NCJ Number
144548
Date Published
1994
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This paper applies Juvenal's skepticism regarding guardians to police managers, as it examines their potential for misbehavior and the impact of managerial misconduct in policing.
Abstract
The ancient Roman poet Juvenal asked, "Who will be guarding the guardians?" This question might well be asked of police managers. Actions taken by police managers in the course of their police work that cause harm to or violate the rights of external members of the police constituency are categorized as abuses of authority. Forbidden behaviors by police managers for actual or expected material reward are considered corruption. Forbidden behaviors by police managers without expectation of material reward are classified as misconduct. Within the category of misconduct, inappropriate actions taken by police managers toward police subordinates are referred to as managerial malpractice. Police managerial malfeasance is the intentional violation of a law or departmental regulation. Managerial malfeasance frequently encompasses corruption, misconduct, malpractice, and abuse of authority. Police managerial misfeasance is the negligent or improper performance of duties, and police managerial nonfeasance is the intentional failure of the manager to take necessary action. All of the aforementioned classified behaviors are detrimental to both the mission and reputation of the police organization. The nature of policing and the nature of management combine to create opportunities for deviance that many individuals cannot resist. The majority of police managers that do resist do so in spite of, not due to, police organizational constraints. 13 references and 5 study questions