Leadership in Law Enforcement
Law enforcement is a system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, and rehabilitating. Also, this system is aimed punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society. Although the term may encompass entities such as courts and prisons, it is most frequently applied to those who directly engage in patrols or surveillance to dissuade and discover criminal activity, and those who investigate crimes and apprehend offenders. The task is typically carried out by the police or another law enforcement agency. Furthermore, although law enforcement may be most concerned with the prevention and punishment of crimes, organizations exist to discourage a wide variety of non-criminal violations of rules and norms, which are effected through the imposition of less severe consequences. Therefore, the essential reasons for the development of the law enforcement agencies consist in the development of the basic leadership qualities of the employees who are responsible for the team work and personnel management.
To thrive in the 21st century, law enforcement leadership and its century-old management model must grow and adapt to a rapidly changing world, according to law enforcement and criminal justice experts (Kouzes & Posner, 2006). As a consequence, the police leaders need to adapt to society’s changing outlooks. In the same way that the auto industry and other Industrial Age business sectors have adapted, the modern police agencies must evolve from their ‘hierarchical’ and ‘paramilitary’ models and undergo a “similar revolution in their organization, leadership and management models,” as it is mentioned in a report for the U.S. Justice Department and Harvard University’s Kennedy School (Colwell, 2009). It means that many law enforcement agencies still use “an antiquated, hierarchical structure” with all decisions made by higher-ups. According to the research by Hess, Kären & Orthmann (2008), even the U.S. military system has updated its organizational model since the Vietnam War, and law enforcement agencies must keep pace.
Leadership is essential for winning the battle for perception, the hearts and minds, of the community, and it is in finding and nurturing great leadership that law enforcement should look to the wisdom afforded by the business community. The business community has long recognized that strong leadership heralds in change and change management (Hess, Kären & Orthmann, 2008). The management of change is critical in law enforcement because of the ever evolving communities within which law enforcement must interact with (Howe, 2011). As a consequence, the law enforcement leadership is “a career-long journey of self-discovery and learning from others,” and managers should constantly evaluate their performance and seek ways to improve (Howe, 2011, p. 145). A study by Bowman, Carlson, Colvin, & Green (2006) found that officers have higher job satisfaction and make a greater effort when their bosses are inspiring transformational leaders who practice vision, show a sense of mission, engage in problem-solving and coach and advise others.
Studies indicate that the complex conditions of the police often give rise to psychological problems, …
