et al. 2004 ). The first is based on notions of transaction between leaders and specific followers in which leaders provide rewards to followers and in return followers “allow” leaders to lead (Bass 1985 ). The second focuses on the role of charisma, as a largely individual characteristic which enables leaders to transform groups and organizations (Berson et al. 2006 ; Judge et al. 2002 ). As Bill Bratton, the former NYC police commissioner, stated in an interview with the Guardian newspaper, “Bureaucrats change processes, leaders change culture. I think of myself as a transformational leader who changes cultures” (Dodd and Stratton 2011 ). However, despite an apparent shift towards such models of leadership in policing, particularly the transformational model, little evidence has been found to suggest that such leadership style has transformed police culture (Cockcroft 2014 ).

As part of the Independent Review of Police Officer and Staff Remuneration and Conditions (Winsor 2011 , 2012 ), entry routes to the police were specifically considered as a means of changing police leadership and culture. From the review, two recommendations were made which are of relevance here. The first was for a national scheme for direct entry (DE) to the rank of superintendent to be established and brought into operation. Participants on the scheme would be persons of exceptional achievement and ability who had been assessed as having the potential to be senior police officers (Recommendation 19). The second was for a new fast track (FT) program that would offer a development program and promotion mechanism to enable the most talented individuals to advance to the rank of inspector within 3 years.

While evidence of the impact and success of these new schemes will obviously take time to emerge debates about the merits of direct entry to policing are not new. In the UK, until around the Second World War, many officers at the highest echelons in county forces were drawn directly from elite and military backgrounds (Leishman and Savage 1993 ). Fast track promotion schemes also have a long history within UK and US policing. For example, within the UK, the Trenchard scheme (1933) recognized a need to identify talent within the service that should be “fast tracked” to more senior positions—while also attracting qualified individuals from other professions who could add value as leaders and influencers within the service (Boyle 1962 ). Within the USA, similar drives to attract qualified individuals have been linked to debates about professionalizing policing through educational qualifications, lateral entry, and leadership training such as that provided by the senior management institute for police (Krimmel 1996 ; Lee and Punch 2004 ). What all of these approaches have in common is a leader centric focus. They all assume the unique traits, characteristics, and actions of individuals are enough to provide successful leadership in policing (Schafer 2009 ; College of Policing 2015 ).

Recent developments in leadership theory have begun to provide a different perspective (Giessner et al. 2009 ). Drawing from Social Identity Theory (Tajfel and Turner 1979 ), research has begun to focus on “followership” and the role of those who follow the leader (Haslam et al. 2011 ). Crucial to this development is the recognition that leadership is not simply related to the characteristics of individuals in positions of relative power but also related to those in subordinate positions and is a dynamic of the relationships between the two (Reicher et al. 2005 ).

Social identity research suggests that it is by being able to develop and direct a shared sense of “us” that leaders are able to galvanize individuals otherwise idiosyncratic motivations. By doing so they can harness the transformative power of their coordinated energies (Ellemers et al. 2004 : Steffens et al. 2014 ). Consistent with this proposition, research has shown that leaders are more likely to be endorsed by followers to the extent that they are seen to be representative of a common in-group (Haslam 2001 ; Platow and van Knippenberg 2001 ). Where such endorsement happens, research suggests that followers will orient their behavior in the way desired by the leader. In short, it is only when leaders are seen to embody “who we are” that their leadership stimulates followership (Haslam et al. 2011 ). Research also shows that rather than being an inherent quality of an individual, a variety of stereotypical leader qualities (or traits) are actually the consequence of perceived representativeness. In other words, evidence suggests that we regard leaders as more trustworthy, fair, and charismatic to the extent that they are seen to represent, understand, and advance the interests of a common in-group (Haslam et al. 2001 ; Platow et al. 2003 ).

Relating this to the police, research has continually found that frontline officers place great value on being led by senior officers who have considerable direct experience of street-level police work (Rowe 2006 ). Followers identify more strongly with leaders who have shared common experiences because they are deemed more like, and thus more representative of, subordinate officers. Work by Caless ( 2011 ), reporting on senior police officer perceptions of leadership, echoes this idea. He found that senior officers believe that there is an exclusivity in policing that can only be understood if you have done the job and where credibility depends on experience of hard-learned and hard-earned knowledge.

Therefore, officers who rapidly climb the promotion ladder, without serving their time on the streets, are regarded with some suspicion. Such suspicion may be particularly acute for the new DE and FT officers who lack this shared police experience and thus group membership. This suggests that efforts will therefore need to be made to bridge what Rowe ( 2006 ) calls the credibility gap between frontline officers and these new police leaders. Research has identified a range of strategies that could be adopted to address these credibility issues including making junior officers feel more involved and valued in decision-making processes (Steinheider and Wuestewald 2008 ) or leaders actively creating organizational contexts that prevent an internal us versus them mentality developing between top management and other tiers within the police (Haake et al. 2015 ; Schaveling et al. 2017 ).

Aims of Paper

Reporting on data captured from a national survey of police officers, this paper will examine officer perceptions concerning police leadership and the new direct entry and fast track schemes and will explore issues which affect leader follower relationships. The paper will highlight social identity theory’s relevance to police leadership research and practice in terms of not only DE and FT officers but also current police leaders. It will argue that a shift in theoretical and empirical focus may help to maximize the impact DE, FT, and existing police leaders can have in managing and delivering the changes currently facing policing in England and Wales by creating more propitious conditions for police officers to follow their leaders.

This paper analyzes data from a national project that looked at police officers’ perspectives on a range of issues facing the police service in England and Wales. The project was funded by the Constables Central Committee (CCC) of the Police Federation of England and Wales and used an online survey questionnaire, the link to which the Police Federation e-mailed to their membership within all 43 Home Office police forces (including the Metropolitan Police) in England and Wales. The survey was developed using the software package Qualtrics to elicit self-report data from police officers from the rank of Police Constable (PC) to Chief Inspector (CI). The self-report data contained in this paper relate to both quantitative and qualitative survey questions. The quantitative data relates to officers’ responses to the following statement, ‘The direct entry scheme is a good idea.” This question was based on a five-point Likert scale ranging from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree. The qualitative data relates to officer’s written responses to the following two open questions which were included in the survey, “please state your biggest hopes for the future of your job as a police officer” and “please state your biggest concerns for the future of your job as a police officer.”

The qualitative responses of officers were therefore not cued (Zaller and Feldman 1992 ) to address any specific issue or topic beyond following on from a range of quantitative questions about issues currently facing the police in England and Wales of which direct entry leadership was one topic. Instead, officers were free to raise and discuss any issues that they perceived as important to their hopes or concerns for the future of the police in much the same way that an unstructured interview would within traditional qualitative research (Seidman 2013 ). Bryman et al. ( 1996 ) have previously noted the importance of, and positive impact that, qualitative approaches in police leadership can have, and the current design seeks to build on this.

The online survey was e-mailed to serving officers via Police Federation representatives. From a total sample of 13,591 officers, 12,549 completed the quantitative question on direct-entry leadership (see Table 1 ) while 11,127 completed the question about their biggest hopes for the future and 11,271 completed the question about their concerns. This sample size is about a one-in-ten response rate when judged against the size of the total eligible police population in England and Wales of 122,859 (Home Office 2017 ). Analysis of the sample indicated it was representative nationally of the structure of the police in England and Wales in terms of gender and rank and did not vary geographically (Home Office 2017 ; see Hoggett et al. 2014 for more information).

Officer responses to the Likert scale question on direct-entry police leadership were examined using descriptive statistics to identify overall levels of unanimity in agreement or disagreement to the question and a chi sq test of independence to examine unanimity by gender or rank. Effect size was quantified using Cramer’s V , 95% Clopper-Pearson confidence intervals for a proportion, and the Goodman Kruskal gamma measure of ordinal association ( γ ) which is suitable for five-point Likert ordinal data and is interpreted as a correlation coefficient and bounded between ± 1. This form of data analysis was chosen to provide a general context to officers’ perspectives on police leadership, which in turn helps provide a framework through which to understand officers’ responses to the qualitative questions. In other words, the quantitative data identifies what officers think about direct entry police leadership and how representative these views are, while the qualitative data illuminates why they think this.

A combination of data and theory-driven analytical approaches were adopted for the qualitative analysis (Glaser and Strauss 1967 ; Weber 1990 ). To extract data relevant to direct entry and police leadership, a simple form of data reduction strategy (Miles and Huberman 1994 ) using word searches from answers to the two survey questions was used. After initial reading of the data, the words used to search the data were direct entry/fast track (hopes = 194 entries, concerns = 647 entries), Association of Chief Police Officers/ACPO (hopes = 111, concerns = 130), support (hopes = 1473, concerns = 1320), management (hopes = 368, concerns = 490), and leadership (hopes = 109, concerns = 163). The numbers by each entry demonstrate the number of officers that used these words in their answers not the total number of times the words were used by officers.

Data extracts containing these words were then identified using the “Find” or “Advanced Find” tools on Microsoft Word (La Pelle 2004 ; Firmin et al. 2017 ). The data extracts were subsequently copied and pasted into new Word documents which were given the title of the word used in the initial word search together with the prefix “hopes” or “concerns.” For example, a new Word document titled “Concerns ACPO” was created. These new word documents were then analyzed using principles broadly within the tradition of thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke 2006 ).

The analysis of data is divided into three parts. First, officer responses to the Likert scale question about direct-entry police leadership will be analyzed using frequencies and chi sq. tests. Secondly, in light of this, officers’ qualitative perspectives on DE and FT police leadership will be analyzed before, thirdly, officers’ views of current leadership are examined. The analysis will seek to identify the relevance of the concepts of shared group identity and representativeness for leadership success by looking at issues of experience, trust, credibility, support, and the importance of knowing or understanding what it is like to be a police officer.

Quantitative Analysis

The national survey included a Likert scale statement that related to the issue of direct entry police leadership. The statement was “Direct entry police leadership is a good idea” and officers responded by reporting their level of agreement (strongly disagree to strongly agree) with the statement. Table 1 identifies levels of agreement, the number of officers that reported this level of agreement, and the total number of responses to the question.

Breaking down responses to the question by gender and rank allows us to examine any patterns of agreement or disagreement within the data by key demographics. Table 2 illustrates responses by gender and Table 3 illustrates responses by rank.

A chi-square test for independence indicated a significant association between gender and level of agreement to the statement the direct entry scheme is a good idea, χ 2  = 53.2, df  = 4, p  = .001, Cramer’s V  = 0.06, γ  = 0.11. To understand the nature of this relationship, we can look at the standardized residuals with Agresti ( 2007 ) noting that any cells having an absolute standardized residual value in excess of about 3 indicates lack of fit (p. 38). On this basis, a lower proportion of female officers than expected ( n  = 1337, 48.7%; 95% CI 46.8 to 50.6%) strongly disagreed that direct entry was a good idea compared to male officers ( n  = 5283, 55.5%; 95% CI 54.5 to 56.5%). In addition, a higher proportion of female officers (18.3%, 95% CI 16.6 to 19.8%) than male officers (13.6%, 95% CI 13.0 to 14.4%) neither agreed nor disagreed that direct-entry leadership was a good idea. However, only 4% of male officers and 3.9% of female officers agreed or strongly agreed that DE leadership was a good idea.

A chi-square test for independence indicated a significant association between rank and level of agreement that the direct entry scheme is a good idea, χ 2  = 33.5, df  = 4, p  = .001, Cramer’s V  = 0.05, γ  = 0.06. Analysis of the standardized residuals indicates those of management rank Sergeant to Chief Inspector were less likely to state that they neither agreed nor disagreed (11.5%, 95% CI 10.3 to 12.7%) with the statement than police constables (15.8%, 95% CI 15.1 to 16.6%). In addition, only 3.9% of police constables and 4.1% of Sergeants to Chief Inspectors agreed or strongly agreed that the direct entry scheme was a good idea.

Qualitative Perspectives on Direct-Entry and Fast-Track Police Leadership

When expressing their views on DE and FT, a key issue of concern for respondents was about the lack of policing experience these individuals would have. Experience was viewed as vital for operational competence and for delivering performance outcomes. Concerns about senior officers who have no policing experience were frequently raised in officers’ answers. For example;

Direct entry supervisors, the notion does not respect the level of experience required to make a competent police officer. Experience is an officer’s greatest tool.

The role of a police officer is unique by its very nature and only by experience can you hope to lead your officers and deliver performance without compromise to the public.

Decision Making

Lack of experience linked to another area of concern raised by officers. That lack of policing experience would make these individuals poor decision makers. Decision making was discussed in terms of the negative impact it would have on the people they would lead as well as the wider public. As an officer stated;

Direct entry at senior ranks will lead to extremely poor decision making around all aspects of policing that could have untold damage and impact on communities. Intelligence and qualifications are important in leadership and have their place, but the value of experience cannot be ignored either. There is no substitute to experience in all walks of life and the lack of it will always lead to errors and mistakes. In policing terms this is a very serious issue.

Concerns about decision-making capabilities of DE and FT officers were repeatedly raised by others. For example;

Direct entry for either Inspectors or Superintendents will negate the positive impact that experience has on the decision making process in often dynamic and sensitive situations. Ultimately, investigations will fail and members of the public will suffer harm if this policy continues. Direct entry will sacrifice operational effectiveness for budgetary business administration skills.

As well as concerns about the potentially negative impact that poor decision making due to lack of policing experience could have on the public, officers repeatedly discussed their concerns about the impact it would have on themselves and their colleagues. For example, officers raised concerns about;

Direct entry to senior rank of persons who have never walked a beat, fought a violent offender, stood on a cordon for 12 hours freezing their nuts off or who have no real idea of what the ‘frontline’ is actually like whilst making decisions that affect my safety and well-being.

Similarly, another officer discussed that;

To do the job as a police officer, you need to be a police officer first. Decisions made by senior officers affect those still on the streets, and I feel that direct entry officers will not have that policing experience and will be making decisions from desk top scenarios or book led models, not from experience as a copper.

Earning Rank

Another issue linked to DE and FT officers and their lack of police experience is that they would not have earned their position and therefore were less deserving of it than officers who had put in the time. As an officer explained;

Rank needs to be earned—automatic entry into higher ranks is a major kick in the teeth for hardworking and deserving officers. Rank must be earned by practical policing experience and studying.

The idea that by not earning their rank DE officers would devalue the job of a police officer was one that was frequently raised as a concern by officers;

The direct entry scheme in my opinion devalues the knowledge that is gained as a police officer. Why should I study for promotion when others can come straight in and make decisions based on non-police qualifications?

Another officer contextualized the devaluing impact they felt FT and DE officers would have on people already within the police;

I don’t oppose accelerated promotion in principle. However, I feel that direct entry to senior level policing is fundamentally flawed. I cannot foresee how any person can enter the police force as an Inspector or higher, without having spent a substantial amount of time on the street. Direct entry, will further demoralize the service, and will also severely restrict promotion opportunities for existing officers.

Credibility, Respect, and Trust

One of the most common issues of concern that officers described was that lack of experience would lead to a lack of credibility and respect being shown to FT and DE officers. In turn, it was suggested that this would affect junior officers’ willingness to trust and thus follow their leadership. As an officer noted;

You cannot order and expect others to do what you have not done yourself. This isn’t a business with little risk. People’s lives greatly depend on the experience and actions of Police Officers.

Similarly, another officer described how;

Senior staff are respected not only for their rank, but for the simple fact that they have experienced this job as a constable. There is no way that someone who has been employed directly to a senior rank will have achieved this and therefore the ‘rank and file’ officers will simply not engage with them.

While another stated that;

No amount of college based training will make up for having no street experience. Any frontline officer worth their salt will tell you that the senior officers we trust and respect are those who come from being a good street copper.

Officers described how it was precisely because DE officers lacked experience of the job and therefore lacked understanding of the issues affecting those they would lead that junior officers would not follow their leadership. For example, an officer noted;

The Direct entry scheme is farcical. How they are able to lead a team of truculent and petulant officers without any understanding of what they are going through on the job is unbelievable. I have respect for senior offices when I have seen them in action throughout their career. I am unlikely to have respect for a senior officer whether direct from university or from WH Smiths.

Finally, officers noted how this lack of credibility and respect in the eyes of junior officers could lead to problems in creating a clear direction and vision for the police service. This is particularly interesting given that this is one of the key drivers of the development of FT and DE programs in the first place. For example, an officer described how;

Direct entry senior officers will result in a lack of proper direction for lower ranking officers as you need to understand the grass roots issues before addressing them. They will also suffer from a lack of credibility. In most, but I accept not all, instances if you haven’t experienced police work you can't effectively expect to lead a team dealing with it.

Qualitative Perspectives on Current Police Leadership

When discussing current police leadership, it was the fact that these officers had experience that was perceived as their most desired quality. Officers also discussed how experience was something they hoped that future leaders would have. For example, an officer described how they hoped for;

Leadership by experienced and skilled officers who have performed those roles.

While another officer noted how in the future they hoped that;

Officers who become ACPO first prove themselves as frontline police constables and work through each rank. This way I believe the senior officers have a better perspective on how the police should be run.

Understanding Frontline Issues

Respondents reported it was only through experience that police leaders could fully understand frontline officers and therefore be seen as good leaders. For example, an officer stated their hope for;

Stronger leadership from senior managers and recognition of the current feeling amongst police officers and staff.

However, when leaders were unable to demonstrate that they understood these issues, concern was expressed about their suitability to lead. An officer summarized this position succinctly stating that;

I’m concerned about police leadership for the future. It’s quite obvious that there are a lot of senior officers who have failed to stand up and say to their officers on the ground, ‘chin up, it’s going to be a tough few years but I’m right with you.’ I’ve not seen sight of my chief for the last year, as far as I’m concerned we are a leaderless force apart from the odd email from a senior member of civilian staff to tell us about yet another change for the better.

Forgetting What it Is like to Be a Police Officer

While officers expressed concerns about FT and DE leaders’ lack of experience, it appears they also have concerns about current police leadership, which is perceived to be failing junior officers. Officers suggested that a lack of understanding or at least lack of acknowledgment of officer values and feelings was creating a gap between current leadership and the officers they command and that this was having a detrimental impact on the police service. For example;

I fear that there is a massive gap between our Senior Leadership Team and the ground level. There are rifts forming between departments and individuals on a regular basis and officers now just want to do the minimum and move on, rather than put the extra effort in.

One of the reasons that officers repeatedly gave for their views about current poor police leadership is that they believe that senior leaders are out of touch with street-level policing and thus have forgotten what it is like to be a cop. In this situation, as is the case with a lack of experience for FT and DE leaders, junior officers appear to lack respect for police leaders, doubt their credibility, and find it difficult to trust and follow their leadership. As an officer noted;

Senior officers quite frankly seem to have forgotten where they have been.

While another discussed concern that;

All managers past a certain level tend to look after themselves, are only concerned in results that make them look good and not what is actually happening on the ground.

Similarly, another described how they hoped that;

ACPO remember they are police officers, NOT politicians and, that they begin fighting for the benefit of the police and the public we serve as opposed to that of their political futures.

The result of senior leaders forgetting what it is like to be a police officer appeared to create a lack of support for current leadership. As an officer noted;

I have no confidence or trust in my senior command team or the decisions they are making, this does nothing for my confidence or good will towards my force.

While another discussed how;

Leadership is sadly lacking in the Police service and this needs to be addressed immediately. I have never experienced such poor leadership.

(Re) Earning Credibility, Respect and Trust

The question raised is that if officers have concerns about both FT/DE and current police leadership, what is it they want from their leaders, and how could this be achieved? It appears that officers want leaders who understand the views and experiences of the staff they lead, can communicate with them clearly, and demonstrate a commitment to doing what is best for their staff and the public even when doing so may cause them problems. For example, an officer noted that they want;

Greater and more open and honest support and dialogue between staff and the ACPO ranks.

Similarly, another officer noted that they hoped for;

Clear and positive leadership demonstrating a clear vision from senior management.

In summing up, the generality of this feeling an officer described how they;

Would like senior police officers to stand behind the rank and file as have senior armed forces officers. I would be concerned if they do not and hope they can acknowledge that the cuts are affecting morale and the service to the public.

From examination of responses to the statement that “the direct entry scheme is a good idea,” it can be seen that over 80% of the 12,549 reported that they either strongly disagreed or disagreed. When broken down by gender and rank, some statistically significant differences were noted, but the effects of these differences are small at best. For example, more female officers than male officers were indifferent to direct entry and less female respondents strongly disagreed that direct entry was a good idea. However, such focus on difference may be slightly misleading as when looking at the percentage responses, it can be seen that only 4% of male officers and 3.9% of female officers strongly agreed or agreed that direct entry was a good idea. In terms of rank, more Sergeants to Chief Inspectors than Police Constables were indifferent to direct entry. Similarly, to gender, when looking at percentage responses by rank, it can be seen that difference between ranks in terms of strongly agreeing or agreeing that direct entry is a good idea is low with only 3.9% of Police Constables and 4.1% of Sergeants, Inspectors, and Chief Inspectors strongly agreeing or agreeing. This suggests there is a high level of unanimity between male and female officers and those of different rank in lack of support for direct-entry leadership.

The qualitative analysis helped to make sense of this. When discussing DE and FT leaders, it was not their individual traits or characteristics that concerned junior officers, nor the style of leadership they would bring to the police, but rather their lack of police experience. Policing was perceived as something unique (Caless 2011 ), and previous experience of being a police officer appears central to officers’ judgments about the credibility of police leaders. This suggests that the credibility gap (Rowe 2006 ) that DE and FT leaders face needs to be recognized and addressed rather than dismissed. It is the perception of a shared history and experience that appears to impact on who officers categorize as similar or different to them. In turn, who they categorize as similar or different to them impacts upon who can and cannot influence them (Subašić et al. 2011 ) and therefore who will and will not be an effective leader (Steffens et al. 2014 ). In Social Identity terms then because DE and FT leaders lack police experience, they are seen as different from other officers and not part of the same common in-group identity (Reicher et al. 2005 ). Because of this, their ability to successfully create propitious conditions for followership may at first be limited. What the analysis suggests therefore is that DE and FT officers need to find ways in which they can convince followers that they are representative of them before they can lead them (Haslam et al. 2011 ). Previous research such as Steinheider and Wuestewald ( 2008 ) suggests that creating a model for shared leadership might be one such way of enabling senior officers to understand junior officer perspectives and create an inclusive vision of policing and how it can best be achieved which is seen as representative.

The analysis also reveals that it is not just DE and FT police leaders that face identity and credibility issues. Where officers believe that current police leaders have forgotten what it is like to be a police officer, they also deem them unrepresentative, lacking credibility, and therefore poor leaders. This is important, as research has shown that leaders who are seen to embody the group identity can make decisions and enforce actions that would be seen to go against the interests of the group if made by anyone else. In other words, by being seen as representative, leaders can positively influence follower perceptions of the fairness and necessity of their decision making (Platow and van Knippenberg 2001 ), which in a period of rapid change and uncertainty may be particularly important to the effective functioning of the police service.

The current study suggests that officers feel that police leadership is failing to comprehend the issues they are currently facing and therefore does not provide the support and recognition officers want from their leaders. Existing police leadership is seen to have failed to represent officers lived experiences which means that they are unable to embody who the police are and thus stimulate followership (Haslam et al. 2011 ).

Analysis also suggests however that there is an opportunity for DE, FT, and existing police leaders, created by the current conditions of change and uncertainty within the police service to create a clear vision for the police. This vision, if seen to be inclusive of and developed from rank-and-file officers as well as police leaders could help stimulate followership and lead the service through the challenges and changes it is facing (Toch 2008 ; Sklansky and Marks 2008 ; Steinheider and Wuestewald 2008 ; Wood et al. 2008 ). Where followers perceive that the leader is acting for the group rather than themselves, because they are attuned to what matters to the group, and are believed to be committed to advancing their cause, then followers will embrace the leader’s vision as their own (Haslam et al. 2011 ). Police leaders can therefore become active agents in the leadership process by both knowing how to configure their own behaviors in relation to their junior officer’s identity and also involve these officers in decision-making processes.

Research suggests there are a number of ways police leaders can seek to achieve this. For example, by creating organizational contexts that seek to unify officers (Haake et al. 2015 ), giving officers an outlet for their voices to be heard, listened to, and utilized in decision-making processes (Steinheider and Wuestewald 2008 ) or through demonstrating increased social support from within the organization, developing open consultative communication strategies, and demonstrating trust in junior officers (Finn 1997 ; Anderson et al. 2002 ). However, to fully embrace and embed such developments, there is also a requirement to recognize the need to make changes to police leadership training to move away from a solely trait-based leader centric focus. Instead, approaches that appreciate the importance of identity and the dynamics of leader-follower relations in the leadership process should be incorporated. That way, organizations such as the College of Policing in the UK or the Senior Management Institute for Policing in the USA can provide a foundation for new leadership approaches to the culture of police leadership in general.

While this paper has argued throughout that identity dynamics are key drivers for successful leadership, it is important to note that the research underpinning this paper was carried out in a climate of rapid change and uncertainty in the police in England and Wales. Within this context, it is possible that other dynamics beyond identity and leader-follower relations might be influencing officer attitudes about leadership. For example, job satisfaction is low as is morale among the police in England and Wales (Hoggett et al. 2014 ). Therefore, it is important to recognize alternate explanations for the findings in this paper and future research could aim to investigate what other factors influence perceptions of leadership effectiveness as well as how they relate to identity issues. However, analysis identified a level of uniformity across ranks and gender, as well as geographically, which suggests that understanding the views and experiences of junior officers and demonstrating their value within decision making creates credibility and trust and thus more propitious leadership conditions.

As previous research has illustrated, identity plays an important role in policing (Van Maanen 1978a , b ; Hoggett et al. 2014 ). This paper has also highlighted its relevance to police leadership in terms of whom officers will see as credible, whom they will respect and therefore whom they will trust and follow. It has identified that officers are of the view that you need to have experienced being a police officer at all ranks to be a good police leader. This poses serious issues for FT and DE officers, as those officers who have rapidly climbed the promotion ladder without serving their time on the streets, are regarded with some suspicion (Rowe 2006 ).

At the same time, officers suggest that their current leadership is poor, as they have forgotten what it is like to be an officer. Existing leadership therefore shares an identity problem with DE and FT officers, which they must address if they want to influence and guide the police service during this period of change and uncertainty. Questions need to be raised about the future of police leadership and how it can address this identity dilemma. This paper suggests that police leaders (DE, FT and existing) need to convince officers that they understand, represent, and can advance the interests of the police and has identified potential ways in which this might be achieved from previous research (Anderson et al. 2002 ; Toch 2008 ; Sklansky and Marks 2008 ; Steinheider and Wuestewald 2008 ; Wood et al. 2008 ; Haake et al. 2015 ). If they can achieve this, then evidence from social and organizational psychology suggests that they will be regarded as more trustworthy, fair, and charismatic and therefore more able to influence and lead junior officers and make decisions that would otherwise be unpopular (Haslam et al. 2001 ; Reicher et al. 2005 ).

In a period where policing in England and Wales is facing some of the biggest and most controversial challenges of the last 60 years (Brain 2013 ), if police leaders are able to develop and direct a shared sense of us within policing, they will be able to galvanize their junior officers’ otherwise idiosyncratic motivations and harness the transformative power of their coordinated energies (Ellemers et al. 2004 ). Thus, by understanding the importance of identity, police leaders can create more propitious conditions within which junior officers will follow their leadership.

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Hoggett, J., Redford, P., Toher, D. et al. Challenges for Police Leadership: Identity, Experience, Legitimacy and Direct Entry. J Police Crim Psych 34 , 145–155 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-018-9264-2

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Police Leadership Challenges in a Changing World

This paper - one in a series of papers that will be published from the Executive Session on Policing and Public Safety - builds on the discussion of forces for change in police organizations.

The paper's central thesis is that policing, like other industries, faces an urgent need for a new way of managing and leading police. This need is being driven by two interdependent shifts in the world of work: the rise of a "new generation" of police officers, as well as significant opportunities and challenges in the availability of new technology. These two factors are linked to other changes within the broader context of policing, such as globalization, heightened budget concerns, the changing nature of crime, and the other forces that bear on the work of policing. In focusing on these two key related changes in the work and management of policing, the paper first reviews the rise of the traditional police organizational model, followed by a profile of the new generation of "contemporary employees" and the related use of emerging technology that is integral to the lives of this new generation. The impact of these forces on multigenerational police organizations are examined. The topics discussed are the growing irrelevance of traditional organizational models, the management of the drivers of change in a multigenerational workforce, and rethinking police organizations and accommodating drivers of change. Lessons learned from private industry are applied to the organization of policing. Promising practices from police executives are summarized. The skills needed for police leaders are outlined. These skills include a global perspective; creativity; change management; comfort in the midst of independence; strong oral and written communication; mastering technological trends; architect of change; an understanding of research methods; and striking a balance in the integration of strategy, culture, and political influences. 32 references

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Criminal Justice

What Style of Police Leadership is Most Effective?

Conceptual Police Leadership Styles

Police leadership traits, police leadership skills, education is the common thread among the most effective police leaders.

The law enforcement leaders of today are facing arguably one of the most tumultuous times in policing. On a big-picture scale, law enforcement organizations are feeling increased pressure to reevaluate their practices while balancing an ever-changing cultural, social and technological landscape. At an individual level, police officers themselves are entering the field with new expectations about what it means to be an officer and how they want to be led.

There is a school of thought that views leadership as a quality someone is born with, rather than one that can be learned through experience, education and mentorship. Thankfully for law enforcement organizations across the country and around the world, police leaders are finding that the skills necessary to be effective in their roles are constantly developing and expanding. Policing, in its nature, is an evolving discipline that must grow and change with the times — police leadership is no different.

Today, many current and aspiring law enforcement leaders are seeking out greater insight into how to be an effective police leader, and what type of leadership style will work best in this climate. The answer is simple — there isn’t just one, but there are a number of leadership styles, traits, skills, and responsibilities that quality police leaders should understand, learn, and practice to be successful.

[RELATED] Best Police Leadership Books  >>

Authoritative Police Leadership

Authoritative leadership is strictly rules-based with a preference for order and a sometimes military-like approach. In such organizations, the leader exerts full control over the team and subordinates are expected to simply follow and obey, not to offer feedback or contribute ideas. Most military and police forces have “historically followed a very authoritative model,” said former U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Ryan Sheehy, an adjunct professor in University of San Diego’s online master’s degree in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership . However, as the next generation of law enforcement officers enters the field, this hard-nosed leadership style is not as effective as it might have been in previous generations, and many contemporary leaders are exploring other ways to lead, inspire and engage.

Transactional Police Leadership

Transactional leadership is much like authoritative leadership except that it relies on a rewards-based system to motivate subordinates. According to this system, rewards or punishments are handed out based on a subordinate’s performance and adherence to the rules. The theory is that individual officers will conform to the rules and vision of the leader — influenced by the fear of discipline for poor performance versus the anticipation of positive reinforcement for a job well done.

Transformational Police Leadership

Transformational leadership focuses on a “people-centered approach” that aims to inspire, empower and motivate one’s team. A leader following this approach works with subordinates to commit to a shared vision and goals for the organization, encouraging innovation and creativity in pursuit of those goals. Transformational leaders are inclusive, considering each individual’s unique needs, skills and motivations. They often have an “open door” policy to facilitate more frequent and candid communication.

There is not a specific number of traits that help make police leaders effective in their positions. However, there are a handful of characteristics that are consistently found in successful police leaders.

• Commitment: Being a leader in any setting requires a certain degree of commitment to the job and the mission. “Being a great leader is all about having a genuine willingness and a true commitment to lead others to achieve a common vision and goals through positive influence,” said best-selling author John Maxwell, author of the book “The 5 Levels of Leadership.” In law enforcement specifically, leaders should possess a high level of commitment to all facets of police work and to making their communities a better place.
• Honesty: Whether working internally within a police department or interacting with citizens, community leaders, and the media, honesty is essential. This can mean being transparent throughout an ongoing investigation, being honest with officers under their command about their performance and ultimately being honest with themselves about their potential shortcomings as leaders and how they can improve.
• Integrity: For a law enforcement leader, acting with integrity means consistently doing the right thing, even when it’s the more difficult option. When a commanding officer or chief of police demonstrates their commitment to honor and integrity, other officers are more likely to follow their lead.
• Humility: Humility is vitally important for police leaders today. However, it is one of the most challenging qualities to develop and sustain, as sometimes it can be misconstrued as a sign of weakness. But, when a law enforcement leader demonstrates humility, they help foster an environment where their fellow officers and subordinates feel safe to voice concerns about conduct or incidents that reflect poorly on the department. Additionally,  humility allows officers to feel comfortable approaching their leadership with ideas and questions that can help improve department operations. And because many new officers from the millennial generation prefer a teamwork-style approach over an authoritative leadership style , having humility can make establishing that relationship more seamless.
• Mentorship: The law enforcement landscape and police leadership practices are constantly evolving, but advice and insights from experienced officers is a timeless asset. That is why mentorship is invaluable, so much so that many departments have implemented mentorship programs. Even without formal mentor-mentee partnerships, young officers and leaders can greatly benefit from the advice of law enforcement veterans. “It’s a huge cultural shift for individuals as they move into law enforcement,” said Aaron Snyder, Sergeant, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Office of Professional Development and Police Wellness . “And new officers can benefit greatly from having guidance from experienced officers.”

[RELATED] Want to Be Chief of Police? Career Advice for Aspiring Law Enforcement Leaders >>

There are dozens upon dozens of skills — both soft skills and hard skills — that good law enforcement leaders inherently possess and refine throughout their careers.

Soft Skills

• Effective communication: Communication is arguably both a soft and hard skill, but in leadership, police officers must make effective communication a hallmark of their policing practice. “In every aspect of leadership, communication is important. Effective communication can create trust and build relationships with subordinates, peers, community members and other agencies. Our ability to communicate successfully could affect the way we interact with other agencies and how we share intelligence, which is vital to public safety,” said Alan Mills, Supervisory Agent, U.S. Border Patrol.
• Ability to evolve: The law enforcement field is always changing and evolving, and to be effective in a leadership position, officers must also be able to evolve in their leadership styles and perspectives. As Lieutenant Kirk McLean of the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department said in a Police Chief magazine article , “once commanders feel secure in the way they have always conducted their business of directing, controlling, budgeting, inspiring, motivating, and so forth, it’s a sign that it might be time to reinvent (or update) their leadership style.”
• Understanding of different perspectives: As law enforcement leadership has evolved, so too has its relationship with the community. When working with so many different groups, leaders are bound to encounter differing perspectives, and must have the skills to work with differing views in pursuit of a goal. “Officers today need to be well versed about what is happening in our profession and be willing to communicate and work with many different groups in an attempt to achieve a mutual understanding,” said Jose Tellez, Chief of Police, National City Police Department and USD police leadership program instructor. “For example, we sometimes invite people who are critical of law enforcement to attend our workshops and community meetings. At a minimum it creates an opportunity for dialogue and hopefully some level of understanding; officers have to be open to possibilities and have a broader perspective of what is going on, not just in their communities but at a national level as well.”
• Attention to detail: Police leaders are constantly juggling a myriad of tasks, and no two days are ever the same. Because they are pulled in so many directions, law enforcement leaders must have an acute attention to detail that allows them to perform at their best while juggling multiple responsibilities. “Law enforcement executives need to master attention to detail in order to build crucial relationships within the agency and community; to enhance the performance of the agency; and to build legitimacy and, thus, buy-in from the officers and the community, “said Lieutenant McLean.

 Hard Skills

• Management: Police leaders are managers of many functions and actions within a department. From a personnel perspective they are managing trainees, patrol officers and other lower-level leaders. At a more conceptual level, they must be able to be effective conflict managers , risk managers and operational managers to keep their departments running effectively and safely.
• Budgeting: Traditional police officer training includes very little, if any financial and budgeting training, but this is a critically important aspect of law enforcement leadership. Police leaders need to have a robust understanding of budgeting, contract negotiation, finance, and staffing/resource allocation, as well as be able to effectively allocate funds — from taxpayers, grants and other monies — in the public safety setting.
• Policy and legal knowledge: All law enforcement officers must be well-versed in local, state and federal laws and policies. However, police leaders must have a more comprehensive understanding, so much so that they might even be asked to play a role in establishing and updating laws and ordinances. Leaders should also actively seek out reliable research, evidence and best practices to guide them in making good policy decisions.
• Media and technology: Law enforcement leaders today are often called upon to communicate with the media and the public regarding community issues and matters of public safety. Technology, both in relation to the media and in society, is also having an increasingly large impact on public life and policing, which requires another evolution in a leader’s skillset. “I’m doing some things today in my job I had no idea I would be doing, especially in the area of technology. I had to learn those things,” said Chief Tellez.

While leadership can certainly be developed and refined over the span of a career through observation and trial and error, formal education focused on core leadership skills can greatly accelerate that process by teaching different leadership philosophies and offering tools and strategies for employing those philosophies.

“A master’s degree exemplifies your commitment to learning, and the knowledge you acquire will enhance your skillset,” said Jennifer Malis-Estrada, jail administrator with the Santa Monica (Calif.) Police Department. “Managing a contemporary police agency is a complex, demanding profession that requires a motivated and educated individual.” 

[RELATED] Free Career Resource: The Benefits of Earning Your Master’s Degree in Police Leadership >>

Educational programs like the online master’s degree in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership offered by University of San Diego can support law enforcement professionals in developing their leadership capabilities and confidence, enabling them to become effective forces of change. Students in USD’s nationally-ranked program are able to augment their law enforcement experience with targeted training on issues ranging from budget and finance to technology to conflict resolution — all skills that can be difficult to learn on the job. In addition, the networking and idea-sharing between students helps leaders challenge and learn from one another while expanding their pool of trusted resources.

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Discipline as an Integral Part of Effective Police Supervision Essay

Introduction, fostering discipline in the police force.

The police department, as faction of the judiciary and law enforcer, cannot be allowed to be tainted with traces of indiscipline. It is a ridicule and an outright insult to the judicial system in its totality. The duty to ensure that unbecoming behavior and unacceptable professional conduct does not gain ground in the police force is bestowed on the police supervisor.

For the effective role of supervisor to be fully realized, the individual supervisor cannot overlook the importance of a disciplined force. Without discipline, the supervisor will have failed as an individual and failed the whole institution as well. This essay looks into the maintenance of discipline among the police as an integral part of effective police supervision.

Supervisors as disciplinarians

The ability to maintain discipline among the subordinates is one way of measuring the suitability of a supervisor for the role. The sergeant is the most important party in the police force, and his position the most challenging one. “It is the sergeant…who plays the pivotal role and, in large measure determines whether the police department will face unfair labor practice charges, costly arbitrations, lengthy litigation, and more union activism,” (More & Miller 2007, P.314).

The police are the point of connection between law enforcers and the society. They have been given discretion to deal with matters concerning the public such as determining when to arrest a suspect or when to shoot. “The powers that police hold and exercise…if improperly used, reduce public confidence in police, decrease respect for the law, and increase fear amongst a community, thus destabilizing it,” (Office of Police Integrity 2007, P. 18).

When a supervisor sleeps on his work as the disciplinarian organ of the institution the result is; “lower quality of service provided by a given department and undermine the integrity of the entire profession,” (More & Miller 2007, P. 316). Further, “poor supervision and the lack of effective disciplinary mechanisms allow ‘loose cannons’ who are in positions of power to abuse that power,” (More & Miller 2007, P. 317).

Being the one who has the most contact with the subordinates, he can use that advantageous position to create a police force whose professional standards are not tainted with unethical issues.

The discipline could be constructive or punitive. Constructive refers to disciplinary measures geared to create internal discipline of an officer while punitive comes way after the employee has been found to have committed an indiscretion and is intended to make him not repeat the act, and should only be used when all other alternatives are depleted.

Good disciplinary measures

Sergeants, when they notice indiscipline, should not wait until the situation gets out of hand. They should take corrective measures with immediate effect. “Failure to act promptly and decisively tends to perpetuate the problem and sets the stage for more debilitating interpersonal conflict,” (More & Miller 2007, P. 301).

It makes other subordinates believe that the disciplinary measure laid down by the organization are merely for formalism purposes and are not really applicable. Further, they show that the supervisor is in control and has the authority over the subordinates yielding respect from them.

The disciplining should also be firm and fair and must be seen to be applied indiscriminately and equitably. “A great sergeant establishes a sense of equity. This doe’s not mean people are always treated equally, just always fairly,” (Werder, 1996).

They should not be in violation of any written law or accepted rules of procedure and the subordinate must be able to understand his reasons of being disciplined. The root of the indiscipline and motive of performing the act must be established through enough evidence and the errant subordinate must be given a chance to be heard and explain his case.

Further, other less serious disciplinarian measures such as formal reprimands or arbitration should be tried out before the supervisor can jump to the more serious ones such as demotion or discharge. The measure adopted should be reasonable and not excessive taking into consideration the circumstances of the particular case.

The disciplinary measure should be less bureaucratic and filled with many formalities. A research currently conducted showed that “amongst the significant defects with the current discipline system, are the numerous, inconsistent, excessively formal and slow review and appeal processes available,” (Office of Police Integrity 2007, P. 14)

The employees should be properly informed of the unacceptable form of behavior to avoid a situation where the employee was unaware of the existence of the offence in the first place. “Once, the subordinate knows the rules he knows what to expect in case of failure to follow the disciplinary code,” (Shimansky 2006).

The discipline measures adopted must have just two objectives i.e., to act as a future deterrence both to the deviant subordinate and to the others or to change the specific individual and ensure he is reformed.

Any other objective of the supervisor such as to muster control of the subordinate or to settle some old scores, will be inappropriate and an abuse of power. The supervisor must at all time guard himself against making an emotional decision on discipline matters. They must remain in total control of the situation without having to be accommodative of subordinate’s improper behavior.

As much as supervisors are mandated to maintain discipline, they should not take to themselves the habit of nosing around the private business of the subordinates. All their actions should be confined to circumstances within the formal business of the organization. What the subordinate does outside the employment circle should be a no go zone for the supervisor.

The most effective manner of maintaining discipline is by outlining some procedures and principles, uniform to the whole organization, that every individual has to adhere to. The rules must also prescribe the right punitive measures to be undertaken in case of the subordinates defying such rules.

This makes the system a lot more formal and will yield respect from subjects. It will also ensure uniformity and avoid situations where the subordinate feels unfairly handled. They must, accordingly be communicated to all the subjects in a manner to obtain acceptance from them. Rules which are not generally accepted by the subjects often result into a situation of chaos and unresolved conflicts.

Positive discipline

These are measures taken by the supervisor long before any indiscipline has been detected. they are more of preventive measures as opposed to curative. They are aimed at securing the officers loyalty to the principles and procedures and get them to adhere to such policies willingly, without being sanctioned.

The subordinates are driven by “the human tendency to do what needs to be done, to do what is right in a given situation, and to voluntarily comply with the reasonable standards of performance and conduct that apply to all members of the workforce,” (More & Miller 2007,P. 291).

The supervisor has the duty of ensuring that create this kind of dedication from the subordinates. They develop self-discipline where the subordinate decide to give their all to the better performance of the whole institution for which they work for. Here, the supervisor simply acts as role model to be emulated.

They take a personal decision to motivate the subordinates through recognition and rewards. They create an environmental that is necessary for the growth of such a self-driven employee. A supervisor who has acquired skills and expertise to achieve this is a quality staff to the institution.

Discipline in the police force is one of the most important things and the topic should be handled with care. Lack of discipline in the force means that the indiscipline is extended to the society in general since a person who is undisciplined himself cannot function to the right standards.

But as much as we delve in punitive discipline institutions should realize that the most important discipline is the positive discipline. When subordinates are internally disciplined, the effects will be long lasting as opposed to corrective discipline which is administered after some malpractice has already happened. Police supervisors should seek to adopt methods of according positive discipline if they want to be effective in the role in the long run.

More, H and Miller, L. (2007). Effective Police Supervision: Coaching, Counseling and mentoring , 5th Ed, Chapter 11-13, copyright Mathew Bender and Company, Inc, a member of the LexisNexis Group

Office of Police Integrity. (2007). A fair and Effective Victoria Police Discipline System , Victorian Government Printer, session 2006-2007, P.P No. 3

Shimansky.B. (2006). Discipline as an integral Part of Effective Supervision, retrieved from web.

Werder, E.J. (1996). The Great Sergeant! Personal Qualities of a Great Sergeant, National Executive Institute Associates, Major Cities Chief’s Association and Major County Sheriff’s Association.

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IvyPanda. (2024, February 29). Discipline as an Integral Part of Effective Police Supervision. https://ivypanda.com/essays/discipline-as-an-integral-part-of-effective-police-supervision/

"Discipline as an Integral Part of Effective Police Supervision." IvyPanda , 29 Feb. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/discipline-as-an-integral-part-of-effective-police-supervision/.

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IvyPanda . 2024. "Discipline as an Integral Part of Effective Police Supervision." February 29, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/discipline-as-an-integral-part-of-effective-police-supervision/.

1. IvyPanda . "Discipline as an Integral Part of Effective Police Supervision." February 29, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/discipline-as-an-integral-part-of-effective-police-supervision/.

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IvyPanda . "Discipline as an Integral Part of Effective Police Supervision." February 29, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/discipline-as-an-integral-part-of-effective-police-supervision/.

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Other Papers Say: Emphasize law enforcement

The following editorial originally appeared in The Seattle Times:

A recent spate of horrendous collisions and nose-thumbing at rules should prompt serious thinking around the laudable state and local goals of no traffic deaths in six years.

It’s not always the roads. Sometimes it’s the drivers.

And, as with so many other signs of societal stress, it comes down to a lack of law enforcement and weak consequences for behaviors that put the entire community at risk.

Consider the case of 18-year-old Chase Daniel Jones, charged with four counts of vehicular homicide after he drove his Audi A4 at 112 mph into a Renton intersection on March 19, killing Andrea Hudson, 38, along with three children of close friends who were passengers in her car: Boyd Buster Brown, 12; Matilda Wilcoxson, 13; and Eloise Wilcoxson, 12. Two of Hudson’s children were severely injured and were hospitalized in intensive care.

It was the third vehicle Jones totaled in a crash involving excessive speed in less than a year, according to charging documents filed by the King County Prosecutor.

Then there is Miles Hudson, aka “Belltown Hellcat,”recently charged by the Seattle City Attorney’s Office with of reckless driving stemming from a video Hudson posted that showed a driver racing another car at speeds up to 107 mph.

As Seattle Times reporter Paige Cornwell noted: “Hudson said he considers himself an Instagram influencer. In one video, which has 6.6 million views, the driver films himself behind the wheel and says it’s 2 a.m., then revs the engine multiple times. He told the officer who pulled him over last week that he was going to continue and that the money he made filming videos had paid for the car.”

WSDOT’s Target Zero campaign to reduce traffic fatalities to zero by 2030 is a “data-driven, long-term plan to identify priorities and solutions, create goals and develop a common understanding among the agencies working to keep Washingtonians safe.”

Speaking of data, let’s look at Seattle Police Department statistics for “Computer-Aided Dispatch” events — all activities that draw cops’ attention.

There were 92,101 traffic-related incidents in 2019. Last year, that dropped to 42,569 — a reduction of more than half.

This is, of course, a direct function of fewer cops. Since 2019, more than 700 officers have left SPD. As of January, SPD had only 913 deployable officers, the lowest level since the 1990s. And the city’s population boomed in the same period.

In a December report, the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs noted the per capita rate of law enforcement officers statewide fell to 1.3 per thousand — the lowest ever recorded, again. For over a dozen years, Washington has had the nation’s fewest law enforcement officers per capita.

So, yes, we need to build safer roads. But unless we pay just as much attention to who is — and who should not be — driving on them, needless deaths will surely continue.

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Guest Essay

What Worries Me Most About a Trump Presidency

By Caroline Fredrickson

Ms. Fredrickson is an adviser at the Open Markets Institute, a senior fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice and a visiting professor of law at Georgetown University.

There are almost daily headlines now describing what Donald Trump would do if elected: the mass deportations, the pardons handed out to his friends and golf buddies, the Justice Department settling scores and waging personal vendettas. The former president has even promised violence if the election goes against him, warning that it could be a “ blood bath .”

But as worrying as these prospects are, they are far from the biggest threats he poses. What we should fear most is Mr. Trump transforming our government into a modern-day Tammany Hall, installing a kleptocratic leadership that will be difficult if not impossible to dislodge.

I do not discount the possibility of state-sponsored violence, and I worry deeply about the politicization of the civil service . But those are, for the most part, threats and theories, and while they need to be taken seriously, people should be paying more attention to a far more likely reality: that Mr. Trump would spend much of his time in office enriching himself. He failed spectacularly as an insurrectionist and as a disrupter of the civil service, and his clownish and chaotic style may well lead to failure again — but he has succeeded time and time again in the art of the steal. If his grift continues into a second term, it will not only contribute to the fraying trust Americans have in their institutions, but also impair our ability to lead the world through a series of escalating crises.

Recall how Mr. Trump operated in his first term. Not only did he keep his stake in more than a hundred businesses, he made it a practice to visit his properties around the country, forcing taxpayers to pay for rooms and amenities at Trump hotels for the Secret Service and other staff members who accompanied him — money that went straight into his bank accounts and those of his business partners. Those interested in currying favor with the president, from foreign governments to would-be government contractors, knew to spend money at his hotels and golf clubs. According to internal Trump hotel documents, T-Mobile executives spent over $195,000 at the Trump Washington Hotel after announcing a planned merger with Sprint in April 2018. Two years later, the merger was approved.

Government, like fish, rots from the head down. Mr. Trump’s example freed up cabinet members to award huge contracts to their friends, business associates and political allies, while others ran their departments like personal fiefs. After the State Department’s inspector general was fired , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s use of official trips for clandestine meetings with conservative donors and allegations that his family misused staff members for tasks like walking his dog, picking up his wife from the airport and fetching his takeout came to light. And, in addition to being accused of improperly accepting gifts from those seeking influence, several other cabinet members were alleged to have used government funds for private travel . These may seem like banal infractions, but taken together, they are a reflection of who Mr. Trump is and how he governs.

Throughout his life, through Trump-branded wine, chocolate bars, sneakers, NFTs, ties, MAGA paraphernalia, a $59.99 Bible (of all things ) and, most recently, his Truth Social meme stock ploy, he has shown an unstoppable drive to enrich himself at all costs. He sees politics, like business, as a zero-sum game in which he wins only if someone else loses. These are the instincts that drive corruption, kleptocracy and grift. And, if past is prologue, we’re looking at a much more damaging sequel.

In a second term, Mr. Trump will have more freedom and power to undertake grift. He has already vowed to use pardons to protect supporters and possibly even himself from efforts to curb corruption (which may explain the nonchalance with which his son-in-law Jared Kushner has greeted criticism about the conflicts of interest raised by his recent real estate investments in Serbia and Albania, as well as the Saudi, Qatari and Emirati investments in his wealth fund). And he and his political advisers are building a deep bench of committed and loyal employees who could corrode and potentially destroy mechanisms of accountability in government, paving the way for kleptocratic leaders to entrench themselves in the bureaucracy where many would be able to remain past Mr. Trump’s term. And the mere presence of a phalanx of unquestioning lieutenants in the civil service will ensure that other civil servants fear retribution for objecting to the self-enrichment.

Naturally, I worry about other things, too, particularly the possibility of political violence. Mr. Trump could well claim he has won the election no matter the vote count and call on his supporters to rise up to ensure his takeover. Even before the votes are cast, his supporters are threatening election officials, judicial officials and state legislators, trying to intimidate them into either helping Mr. Trump or stepping aside to be replaced by Trumpists.

But legal, law enforcement and security obstacles are still in place to slow down or stop these efforts. We must remember that this time around, President Biden will still be president, able to control the military and federal law enforcement, and Congress has amended the outdated and vague Electoral Count Act to make it much harder for Mr. Trump’s congressional allies to contest a Trump loss in the electoral college or on Capitol Hill.

No such guardrails exist to curb Trumpian corruption. The Supreme Court, itself corrupt , has made it virtually impossible to prosecute even the most blatant corruption by government officials.

In a kleptocracy, corruption is a feature, not a bug, where politicians apply the law inconsistently , favoring friends and punishing enemies. By controlling government assets and handing them out to friends and family — and dangling possibilities in front of would-be supporters — as well as using politically motivated prosecutions, kleptocrats cement their control of government and disempower opponents. We need only recall Russia’s erstwhile effort to create a democracy: It quickly drained away into the pockets of Vladimir Putin and his oligarchs, leading to the hopelessness and acquiescence of Russian citizens once they realized they could no longer change their situation through democratic means.

Now we face that danger at home. If Mr. Trump wins, America will have a leader invested in his own personal power, both financial and punitive, and supported by a much more capable team. When lucrative contracts are handed out to Trumpist loyalists regardless of merit and dissident voices are targeted and silenced, America’s leadership on the global stage will dissolve when it’s needed most.

The consequences will echo for generations if we lack the ability and the will to attack problems like climate change, mass migration, a new space race and multiple wars. Nothing of substance will be done, Mr. Trump’s cronies will continue to act with impunity, and millions of Americans — already worried that elites are held to a different standard than regular people are — will lose even more confidence in their government, convinced that everyone in Washington is out for himself.

This combination of passivity on the one hand and impunity on the other could be fatal for our democracy. This is the true danger Mr. Trump poses.

Caroline Fredrickson is an adviser at the Open Markets Institute, a senior fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice and a visiting professor of law at Georgetown University.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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