NCJ Number
172548
Date Published
1996
Length
20 pages
Annotation
A futures study gathered information from interviews with police managers, a review of the literature, and an analysis of the author's experience in the police department of San Diego, Calif., to examine the impact of community policing on the future role of police lieutenant in a large municipal police agency.
Abstract
The research focused on the impact on the lieutenant's role in relation to patrol officer supervision, the impact on the lieutenant's relationship with the community, and training the lieutenant would need to adjust to the new role. The study used the nominal group technique to collect and rank information. The panel noted several significant trends that indicated that the redefined lieutenant's position will have greater responsibility in dealing with communities, local politics, and resource allocation. Likely events noted by the panel includes the elimination of the lieutenant rank, city bankruptcy or a budget crisis, elimination of community policing, the establishment of a regional community policing leadership school, and a lieutenant's mismanagement of a critical event. Findings also indicated that the current expansion of the lieutenant's role in San Diego indicates the need for the lieutenant to develop team-building skills, establish linkages between city agencies and other units of the police organization, and develop relationships with the community served. Lieutenants must create an atmosphere conductive to experimentation, but they must mainly present themselves as models for the team. Figure and 5 references