Leadership and management skills are important in all fields, but in regards to law enforcement, these skills are especially critical. If leadership and management skills are deficient in a police agency, then not only does the agency suffer in terms of morale and ineffectiveness, but also in terms of support from the general citizenry. That is, if a break in leadership is perceived by the community, the results could be disastrous in terms of police-community relations, and the trust that citizens have in the police. The overarching aim of this book appears to be twofold: to introduce the reader to the practice of leading and managing the law enforcement agency; and to sketch out the potential problems that may impede managerial and leadership effectiveness within the police agency and how the agency may prevent and resolve these problems.
Principles of Leadership and Management in Law Enforcement engage the reader in a broad examination of leadership and management strategies in police agencies. The material in the book is presented in 14 chapters that each cover specific aspects central to law enforcement leadership and management. The book appears to be suitable for use in undergraduate or graduate courses in police management and leadership. Each chapter begins with presenting readers with a list of key individuals, concepts, and issues that are a preview of sorts of what will be discussed in the chapter. These are followed by definitions and learning objectives. Each chapter concludes with a set of review questions. Perhaps one of the more beneficial features of the book is that most of the chapters include a section titled, “Biggest mistakes police leadership makes and how to avoid them.” This is an important pedagogical feature specifically designed to make the reader think about leadership mistakes which can then be referenced back to a relative part of the chapter discussion.
Each chapter seems to build on the previous chapters. This is beneficial for the reader with little or no background in the literature centering on police management. Furthermore, if the book is used in an advanced police management class, then the material is presented in a manner in order to bring existing management and leadership concepts together with new ideas which allow the reader to better comprehend how specific principles may be applied to law enforcement.
Chapter 1 discusses the history and general structure of American law enforcement agencies. This chapter is perfect for the reader who has little or no knowledge of the police organization. The chapter begins with the presentation of some historical information that is relevant to better understand modern police management systems. Specifically, the authors do an admirable job discussing how historical events in American law enforcement have impacted management and leadership strategies.
In Chapter 2, the authors provide a comprehensive overview of the various management theories. The authors frame this discussion on two overarching perspectives, the classical management systems, and humanistic management. Each of these is discussed in the context of police organizations.
Chapter 3 addresses the operational components of police management and leadership. Specifically, this chapter covers the function of management and leadership in patrol and other field operations. Chapter 4 takes up a discussion of the differing leadership styles. Chapter 5 provides broad coverage of the planning function which includes a thorough introduction to the applied strategic planning model. The reader comes away from this chapter knowing the value of effective planning and why it's central to police management and leadership.
Chapter 6 explores the possibilities of applying a business management approach to policing. Moreover, the chapter takes up a robust discussion on total quality management. Perhaps what is the highlight of this chapter is the discussion of the many issues that may impact organizational change within the police agency, that is, agencies that are implementing new programs or strategies. Because many police agencies are static and resistant to change any organizational change may prove to be challenging. Likewise, in some cases new programs and strategies in the organization are planned without addressing how they impact existing leadership and management. The chapter does a good job of making the case that with new police programs and strategies, come potential management and leadership changes or modifications that must be addressed.
In Chapter 7, the authors advance a discussion of organizational change issues. Specifically, Chapter 7 incorporates a discussion on the management and leadership strategies that will be required for police agencies that have or are planning to implement community-policing strategies. The leadership and management change that accompany community based policing strategies are often not addressed. The authors make the case that this could be a fatal flaw in the successful implementation of community policing. Chapter 7 discusses leadership and management issues to be considered when implementing community policing strategies.
In Chapter 8, the author's discus technology and how it can be used by police management and leadership to improve operations and service delivery to the citizenry. The chapter begins with an overview of the evolution of police technology and then gradually blossoms into a discussion of evolving technology. Chapter 9 discusses job related issues experienced by line personnel and management's response to them. For example, one issue discussed in this chapter is job-related stress and the tragic outcome for police officers if the stress is not recognized and the proper intervention taken.
Training and education is the lifeblood of an effective police organization. It is through training that new police officers learn the skills of policing and veteran police officers hone existing skills and learn new skills ones. Training shapes the organization for many years to come. In Chapter 10, the authors discuss the important role that training plays in developing personnel within a police agency. One important under theme that flows through this chapter is the role of police management in both planning and ensuring that training is carried out, and the potential legal consequences if an officer is not properly trained. Moreover, the chapter provides useful information on new training methods and strategies. The authors seem to critically question existing training strategies that tend to be highly militaristic or behavioristic and suggest that police management consider incorporating adult education strategies into training.
Just as police management has an important mandate in ensuring that police personnel are exposed to the best training, it is also of equal importance to select the cream of crop police recruits. Chapter 11 describes effective recruitment and selection strategies. This chapter does a good job of walking the reader through the stages of the recruitment and selection process focussing on invaluable information police managers may find useful. The chapter also sheds light on the importance of ensuring that a police organization reflects the community in terms of gender, race, and ethnicity. Several strategies that management should consider when recruiting both women and minorities into the police service are outlined.
In Chapter 12 the authors describe the impact of legislation on police management. Just a few of the many topics that are discussed are discrimination, unions, and conflicts of interests. Chapter 13 examines management's role in ensuring that protocol that addresses homeland security and terrorism are in place within the organization. The final chapter explores ethics and policing. In this chapter the authors provide a comprehensive overview of what constitute ethics and then discuss moral develop theory. The chapter concludes with an overview of how values are developed and what actually constitutes values in a police organization. Additionally, the chapter describes how law enforcement values and organizational culture can impact ethics within the police organization. The chapter correctly points out that police management play an important role in nurturing an organization culture that subscribes to the highest ethical standards.
One minor shortcoming of the book centers on its organization. For example, Chapter 6 titled “A business approach to policing” ends with a brief discussion of technology (COMPSTAT), therefore a more effective transition would be to follow with the chapter on technology. This may allow for a smoother transition between these two chapters.
The authors intend for the book to be used in a college classroom setting, however, due to the broad coverage of topics centering on police management and leadership, the book may also be useful for practicing law enforcement officers who have an interest in moving into leadership and management positions. Law enforcement officers that are currently in management and leadership positions may also find the book useful in learning about what is evolving in police management and leadership. Overall, the book is easy to read and understand. Anyone who has an interest in exploring the vast complexities that center on police management and leadership will benefit from reading the book.
