Police Leadership free essay sample

Leadership is defined as someone who provides guidance or direction to a group. The importance of leadership facilitates the basic functions of those who are meant to follow. This pertains to the Public administration aspect of criminal justice in regards to those supervisors who are put in the position of power to lead, guide, and motivate those who are not only under them, but those who are around them. Police Leadership is very important now days as it resorts to today’s community policing and how each officer, even if they are a patrol officer, â€Å"every officer is a leader†. It is because of different models put in place that have failed or succeeded along with contemporary issues, that the role of Police Leadership and its importance plays a great stake in today’s policing and police administration. Some of the key elements of leadership have to do with knowledge and education, different mindsets, ability to change, and training. When a simple question of whether a leader is born or made, it is the answer of two-thirds of a group that say leaders are made. Most back up their answer with made through training, and experience in the certain field. Leaders as it relates in policing have the mindset that the leadership quality is something that is built into the character of an officer as early as their training in the police academy. With time being a distinct factor, the longer one waits to be promoted into such a role can have catastrophic consequences. The consequences can result from that individual waiting and in that time burning bridges with co-workers and those within the community as well. Different aspects come into play when dealing with leadership. The different situations of employees is one of the most compelling and strenuous trait to deal with. Some believe that it is easier and better to take an individual with a poor performance and give them a decent review so it doesn’t generate any whistle blowing. It is the result of such leadership studies that show that most supervisors in their position Admitted that they do little or nothing when it comes to problem employees, even if dangerous behavior is shown. It is the result of others that have a different approach to those problems. To acknowledge those employees, and give them the chance of improving on their negative characteristics â€Å"that can have a ripple effect on the entire workplace, in terms of morale and workload. † A sign of a good leader is not avoiding the problem, but confronting it head on. A clear understanding of what is expected along with the follow up of evaluations is what impacts results. The mindset and education is a key factor in those who attend a ten week course in Virginia that is focused on teaching courses in leadership. A typical class is between 250-300 officers from different organizations all over the country. A 63% of the class had at least a bachelor’s degree. A crucial aspect of leadership is the ability to learn and develop that effective leadership quality. â€Å"American Policing is made up of small agencies throughout the country†. This amounts to 75% of those agencies employing less than 25 sworn officers. Within these agencies, the ability to be promoted and grow is difficult, not impossible, but difficult. It is with this rationale thinking that most officers take for granted their position in those departments. Its that mindset that usually ends up hurting those who would be the deserving of a promotion and the leadership quality if it was a timely manner was set in place. The days of being a beat cop your entire career are long gone, officers must be able and there is no room in a department for uneducated officers. The important and successful use of technologies enhances the educational factor of a leader even more. With crime analysis, and the process of identifying patterns and relationships between crime data and other relevant data sources to prioritize and target police activity, a clear understanding of all this is vital. The computerized reports derived from court ordered long-distance telephone billings in an illegal drug trafficking, know as telephone toll analysis, is not for the faint of mind. These advanced technological advances are a key indication of the knowledge of a police leader and its importance. With knowledge being a huge factor, it is important to know your surroundings and what type of undertaking to implore. Knowing what has come before and how it has worked is a success that a leader in policing needs to understand. The main aspect knows about the current police era, which revolves around community policing. Within the policing model, the grade of police professionalism and the understanding of how it impacts everyday life is essential. How the mobilizing of officers along with crime analysis and the use of crime lab impacts the improvement of the quality officers. Along with police professionalism is the military model that follows. This focused on specialized work, such as detectives and certain field agencies. The enhance training of officers and the ability for them to adapt to like situations and better their response and skills with the community. The last step of the military model deals with the bureaucratic form of organization. In conclusion leadership as it pertains to public administration is one of the most powerful weapons that our country tends to over look. The amount of time and money that is poured into todays policing and the roles that law enforcement play, are vital in the survival and safety of our neighborhoods. The progress that those who take the leadership roles says a lot about their character, and their person. People look towards a leader, and for someone to take control and guide them. It is with this importance, just as the importance of the implementations of certain elements that were brought into policing over the past century , that leadership and the strength of this characteristic stay strong and be as important as policing strategies and policing models. Followers want honest, decisive, and competent leaders, and that is something they along with the public deserve and thats why leadership within policing is extremely important.