NCJ Number
90192
Journal
Police Magazine Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Dated: (July 1983) Pages: 50-56
Date Published
1983
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Urban police officers who become small-town police chiefs must make adjustments in management techniques, priorities for policing, and public relations.
Abstract
Many urban police officers who are dissatisfied with urban policing have sought and obtained jobs as police chiefs in small towns. They soon learn that a small department cannot be run like a large one. Crimes that would be considered minor and of low priority for an urban department are serious matters for small-town residents (e.g., a vandalized mailbox and tire tracks on a front lawn). Also, because major crimes are rare in a small town, police work is more service-oriented; e.g., animal control is a time-consuming activity for some small-town police. Because chiefs coming from large urban departments are perceived by both department personnel and the public as being outsiders who want to impose urban solutions on small-town problems, they are often met with suspicion and hostility that requires patience and clear and frequent communication about policy and the reasons for it. Most newly recruited chiefs find that their first task is to define basic policies, a practice that was frequently neglected by previous chiefs. Retraining of personnel is often needed. The chiefs also must adjust to new and time-consuming duties, such as being available to the public and personally performing duties that urban chiefs would delegate. While moving to small-town law enforcement inevitably involves a pay cut, for many the cost of living is greatly reduced, and the quality of life is improved. Although working hours are not reduced and are in many cases increased, the sense of control over departmental direction is professionally satisfying.