NCJ Number
75585
Date Published
1981
Length
254 pages
Annotation
Written for police supervisors, this text emphasizes the importance of good judgment, prudence, and logic in police supervision and relates these traits to the varied skills and talents that police leadership requires.
Abstract
The definition and function of supervision are discussed, and the special ethics involved in police supervision are examined as they relate to both subordinates and superiors. The text then presents guidelines for performing each of the supervisor's many jobs. A discussion of the leadership role emphasizes the value of leading by example, the importance of 'command presence,' the hazards to effective leadership, and the significance of morale as a leadership tool. Techniques and evaluation of instruction are examined in a review of the supervisor's role as educator, and a list of instructional aids is provided. A chapter on the supervisor's role as evaluator discusses techniques and implementation of evaluation programs and discusses the merits of inspection and related followup activities to ensure success of evaluation procedures. A section on discipline outlines requirements for fair and effective disciplinary practices and places importance on involvement of line supervisors throughout the disciplinary mechanism. Additional chapters analyze such elements of the planning function as personnel deployment, evaluation of available resources, preparation for special events, and the establishment of goals and objectives for subordinates. They discuss the supervisor's need for good communication skills and examine counseling considerations in supervisor-subordinate relationships. Besides suggestions for problem solving with counseling, the text indicates sources of professional help. In addition, the supervisor's increasingly important role as a grievance processor is discussed. Police supervisors receive and investigate complaints of police misconduct, deal with complaints from subordinates, and cope with contemporary labor problems. The final two chapters focus on special problems in law enforcement supervision, such as survival in a bureaucracy, internal strife in the agency, response to charges of corruption or incompetence, and methods of preparing for the work of police supervisor. An index is provided. (Author abstract modified)