NCJ Number
205417
Date Published
2002
Length
462 pages
Annotation
This third-edition textbook on police management examines the aspects of an interdisciplinary approach to policing issues and practices.
Abstract
The purpose of this textbook is to provide the reader with an understanding of how police organizations work, how people in them behave, and how individuals and groups can be effectively managed. A central theme of the book is the dynamics and procedures involved in managing the transition from traditional to community policing. The organization of the text reflects an expectation-integration model, which suggests that effective police management can be measured by how well the expectations of employees, the community, and the police agency are balanced. The book's approach to understanding police organizations and management develops seven major themes. One theme is "humanitarian orientation," which recognizes the importance of human resources in police organizations. A second theme is awareness of the environment in which police organizations must function, and a third theme focuses on the interdisciplinary nature of the study of police management. The importance of research and scientific management in police management is a fourth theme. A fifth theme is the use of four levels of analysis to promote better understanding of the complex nature of organizational behavior: individual, work group, organization, and environment. A sixth theme pertains to the importance of applying systems theory and contingency theory to the study of police organizations, and the final theme is the promotion of integrity throughout the police organization. Chapter summaries, discussion questions, and references