Running head: EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS
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Effective Leadership in Criminal Justice Organizations
William C. Morton
May 4, 2020
CJUS 300
Herbert Duff
EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS
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Abstract
While the complexity of criminal justice organizations and the environment in which they
operate are proven to be difficult, ineffective leadership is detrimental to productivity,
community relations, and organization success. Ineffective leaders will continue to pose a threat
to an organization until we identify a resolution and implement it to properly develop and mentor
officers to be effective leaders and stewards to the community. The Administrative Officer's
Course (AOC) plays a pivotal role in developing, teaching, and providing resources for future
leaders through a 12-week course. The AOC enables officers the ability to manage and direct
any law enforcement agency, deal with important and complicated administrative issues, and
effectively evaluate the efficiency of law enforcement operations. Additionally, the
establishment of a Leadership Team by the Broken Arrow Police Department instilled a shared
leadership style within the organization. It provides communication throughout all leadership
levels, officers, and the community. The Leadership Team creates mutual trust and respect
throughout the organization and community with continual communication on policy updates
and organizational concerns through feedback and insight at all levels. Criminal justice
organizations tend to be structured and reluctant to accept change within their organization.
However, organizations that maintain ineffective leaders and fail to implement measures to
develop effective leaders will continue to fail. Criminal justice organizations that provide
leadership training and are adamantly seeking organizational improvement will be successful in
all facets of their criminal justice operations.
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Introduction
Effective leadership in today's criminal justice organizations is vital to successful
policing. However, there are difficulties in identifying contributing factors for leadership failures
with the complexity of environments surrounding criminal justice organizations. Ineffective
leadership promotes a multitude of issues for officers, the community, and the organization.
Therefore, to impact our criminal justice organizations, measures must be implemented to
eliminate ineffective leaders through teaching, mentorship, and guiding our leaders.
Ineffective Leadership
The United States experienced the most significant crime rates in the three decades
before 1990. Although at the start of the 21st century, with a paradigm shift in diversity within
our society and fear of increasing crime rates, there became a significant demand for police
services and their operational strategies. Then following the event of 9/11, a strong emphasis
was on homeland security, but with the financial crisis in 2008, many police organizations were
unable to provide policing services within their communities. This shift in society and the need
for additional security measures require the experience, focus, knowledge, and expertise of
leaders throughout all levels of the administration for criminal justice organizations. These
leaders are responsible for the coordination and arrangement of personnel, organizational tasks,
and the resources needed to achieve the organization's mission.
Leadership collaboratively affects various facets of the criminal justice environment,
from the officers, to the organization, and the community. Police agencies often fail to identify
the strong potential leaders within their organizations resulting in poor leadership leading the
force. Ineffective leadership consists of stressful environments, potential bullying, decreased job
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satisfaction and organizational commitment, and adversarial community relations. An
ineffective leader poses an extreme threat to an organization as they are self-centered and listen
and operate only through self-guidance as portrayed in this verse by God, "But they did not obey
or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts,
and went backward and not forward." (Jeremiah 7:24, ESV)
Leadership roles spread throughout a criminal justice organization at the executive,
middle management, and supervisory levels, which all operate simultaneously to meet the needs
of the organization and community. Criminal justice leaders within the three levels are
responsible for effectively organizing, leading, planning, and controlling their organization.
Leaders are vital to their organization's effectiveness and the development of subordinates and
future leaders. Additionally, leaders are required to adapt to different levels of critical thinking,
communication, and decision-making. However, our criminal justice organizations are built
around strong internal cultures and structures often resistant to any change. "The way in which
supervisors interact with their officers and communicate their direction is a critical element in
achieving willing compliance but can also create hostility and resistance." (Walsh & Vito. 2019)
A leader's ability to cultivate commitment, mutual respect, and competence under their command
directly relates to their officer's motivation, development, and productivity in performing their
duties within the organization and community.
A successful leader in a criminal justice organization will possess the ability to influence
their officers to comply without fear of reprisal or through coercion. Also, they will evaluate
performance within their ranks and empower those whose performance they greatly depend on in
the organization. Leaders capable of incorporating empowerment and positively influencing
their officers will achieve respect, stronger commitment, and exhibit their desire for a shared
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leadership within the organization. "By sharing their power and not being critical or second-
guessing their subordinates, supervisors can build relationships with their officers that will
motivate and inspire them to pursue mutually agreed-upon goals." (Walsh & Vito. 2019)
Ineffective leaders within our ranks cannot focus on future challenges, the evolving
nature of crimes, and the increasing variety of offender populations. A recurrent contributing
factor identified in the failure of police organizations is the ability of ineffective leaders to
respond and act to known problems within their organizations. "In policing, such organizational
failures might have extended into matters that generated adversarial relationships with
employees and/or the community, increased unionism, litigation, turn-over, or outside
involvement in local police operations." (Schafer. 2010) Also, primarily basing leadership
assignments on performance exams measuring the knowledge of protocols and policies, as well
as departmental personalities and politics contribute to the gap between leadership and their
police officers or "street cops." Unfortunately, we will not notice the result until an individual is
in the leadership position, and the capacity of the position was unable to be met by their actual
qualifications. The organization would begin to see the effects of this ineffective leader, which
would be detrimental and irreversible until permanently removed.
There are three types of ineffective leadership associated with an organization which is
incompetent, rigid, and intemperate. An incompetent leader lacks the ability and skills to be
effective and create positive change in the organization. The incompetence could be due to their
failure in academic and practical intelligence leading to their carelessness and inability to
communicate, educate, or delegate effectively as a leader. Although potentially competent, a
rigid leader fails or is unwilling to adapt to change, new ideas, and new information. The
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intemperate leader lacks self-control and is surrounded by others reluctant to intervene, creating
a leader unable to control their impulses and possibly become a victim to drugs or alcohol abuse.
However, ineffective leadership can also be characterized ethically as callous, corrupt,
insular, and evil leaders. A callous leader is uncaring and will ignore the needs, wants, and
wishes of their subordinates. The corrupt leader is widely known for their lying, cheating,
stealing, and constant desire for power. Insular leaders disregard the needs and health and
welfare of people within their organization and the community which they serve. Lastly, evil
leaders commit acts of severe physical or psychological harm to terrorize and prolong the
suffering of individuals to gain and maintain power within an organization or community.
As we identify ineffective leaders within our criminal justice organizations, our senior
leaders must research and examine other agencies' standards, policies, and best practices.
Leaders at all levels understand the success of their organizations, and trust from their
communities rely on influential, ethical, and effective leaders. In assisting our criminal justice
organizations in combatting ineffective leadership, we identified various departments across the
United States that have officers attending the Administrative Officer's Course at the Southern
Police Institute. Also, the Broken Arrow Police Department in Oklahoma established the
Leadership Team creating a shared leadership style within their organization.
The Southern Police Institute, established in 1951, developed the Administrative Officer's
Course (AOC) to enhance the professional and personal development of criminal justice leaders
from various agencies. The AOC offers an undergraduate and graduate course for any officers in
the rank of Sergeant and above. The AOC is a twelve-week course designed for officers in or
eligible for promotion to middle and upper management positions. The course provides
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comprehensive instruction in law enforcement issues, problem solving, and administrative law;
as well as encourages learning through shared practices and knowledge. Officers attending the
course enhance their skills in negotiation, compromise, cooperation, consensus, and a plethora of
resources to seek assistance throughout their career. "The institute's comprehensive educational
environment and world-recognized methods of instruction encourage a commitment to learning
and self-improving long after the course is finished." (Southern Police Institute. n.d)
In August 2003, after a recent leadership change, the Broken Arrow Police Department in
Oklahoma created a committee called the Leadership Team. The Leadership Team consisted of
twelve individuals from the labor union, management, and various sections within the
department. In balancing the power between the administration and union, the team selected two
chairmen, one chosen by the Police Chief and the other from the Union President. Each
chairperson selects two team members, and the remaining team members were elected by their
peers or based on functional experience. The goal was to involve a cross-section of employees to
assist the senior management in running the organization, developing, and changing agency
policy and strategic decisions. "By policy, the only Team decisions that can be vetoed by the
Chief are those that violate labor law, exceed budgetary constraints, or might expose the agency
to undue civil liability." (Steinheider & Wuestewald. 2008) The members of the Leadership
Team itself developed and eventually codified guidance into departmental policies and created a
decision-making process consisting of a two-thirds majority democratic vote. The Leadership
Team established a shared leadership style between leadership at all levels and officers to resolve
problems, facilitate communication, improve agency processes, and build unity within the
organization. Unlike typical police department hierarchies, officer rank and seniority played no
part ensuring all members of the Leadership Team maintain equal voting rights.
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Solutions
After further review of research and assessments, the AOC and Leadership Team possess
vital contributions and would lead to continued success within our criminal justice organizations.
Although one or both are viable solutions for our criminal justice organizations, there are several
different aspects of implementation to alleviate ineffective leaders within our ranks.
The criminal justice organization could implement no change to current standards,
policies, and leadership. This course of action would maintain the current trend and provide no
improvement for ineffective leaders within the organization. Ultimately, this decision will lead
to the organization's continued failure, diminished community relations, and a decrease in officer
morale and productivity.
As an incremental approach, the organization could initiate of leaders attending the
Administrative Officer's Course through an assessment conducted by upper management.
Initially compile a list through identifying first those areas with a concern of ineffective
leadership, future leadership potential, and organization budget availability to form an order of
merit. The initial effects would be minimal; however, the AOC would be incorporated in annual
budgets and potentially become a requirement for all upper and middle management positions.
Additionally, the AOC has already become a prerequisite for appointment as a Police Chief
within many criminal justice organizations.
As an immediate resolution, implementing a shared leadership style will provide
significant improvements in the organization. As part of the shared leadership, establishing a
Leadership Team will assist in empowering all aspects of the organization and build unity
throughout the force. A shared leadership style incorporated with the Leadership Team will
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provide a parallel axis of communication at all levels, enhance morale and productivity, and
provide the ability for change in policies and standards generated throughout all levels of the
organization.
Impacts
Overall, the impact to the organization would be significant in the perception of higher
leadership drastically improving. The perception by officers will increase through more
recognition for their work, receiving rewards for good service, and additional incentives
becoming available. Also, the shared leadership style adds predictability and transparency to
processes within the organization. Also, officer attendance to the AOC will provide the
organization with more influential leaders and greater opportunities for advancement.
The productivity of officers will be higher as they feel more empowered to make
decisions on their own and implement community policing through measures created together.
Officers will be inclined to conduct community policing operations and know consideration for
their concerns is at the highest levels. The community will develop a greater understanding,
appreciation, and trust for the criminal justice organization, enhancing our ability to enforce laws
and safety within our communities. Lastly, this implementation will strengthen the
communication between leaders at all levels, officers, and the community creating a positive and
shared environment for the organization.
In consideration of continual budget constraints each fiscal year, the only solution that
would affect the annual budget is the AOC. The AOC does offer an undergraduate course for
$6,770 and a graduate course for $6,785 per attending officer. Each course offers a different
curriculum; therefore, the needs of the leadership position and organization would be the basis
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for a decision. The initial implementation may have a residual effect on the remaining budget;
however, projection in future fiscal year budgets will limit the overall impact. The added
benefits for our leaders, officers, communities, and organizations far outweigh the budgetary
effects on the organization.
Conclusion
Ineffective leaders have no place within our criminal justice ranks and organization;
therefore, we must implement all measures to alleviate ineffective leaders and develop
influential, ethical leaders within our organization. The detrimental effects of an ineffective
leader will plague an organization establishing animosity, low morale, and significantly decrease
the organization's productivity within the community. It is imperative to identify and develop
effective leaders to ensure success, as "organizations promote employees to positions as
managers without the proper management-related training, both are more likely to fail."
(Schumaker. 2016) The AOC and Leadership Team will provide our organization the
opportunity to develop and prepare officers to be effective leaders and improve our relationship
within the community. The establishment of standards, additional training, and empowerment
within the organization is essential, but ensuring the organization is being led through trust,
respect, morals, and God is equally important and vital to the success of the criminal justice
organization. For in God's words, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a
worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15,
ESV)
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