Would Law Enforcement Leaders Support Defunding the Police? Probably — If Communities Ask Police to Solve Fewer Problems

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Vermeer ◽  
Dulani Woods ◽  
Brian Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Law Enforcement Leaders

Ethical leadership within law enforcement agencies: pedagogical and cultural challenges

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 66-82
Author(s):  
Haydn W. McComas
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Ethical Leadership ◽  
Social Constructivism ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Ethical Reasoning ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Law Enforcement Leaders ◽  
Ethical Efficacy

Purpose Effective ethical leadership is crucial for law enforcement leaders. Ultimately the presence or absence of ethical leadership has significant implications for society. Yet Western law enforcement agencies (LEAs) invest little by way of time, effort or understanding into how law enforcement leaders interpret and develop a sense of ethical competence for leadership. This is a significantly under-researched area within law enforcement anywhere in the world. The purpose of this paper is to assess, measure and more fully understand how social constructivism, problem-based learning (PBL) and self-reflection assist front-line leaders to learn and internalise ethical reasoning for leadership within a law enforcement environment. Design/methodology/approach The research was designed to assess, measure and more fully understand how social constructivism, PBL and self-reflection assist front-line leaders to learn and internalise ethical reasoning for leadership within a law enforcement environment. Data were collected during a two-day ethical leadership workshop delivered to 13 leaders in supervisory positions from the Australian Border Force and the Australian Federal Police. The pedagogical approach was to blend PBL and self-reflection within a social constructivist centred learning experience and measure changes in the ethical efficacy of the research participants through qualitative and quantitative measures. Findings The research suggests that blending PBL and self-reflection within a social constructivist learning environment can contribute towards law enforcement leaders’ learning and internalising of ethical reasoning. This is demonstrated through the measurement of ethical efficacy both before and after the learning experience, with particular growth evident towards understanding ethical perspectives and concepts. Research limitations/implications Limitations include the fact that results cannot be generalised due to the size of the case study. This is compounded by the fact that much of the data are self-reported and responses offered by the participants are subjective. As a result, much of the data were subject to the attitudes and personal perceptions of the participants thus making the information subjective. Aside from demonstrating an impactful learning approach, this research has highlighted that amongst contemporary Australian LEAs there has been little effort or progress towards finding meaningful and effective pathways to encourage or grow ethical efficacy. Practical implications Given challenges faced by LEAs, both Australian and international, the critical need for investment in learning for ethical leadership is both clear and emergent. Law enforcement ethical leadership learning cannot be satisfied through online learning and other cost-efficient means alone. A face-to-face problem-based and reflective learning environment that combines trust, tools and tension in equal measure offers promise for enhanced ethical efficacy. Achieving this requires significant investment in face-to-face learning utilising high-level facilitation skills. Social implications There is a deep and disturbing malaise within Australian LEAs in relation to ethical leadership development, exacerbated by the dearth of investment directed towards learning for front-line ethical leadership. Australian LEAs sit at the crossroads in relation to their application of ethical leadership learning. Given the recent challenges, if these agencies fail to fully engage with this opportunity, the cost will be unfortunately borne by all citizens. Originality/value The implication is a clear need to understand and establish the most effective way for law enforcement officers to grasp the importance of ethics and in doing so, learn ethical leadership. Understanding how law enforcement leaders interpret and develop a sense of ethical competence for leadership is a significantly under-researched area within adult learning and there is little evidence of similar effort within law enforcement anywhere in the world. The overarching objective of this research therefore was to identify pathways that strengthen and enhance ethical leadership as an enabler towards achieving just and corruption-free law enforcement services for the communities.

De-Policing

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Rushin ◽  
Griffin Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Crime Rates ◽  
Police Departments ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Mandated Reform ◽  
External Regulation ◽  
Original Dataset ◽  
Growing Pains ◽  
Law Enforcement Leaders

102 Cornell Law Review 721 (2017)Critics have long claimed that when the law regulates police behavior it inadvertently reduces officer aggressiveness, thereby increasing crime. This hypothesis has taken on new significance in recent years as prominent politicians and law enforcement leaders have argued that increased oversight of police officers in the wake of the events in Ferguson, Missouri has led to an increase in national crime rates. Using a panel of American law enforcement agencies and difference-in-difference regression analyses, this Article tests whether the introduction of public scrutiny or external regulation is associated with changes in crime rates. To do this, this Article relies on an original dataset of all police departments that have been subject to federally mandated reform under 42 U.S.C. § 14141 — the most invasive form of modern American police regulation. This Article finds that the introduction of § 14141 regulation was associated with a statistically significant uptick in some crime rates, relative to unaffected municipalities. This uptick in crime was concentrated in the years immediately after federal intervention and diminished over time. This finding suggests that police departments may expe- rience growing pains when faced with external regulation.

scholarly journals Leadership approaches in law enforcement: A sergeant’s methods of achieving compliance with racial profiling policy from the front line

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-45
Author(s):  
Paul Rinkoff
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Racial Profiling ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Police Organization ◽  
Supportive Leadership ◽  
Municipal Police ◽  
Law Enforcement Leaders ◽  
Leadership Approaches ◽  
Line Officers

This research aims to fill a void in the extant policy implementation literature that has overlooked the leadership contribution of sergeants to the successful adoption of policy decisions by front-line police officers. Using a qualitative approach and a sociological institutionalism perspective, and focusing on the racial profiling policy of a large North American municipal police organization, 17 sergeants representing 17 divisions (precincts) were interviewed. This research does not aim to assess the efficacy of the selected policy but, rather, examines leadership and supervisory perspectives relating to implementation and compliance. The findings demonstrate the methods used by sergeants to influence and achieve the compliance of front-line police officers with the racial profiling policy. Methods include auditing, being present, training, encouraging, rewarding, and disciplining. To explain these methods, it is theorized that sergeants blend two leadership approaches to ensure front-line officers conform to the racial profiling policy: an authoritative leadership approach and a supportive leadership approach. This study emphasizes the leadership contributions of sergeants when attempting to implement perceived controversial or unpopular policy—in this case, racial profiling policy—in a police organization and contains implications for law enforcement leaders, oversight committees, policy writers, and all government legislators who oversee public safety and security.

scholarly journals The Problem Solving Management Process And The Best Practice Of The National University Of Public Service

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 233-242
Author(s):  
Gábor Kovács
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Professional Service ◽  
Management Process ◽  
National University ◽  
Law Enforcement Leaders

Abstract It is the responsibility of the military and law enforcement leaders to solve different problems during their professional service. At the National University of Public Service the students study the main steps of the process of problem solving management. The essay leads the readers through the process of management step by step showing the best practice of the Hungarian military and law enforcement organizations. The essay pays special attention to the decision which is the main and most important step of the management process. All of the graduating students of the National University of Public Service carry out an annual management practice – The Common Public Service Practice. The implementation of this practice following a theoretical phase is to support the practical knowledge applying the best leadership practice during solving the different situations in the real time. The reader will gain a full insight into the problem solving management process and this experience can be successfully adapted to his own work.

Law enforcement perceptions of cyberbullying: evolving perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-150
Author(s):  
Justin W. Patchin ◽  
Joseph Schafer ◽  
John P. Jarvis
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Law Enforcement Officers ◽  
Public Attention ◽  
Rumor Spreading ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Law Enforcement Leaders ◽  
Attitudinal Changes ◽  
Changes Over Time ◽  
Over Time

Purpose Cyberbullying – using technology to intentionally and repeatedly engage in bullying behaviors – has gained considerable public attention over the last decade. Parents and educators regularly instruct students about appropriate online behaviors and threaten consequences for misbehaviors. The role and responsibility of law enforcement officers in preventing and responding to cyberbullying incidents remains uncertain. While clear violations of the law (e.g. threats of physical harm) most directly implicate the police, other – more common behaviors – such as rumor spreading or hurtful online commenting do not. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach The current study surveyed 1,596 law enforcement supervisors attending the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy (NA) program. The survey instrument assessed perceptions of law enforcement responsibility in cyberbullying incidents. Data were collected in three waves over a nine-year period, allowing the measurement of attitudinal changes over time. Findings The authors find that certain officer characteristics are associated with a greater interest in responding to different types of cyberbullying (including having children at home and having previous experience dealing with cyberbullying) and that these perceptions have evolved over time. Research limitations/implications The data are specific to law enforcement leaders who participated in the NA and are therefore not generalizable to all officers. Nevertheless, implications for explaining variance and law enforcement involvement in cyberbullying incidents are discussed. Originality/value This is the first study to survey law enforcement leaders over time to assess their evolving perceptions of law enforcement’s role in addressing cyberbullying among youth.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document