NCJ Number
207309
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 28 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2004 Pages: 32,34,36,38
Date Published
August 2004
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article offers suggestions for improving morale in law enforcement agencies.
Abstract
Morale is one of the most important elements of a law enforcement agency. Departments with good morale have fewer citizen complaints and higher job satisfaction among officers. As such, boosting morale is important to delivering quality police services to citizens and creating a positive work environment for officers. Law enforcement agencies are encouraged to assess their morale by looking for indicators of low morale, such as a spike in citizen complaints or sick time leave taken by officers. The next step toward building morale is to instill the organization’s philosophy and work ethic into new recruits. The responsibility for morale, however, lies with the organization’s leadership. In order to bolster morale among leaders, who in turn will be responsible for elevating morale among officers, frequent leadership and motivational trainings are suggested. Supervisors are also encouraged to open lines of communication with officers, both formally and informally, in order to gain necessary feedback and show officers they are valued members of the team. Recognizing officer achievement is also important to raising morale; regular awards ceremonies are recommended, as well as the informal recognition of a simple pat on the back. Good morale within law enforcement agencies leads to good police work and effective, well-trained officers.