3: Research Methodology and Design

I was hired as the police chief of the police department and directed by the city manager to conduct a thorough evaluation of the department and then implement transformational change within the department. The manager indicated that I would have wide latitude and organizational resources to identify and implement change that would address issues of past misconduct of officers, improve internal and external communication, improve community engagement, implement organizational reform, and create a robust succession plan for the department. The research was approved through IRB, and access to use the data was granted by the city manager, who is the senior leader and decision maker for the city. Data generated by the interviews, meetings, and interactions with department members, city employees, elected officials, and community members was gathered during the normal course of the my job performance.