NCJ Number
177761
Date Published
May 1998
Length
14 pages
Annotation
In California, a police department survey of sergeants (first line supervisors), lieutenants (middle managers), and captains and chiefs (executive staff personnel) was conducted to identify key issues in the police leadership paradigm for the 21st century.
Abstract
The survey was divided into two parts. The first, having to do with leadership style and personal background, included control questions related to leadership style. In the second part, respondents completed a Leader Effectiveness and Adaptability Description questionnaire that would reveal the situational leadership style used in dealing with subordinates. Survey findings revealed leadership styles focused on influencing personnel instead of leaving them through a pattern of learned behavior. A nominal group panel was convened to identify future trends and events that would affect police leadership, using the Santa Barbara Police Department (SBPD) as the case example. The SBPD had an organizational culture steeped in paramilitary structure and determined a new leadership style was needed because organizational, social, academic, and technology environments were changing at a rate faster than what the SBPD predicted. The effectiveness of leadership training is discussed, and recommendations to guide police departments in improving police leadership are offered. 7 references and 6 endnotes