NCJ Number
93677
Date Published
Unknown
Length
14 pages
Annotation
All police personnel must be more knowledgeable, better educated, and more cognizant of the rights of the general public if police agencies are to effectively provide the service and protection the public needs.
Abstract
Total chaos will result if police personnel fail to progress to the 21st century. To ensure that chaos does not occur requires the presence of dedicated, highly trained, well educated, and motivated administrators who realize that management and leadership mean more than bearing the title of Chief of Police. The degree to which police chiefs exercise leadership should be judged by the risks that they take in seeking improvement in personnel and the delivery of police services and in educating the public and politicians about what police can and cannot do. Police leaders as a group can take calculated risks, initiate productive change, and speak frankly to the public about crime and policy. Steps in this direction include formally upgrading standards and requirements for police chiefs, passing legislation that allows for stringent national requirements for entrance level policing and for advancement, inservice training, and the use of well-researched and written directives to personnel encompassing all areas of policing. In sum, the capability exists; all that is required is the coordinated effort.