1

Introduction to Law Enforcement

Leadership
And
Supervision

by
Randy Gonzalez

Sample Chapter 1

www.drgonzo.org

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 Introduction to Law Enforcement
Leadership
And
Supervision

by
Randy Gonzalez

Copyright © 2000 By Randolph A. Gonzalez All Rights Reserved

Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be
Reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a
Database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the
author

ISBN 0-9721688-2-6
 Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction to Law Enforcement Leadership Page 001

Chapter 2 Precepts of Leadership .Page 02

Chapter otivation and orale in the rganization

ith Command Presence Page 0 9

Chapter Employee Dissatisfaction, Conflict and Stress ..Page 079

Chapter Behavioral and Psychological Aspects

f Leadership and Supervision .Page 10

Chapter 6 ime anagement and Planning ..Page 128

Chapter 7 Summary and Review of Leadership Considerations .Page 1 1

Reference Sources .Page 16

 Chapter 1 - Introduction to Law Enforcement Leadership
Defining Leadership
The quality of leadership in law enforcement has been suggested to include several key elements.
O.W. Wilson suggested that quality leadership reflects certain things. These include: (1)
„ Appearance
„ Spirit
„ Bearing
„ Demeanor
„ Words
„ Actions
„ Work
In other words, the quality of leadership is reflected not only by the leader, by also in the officers the
leader leads. His or her appearance, spirit, bearing, demeanor, words and actions suggest he or she
is a leader. And, the work that is done by the subordinates mirrors what the leader does as a
supervisor. Good leadership motivates subordinates to do a good job. Those who are led in an
effective and competent manner, enjoy their work, and take pride in their accomplishments. Good
leaders create the process by which subordinates become loyal and interested in carrying out the
daily tasks of law enforcement. Leading subordinate officers in an effective and efficient manner
promotes harmony within the organization. Leadership is evident when subordinates perform to the
best of their ability on a regular basis. Well-led officers provide quality public service. Three basic
terms emerge in this discussion. These are:
Lead - to go before, or to show the way through influence;
Leader - the person who knows how to lead;
Leadership - the function of a leader, to maintain leadership ability;
As Wilson suggested earlier, leadership represents that aspect of a leader that influences others in a
positive manner. It is not giving commands or making decisions. It is more by virtue of inspiration
and encouragement by enthusiastic example that a leader leads others. A leader leads from the front,
by setting the appropriate example for his or her followers. To lead, should suggest positive things.
One who leads shows the way for others to follow. True leaders never ask subordinates to do
anything he or she has not done before, or is not willing to do now. Leaders lead by their ability.
Leaders must evolve their own unique style of leading. They must be capable of motivating people
to achieve their highest potential in the police service. Since the police service is community service,
then it follows that leaders must guide their subordinates to the best possible level of public service.
The fundamental duty of law enforcement is service to the public. This is the historical perspective
from the standpoint of the professional model of law enforcement. And, in this tradition of law
enforcement, the way we used to do things is probably a good basis by which to guide the future.
To be, to know and to do describes a process by which we come to a conception of leadership in the
world of law enforcement. O.W. Wilson suggested that there is a key difference between
commanding people and leading them. Going by the book in every case, is not what a leader does
in the real world. Sometimes, especially in a crisis, where conflict unfolds in a dynamic fashion, the
book goes out the window. In conflict situations, the leader, as well as the individual officer, has
to react according to the human interactions taking place.
The .S. Army cites eleven principles of leadership, with the intention of describing a concept of
leadership. These include: ( )
1. Self-knowledge and self-improvement;
. Technically and tactically proficient;
. esponsibility for personal actions;
. Timely and sound decisions;
. Set an example;
. now your subordinates and ensure their well-being;
. eep personnel informed;
. ncourage a sense of responsibility in subordinates;
. nsure that tasks are understood, supervised and accomplished;
1 .Train subordinates as a team;
11. se personnel according to abilities;
So, at least by traditional definition, a leader has come to know himself or herself in a manner that is
positive in nature. He or she continues to grow and develop throughout his or her lifetime. The
leader does fool himself or herself by thinking that the sun rises and sets on his or her knowledge.
To the leader, there is always something to be learned. And, life is the training ground upon which
lessons are learned. A leader is proficient and strives to be a professional. Being a professional
means living by a code of ethics, having a sense of calling to a career field, and continuing a lifelong
educational process. That is not the complete definition of a professional, but it will suffice for now.
In addition, a good leader seeks as well as accepts responsibility. This is particularly true when it
comes to making decisions. The responsible leader is not afraid of the decision-making process.
And, that involves two parts. One is making decision, the other is accepting responsibility for
whatever happens as a result of the decision. By setting an example and accepting responsibility for
his or her actions, the leader is modeling behavior for others to follow.
In setting an example, an effective leader also has compassion, concern and care for those he or she
supervises. He or she works to develop and improve relationships and build a bond whereby
subordinates willingly follow. Being reactive, over reacting, doubting one s ability and blaming
others are not attributes of leadership. Leaders do not whine. They simply lead. ou will not find
immaturity and dependency in the realm of true leadership. There is no room for timidity at the
pinnacle where leadership resides. Leadership is not for the morally, mentally or physically weak. It
is for those who have the energy to influence others as a team to accomplish the mission. Leadership
is a boldness of character that is innovative, provocative and motivating. All of these things
previously mentioned boil down to special attributes that pertain to beliefs, values, morals, ethics,
character, knowledge, skills and so forth. Leaders are secure in whom they are, and are not distracted
by self-indulgent motivations.
How would you define leadership
A law enforcement organization is shaped by its leadership. The hief or the Sheriff sets the stage
for the future of the organization. The chief administrative officer, whether hief or Sheriff places
into to motion an attitude of leadership. This particular attitude becomes the basis by which the
agency will transform. Simply stated, leadership begins at the top, where ultimate accountability and
responsibility resides. The success or failure of the agency rises and falls on leadership. In addition,
the agency is further shaped by its history, the local setting, the people, and the politics of the local
government. rom the first attempts to organize a police force in colonial America, to the
professional model of today, policing has developed into a unique special services organization.
Such uniqueness calls for an approach to management that is different from the kinds of
organizations typically found in the private sector. olicing is very different as an organizational
entity. The way a business is managed is not the same way a police agency should be managed. The
goals and objectives are distinctly different. And, there is a need to balance, where possible, the
interests of the community with the political implications of police authority . rom an historical
perspective, policing in the .S. has undergone significant changes. olitical institutions have
shaped the manner by which policing is carried out in this country. By comparison, law enforcement
in the .S. is different from law enforcement in other countries in many ways.

Historically, how have the police been affected by politics

Generally speaking, law enforcement organizations differ from their public and private counterparts
in several respects. These differences affect the way the police agency is both led and managed.
Some of the differences include:
„ There is no profit motive.
„ The need to make money in a competitive business environment in not a factor.
„ The legal foundation by which the police operate is not the same as the private
sector, or other social service agencies.
- ity police departments
- ounty sheriffs - law enforcement and corrections
- State prison system, state policing, etc
„ The success of a police department depends on things uniquely different from
the private sector.
„ The funding sources for public law enforcement is not the same as the funding
source for a private business.
„ olice agencies provide services of a more urgent and critical nature than a
private sector entity.
„ The police agency is more related to a military system of operation than to
a business or corporate system.
„ The police are more often subjected to analysis and criticism than private
business organizations.
„ The police are more readily identifiable than other entities in the community.
„ ity, county, state and federal legislative bodies, executives and so forth are
often very interested in what the police are doing.
„ robably no other line of work or career field has as many demands placed
on them, as we place on our police.
„ In the .S., there is no single corporate home-office, or centralized base of
operations controlling one police system. There are thousands of police
systems operating in the .S. with slightly different ways of doing things.
olicing in the .S. is highly fragmented, and in some cases, very specialized.
 ractically every level of government has at some time become involved in the police review
process. The Supreme ourt, for example, departed from its historic role of interpreting the
constitution, to become involved in the due process revolution . This action had an affect on
policing in general and police operations in particular. The 1 s saw a trend of increased policing
of the police by external institutions. ( )
These efforts by external entities, outside policing, sought to make various changes in the direction
of twentieth century policing. Landmark cases such as Gideon v. Wainwright, iranda v. Arizona,
app v. Ohio as well as many others became part of an intense social activism. Special interest
groups seemed to question and scrutinize the police far more closely than ever before. The impact
on the police brought about many changes in how policing would be approached in the decades to
come. Some examples of the impact included:
) questionable interview and interrogation tactics
right to counsel
new procedures for lineups, showups etc.
seizing evidence - stop and frisk
rom such external intrusions into the police world, changes took place within the realm of law
enforcement education and training. any police administrators would probably agree that such
influences may have further contributed to the advancement of the professional model of policing.
And, since the turn of the th century, from the early 1 s, a few police leaders have been slowly
advancing the concept of a professional model of policing . nfortunately, in today s world, just
about everybody call themselves a professional. rom professional athletes, to so called
professional reporters. But, from an historical context, what does it really mean to be a
professional History illustrates that today s very loose use of the word is not what
professionalism originally meant or expressed. There are certain attributes about what constitutes
a professional and professionalism. In general terms, unique kinds of historical precedents apply to
the definition of both professionalism and a profession. As used here, professionalism and
profession are a part of what might be called a leadership continuum . In other words, leadership is
connected to professionalism. Both terms describe something that is special and unique. An
effective discussion of leadership must also include issues related to professionalism.
Concepts of Police Professionalism
The professional law enforcement leader has personal qualities that transcend his or her ability to
demonstrate leadership within the law enforcement organization. In other words, the individual
characteristics are such that they carry over into the leader s organizational expression of capability.
It has been suggested that a good indication of leadership is a high level of discipline within the
organization. This discipline, which is a mark of good leadership, is expressed down through the
ranks in an esprit de corps . We are not talking about the kind of discipline that is cruel, harsh and
uncaring, that punishes people at a whim. Or, that kind of discipline that singles personnel out for
ridicule in front of coworkers. The kind of discipline suggested here is one that positively motivates
fellow officers to perform to the best of their ability. Because they have good leaders in the
organization, and because these leaders project the ability to know, do and be , the subordinates do
their jobs well. A significant level of esprit de corps fosters a significant level of organizational
effectiveness and efficiency. ( )
A good leader projects a couple of key aspects that relate to his or her personality.
„ A high level of discipline and morale expressed by subordinates.
„ A sense of a moral obligation to others.
„ High standards for honor and integrity.
„ A moral code that is beyond reproach.
„ Avoidance of any appearance of inappropriate behavior.
„ A positive role model who expresses compassion for subordinates.
„ rofessional demeanor displayed at all times.
„ Allows others to keep their dignity.
„ A devotion to continuing education and personal development.
„ Seeking ways to help subordinates develop and advance themselves.
„ Avoids evil things and the appearance of evil. onduct is assessed from
at least three reference points: ( )
1. What he she actually is;
. What he she thinks it is;
. What it appears to others;
 rom these key aspects, it could be suggested that a professional leader must be fully in control of
himself or herself. And, at the same time, have a good sense of who he or she is. That is, the leader
must have a healthy view of his or her abilities as both a person and a leader. ssentially, the leader
is a person, but, as a leader, he or she takes on more accountability as well as responsibility. As
such, professional leadership projects the inner ability to move people. In moving people, this
projection of the leader gets the organization going in the direction it should go. And, in the
process, people within the organization move toward the goals in accomplishing the objectives. By
accomplishing the objectives, if the leadership is good, the people do so by virtue of voluntary
compliance.
rofessional leaders are:
„ ffective communicators
„ isk takers
„ Good planners
„ rioritizes
„ Goal ission oriented
„ nthusiastic
„ Good observer
„ reative
„ Innovative
„ Adaptable
„ ersistent
„ urious - otivated
„ Servant
„ eople-oriented - Thinker
The skills of professional leadership are geared to move people within the organization. ffective
leaders encourage positive patterns of behavior among subordinate personnel. At the same time,
this aspect of encouragement recognizes the differences that exist in people. It should be kept in
mind that people are where they are at a particular point in life for a reason.
 Allowing subordinates to be where they are in time and giving them opportunities for
improvement is part of the compassion a leader implements. As said previously, a leader is not
afraid to be a people oriented person and provide for the welfare of those he or she commands. In
law enforcement, of course, are primary directive is service to the public. ublic service comes
before personal and private interests. rofessional leadership encourages the service ideal, yet, also
helps personnel to succeed. The factors and aspects that affect professional leadership provide the
basis for building and maintaining a sound organizational climate. undamentally, the foundation
upon which professional leadership is constructed rests on the historical references by which
professionalism is defined. Basically, from a traditional standpoint, this refers to those behavior
patterns and attitudes that exhibit an adherence to certain standards of conduct. In addition, the
behavior speaks loudly with respect to character that is marked by pride in oneself and one s chosen
career. This kind of pride pertains to integrity and honor, and not the kind of pride that is selfish and
self-centered. But, the motivation does not stop here. rofessionalism also prescribes that the
professional seeks opportunities for growth and improvement. He or she does not remain motionless
in time. There is a serious commitment to continued development of skills and knowledge in the
pursuit personal excellence. rofessionalism brings to mind the issue of personal ethics. This refers
to principles by which we instill honor, morality and rules of conduct that govern us. The Law
nforcement ode of thics is an example such principles that guide not only the individual, but also
the group. In law enforcement, a high standard of ethical and moral conduct is an essential
ingredient in the continued development of the professional officer. These guidelines apply both on
and off duty. The professional officer will some day become the professional leader within the
organization. As a professional law enforcement leader, he or she must model professional behavior.
And, the leader must show other the reasons why ethical and professional conduct is important.
Some reasons include:
¾ It helps to maintain the cause of professionalism.
nethical conduct reflects on both the individual as well as the organization.
thical judgements and behavior win support from the community.
thical and professional behavior is the right thing to do.
Law nforcement is a calling. It reinforces the service ideal of law enforcement.
 1
rom the traditional or historic view, professionalism concerns several key points. The following
have been put forth as the critical aspects that are necessary to a discussion of professionalism in
leadership. Beginning in the early 1 s, and probably with the advent of ollmer s professional
model of policing, these elements project what constitutes a profession. ( )

A profession reflects a
body of well-founded
knowledge.

A profession provides for A profession has as its basic

continuing study as well as tenets a code of ethics, which
advancement of the core sets forth the values and
philosophy of the field. beliefs of the field

A profession is viewed A profession has A profession has an

as having a certain standards of admission association, which
amount of prestige and requirements for puts forth the ideals of
associated with it. entry into the field. the profession.

A profession has a
service ideal, which
projects the idea of
helping others.