Progressive Discipline and the Police Force
Adam King
Liberty University
CJUS 830: Organizational Conflict Management
Dr. Jonathon Zemke
May 21, 2025
1
PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE AND THE POLICE FORCE
Abstract
Progressive discipline is the process of issuing discipline through ever-increasing actions. Minor
infractions begin with a verbal warning and progress up to termination if violations of policy
become serious or repeat. Progressive discipline seeks to correct the actions of a wayward
employee. Progressive discipline is corrective in nature, and punitive punishment only comes
later in the process. Police agencies have been implementing progressive disciplinary policies
across the globe. The hope is to professionalize the police, which started at the turn of the 20th
century with the ideals of August Vollmer. Some agencies have sought to bring the public into
the mix with oversight committees. The limited scope that many of these committees have leaves
them wanting more and without the oversight that they long for. Leaders set the tone of the
organization and the policies they put in place regarding discipline can create an efficient work
environment or one that leads to high turnover and instability.
Keywords: progressive discipline, corrective, punitive, professionalize, oversight
2
PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE AND THE POLICE FORCE
Theoretical Framework and Literature Review
Before developing a plan to combat issues within the agency, of progressive discipline.
The process of progressive discipline needs to be understood to the fullest that it can be. After
dozens of articles were reviewed, progressive discipline does not always use that chosen
moniker. A full review of these articles and their description of the discipline policies discussed
makes it clear that they are discussing progressive discipline. A review of agency policies around
the United States was conducted to understand the differing perspectives on progressive
discipline within the law enforcement community. Public sector organizations were also studied
to draw parallels to discipline policies and how they overlap or possibly could be utilized in a
law enforcement setting. Finally, police oversight committees were considered and how they
may impact disciplinary policies within an agency.
Progressive Discipline and the Police Force
Progressive discipline is not a 21st-century policy invention. The book of Matthew in the
Bible touches on the topic of how to discipline members of the early church (Christian Standard
Bible, 2017). Progressive discipline in a modern sense is defined largely in policy manuals of
police and other public and private agencies. The Ferguson, Missouri police department defines
progressive discipline as “An employee disciplinary system that provides a graduated range of
responses to employee performance or conduct problems.” (Ferguson Police Department, n.d.).
Their policy states that the purpose is to be consistent and uniform in discipline throughout the
department. Any punishment must correspond to the violation. Elevators exist in the policy that
allow for repeat violations of the same infraction to be disciplined at a higher level. This
progression of discipline ensures that repeat offenses are not handled the same every time. It
allows the department to correct or dismiss repeat violators. A policy of progressive discipline
3
PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE AND THE POLICE FORCE
that is well understood, predictable, and acted upon by leadership steadies an agency and
ultimately benefits the department.
Progressive Discipline
Progressive discipline at its core is about the professionalism of police agencies. August
Vollmer is a worn name in police academia. His ideals as the Chief of Berkley California, are
some of the earliest that sought to professionalize the police force. Vollmer wanted to eradicate
corruption and increase professionalism in all areas of the police. He thought that keeping strict
standards in many facets of policing would accomplish this. Police were to keep detailed logs
and dress with the utmost professionalism. Vollmer combined a military regiment with college-
educated officers to surprising results within the department. Vollmer was criticized for his
college-educated officers, but they proved effective at their jobs. His push for professionalism
and efficiency of the police force has not been fully implemented to date across the country
(Douthit, 1975).
Policy and Procedure Review
Cesare Beccaria wrote in his 1767 essay titled An Essay on Crimes in Punishment that the
best kind of law was one that was written down and promulgated. Beccaria also argued that
crime and punishment should be proportionate to one another (Bessler, 2019). Many police
agencies have taken this same approach when it comes to the rules that steer the department. The
New York City Police Department has a manual that has become known as “The Matrix”. This
56-page document has an all-encompassing list where every offense has a mitigated penalty and
an aggravated penalty. Aggravating factors can include a low probability of being rehabilitated,
excessive property damage, and misuse of police technology. Mitigating factors can include a
lack of policy clarity, limited property damage, and de-escalation was attempted by the offending
4
PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE AND THE POLICE FORCE
member. After considering the aggravating and mitigating circumstances, punishment will be
selected from the appropriate range and given to the offending party. The NYPD policy considers
prior disciplinary history as an aggravating circumstance, which increases the punishment in
their guidelines. “The Matrix” dictates that the more serious the previous punishment, the longer
it will be considered an aggravating circumstance (New York Police Department, 2024).
The Ferguson, Missouri, police department came under immense scrutiny following the
shooting death of Michael Brown. The microscope that the department found itself under
ushered in a wave of change, not just through the Ferguson Police Department, but also through
agencies around the country whose policies, procedures, and relationships with the public came
into question (Culhane & Schweitzer, 2017). The Ferguson Police implemented new policies,
one of which was a disciplinary guideline. This policy does not go as in-depth as “The Matrix”,
but it does outline a progressive discipline policy that stipulates that repeat offenses for the same
offender shall face harsher discipline. The discipline outlined in the policy begins with an oral
reprimand and progresses through to dismissal of the offending party (Ferguson Police
Department, n.d.).
State law enforcement agencies have also set progressive discipline policies. The Georgia
Bureau of Investigation (GBI) follows a progressive discipline policy not unlike the NYPD or
the Ferguson Police Department. The GBI policy gives more authority to terminate employees
on a first offense if said offense falls within a broad scope of prohibited activities. Language
within the policy dictates that, when possible, progressive discipline shall be used. Oral
reprimands are the similarly the beginning of the disciplinary ladder. Following that the GBI
utilizes letter of concern and letters of instruction that can be moved up through the chain of
command to begin a more formal disciplinary procedure. These higher proceedings that may lead
5
PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE AND THE POLICE FORCE
to adverse actions, such as loss of pay or demotion, must be administered by a limited group of
supervisors (Georgia Department of Public Safety, 2022).
Federal agencies utilize progressive discipline policies as well. In a 2014 policy revision,
the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) adopted progressive discipline. They are also
clear that a first offense that is serious enough is grounds for dismissal. Aggravating and
mitigating circumstances are utilized just as they are in the NYPD matrix (Transportation
Security Administration, 2014). A matrix system, much like the NYPD system, has been
published by the United States Marshal Service (USMS). This rubric lists 16 pages of policy
violations followed by penalties for first, second, and third violations. Each subsequent violation
results in a higher penalty for the offending marshal (United States Marshall Service, n.d.). Not
all agencies are created equal, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) policy for disciplinary action
does not mention progressive discipline. It should be noted that the DOJ policy is the oldest of all
those reviewed, being written in 1998. Written Reprimands through dismissals are mentioned
and discussed by order of severity of punishment, but there is nothing stating that discipline has
to follow a certain script as it is handed down (U.S. Department of Justice, 1998).
Not all agencies across the country have created progressive discipline policies. The
Commerce Police Department is a small agency in North Georgia. This agency has combined its
disciplinary actions with its supervisory responsibility policy. While the policy details actions
from verbal warning to termination. There is no mention of how this could be done progressively
from the consideration of aggravating or mitigating factors that could elevate the level of
punishment for repeat offenders (Commerce Police Department, 2018).
Discipline and Outcomes
6
PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE AND THE POLICE FORCE
Employee discipline is geared to creating a culture that adheres to organizational policy
and procedure (Agbeyinka, 2024). Effective discipline policies reward positive behavior and
punish bad behavior. If done effectively, organizations will run more effectively with happier
employees. Agbeyinka argues that when employers use discipline for punitive reasons and not
just to correct misconduct, the organization can suffer. Other factors can cause a disciplinary
policy to suffer, such as nepotism, corruption, favoritism, and political interference.
Administering Discipline
Beccaria had three principles that he believed should be evident through the justice
process. These principles are celerity, certainty, and severity. Beccaria understood celerity, which
is the idea that punishment should be swift, to be the most important of the three (Bessler, 2019).
Agbeyinka’s (2024) research indicates that this principle is also true when dealing with employee
discipline. There should be as little time as possible between the transgression and agency-
sanctioned action. The judgment should also be only as severe as it needs to be, which follows
Beccaria’s principles as well. Agbeyinka’s research shows that discipline has to be equal
throughout the agency. If it is deemed that discipline is given out unfairly, then morale will drop,
and agency productivity will fall. The negative action should be the only thing under judgment,
not the employee. Every employee should feel as though they would have received the same
punishment had they violated policy in the same manner. Any punishment given needs to be
brought to light to members of the organization so they can know what to expect if they violate
in a similar manner (Agbeyinka, 2024).
The goal of discipline is to course correct employees who have strayed. By doing this,
others will see adverse actions and know where to steer away from. Misunderstanding and
distrust will foster if discipline is not well conducted. Xin et al. (2022) give five principles that
7
PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE AND THE POLICE FORCE
should be followed in any disciplinary situation. First, problems should be dealt with at once and
consistently. Second, the facts should be known before any adverse action to the employee.
Thirdly, employees should be made aware of all allegations against them. Fourth, a witness
should be present during questioning. Lastly, there should be an appeals process for any
disciplinary action.
Progressive discipline is utilized as a corrective method of discipline. The steps in
administering progressive discipline lend themselves to corrective measures with harsher
punishments if correction is not made continuously. Xin et al. (2022) believe that disciplinary
actions should start at the lowest level possible, and as needed, they should work their way up
through management ranks. This would mean that a first offense that is minor in stakes can be
handled by a line-level supervisor. If the punishment given by the line-level supervisor doesn’t
create corrective action, then the next level of punishment will be administered by the next
highest-ranking supervisor. The authors argue that progressive discipline is the most systematic
and procedural method of discipline that an organization can use.
Discipline that is handled poorly will cost an organization in the long run. This is due to
administrative hearings, attorney fees, loss of production from other employees, and replacement
of lost staff. Mukhalipi (2018) also writes that discipline holds the relationship tension of respect
between the employee and the employer. If not done correctly, respect will be lost and will have
a detrimental impact on the agency. Agencies should care for their lowest employee as much as
they do any customer. If that reverence is held, then respect will be maintained. Mukhalipi
recommends that a corrective model of discipline be used and not a punitive one. Punitive
discipline begins with severe sanctions such as unpaid suspensions. Corrective action would start
with unrecorded warnings and move to written warnings before moving to dismissal. Corrective
8
PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE AND THE POLICE FORCE
Discipline is about re-engaging an employee. Punitive discipline risks alienating them ever
further (Mukhalipi, 2018).
Labor Unions and Discipline
Progressive discipline is an ideal way to go about agency discipline (Xin et al, 2022;
Agbeyinka, 2024). Collective bargaining from police unions in some instances has harmed and
prevented an effective progressive discipline policy. Unions negotiate rigid outcomes for
disciplinary outcomes that can prevent progressive measures from occurring. Rad et al. (2023)
believe that this facilitates an environment where officers are more likely to perpetrate
misconduct without fear of discipline. Due to rules that were collectively bargained for, there
have been instances where an officer’s misconduct was not contested, but due to the agency
making an error in the process, the officer gets to keep their job (Rad et al., 2023).
Leadership and Discipline
The feelings of the employee base toward a leader will affect how employees feel about
the discipline that is administered within the organization. An Indonesian study conducted by
Puspitasari and Wulandari (2022) aimed to determine which leadership style was most effective
in disciplining staff. Of the leadership styles considered it was determined that directive leaders
are most effective. These leaders do delegate, but they are actively involved in aspects of the
organization. Authoritarian leaders are perceived as overly critical, which can negatively impact
the perception of discipline within an organization (Puspitassari & Wulandari, 2022).
One action that leaders often take when it comes to disciplining employees is they choose
no action at all. Leonard (2019) spells out that if an organization allows the rules to be
obfuscated by any one employee, resentment can build. Resentment builds especially in those
employees who believe that they are not privy to the preferential treatment that they believe is
9
PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE AND THE POLICE FORCE
being shown to the offending employee. These employees will often leave in search of a more
fair work environment that they perceive will not have the issues of favoritism. Leonard
advocates for a stepped process reminiscent of progressive discipline. Managers should intervene
at the first instance of policy violations. They then should follow up on continued violations with
verbal or written reprimands. If nothing corrects the behavior, then termination is the final step.
The most important step is equipping managers with the tools to combat early signs of policy
issues (Leonard, 2019).
Discipline does not exist in a vacuum. At smaller agencies, leaders who make discipline
decisions work closely with those they are disciplining. Communication between ranks develops
honesty and closeness. Effective communication reduces discipline, making agencies more
efficient (Fikri Sama et al., 2024). To make an agency more efficient, effective policy and
implementation procedures should be implemented. These policies would include effective
discipline procedures so that employees know how the process is supposed to go. Agencies with
leadership that have established perceived justice within the agency, through proper discipline
policy and procedure, have higher rates of employee morale and well-being (Makatita et al.,
2024).
Public Perception and Oversight of Police Discipline
Police accountability is never far from being front-page talking points in the media.
Internal discipline procedure can bring credibility to an agency or leave it lacking in the eyes of
the public. If not done correctly, the public will feel as though the police are looking out for
themselves and sweeping problems under the rug. If a heavy hand is used to administer police
discipline, the officers themselves may look elsewhere (Walsh & Conway, 2011). Oversight
committees have become an ever-increasing call. These committees create a public-private
10
PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE AND THE POLICE FORCE
partnership when dealing with police discipline. A call for them began after the Rodney King
beating. They were implemented to a varying degree. An increased call came about after George
Floyd was killed while birthing a new wave of police distrust (Keyes & Keyes, 2023).
Keyes & Keyes (2023) conclude in their review of the last two decades of police
oversight data that oversight needs to go beyond the municipal level. The authors blame the
police culture of being resistant and intolerant of citizen opinion when it comes to oversight
committees. Due to pushback from police, oversight committees have typically only had a
limited scope to investigate police misconduct. Many boards are only authorized a peek behind
the veil when a civilian has alleged an excessive use of force. In other instances, they are given
only a summary of findings of police misconduct from already completed internal affairs
investigations. Rarely are they given the ability to instigate their investigations into misconduct.
If these partnerships are to be as transparent as they aspire to be, more authority should be given
to civilian bodies when it comes to investigating misconduct among the police force (Keyes &
Keyes, 2023).
Gaps in Literature
Some literature exists that discusses progressive discipline explicitly (Agbeyinka, 2024;
Leonard, 2019). Much more literature can be found that discusses the process of progressive
discipline without naming the process (Fikri Sama et al., 2024; Makatita et al., 2024; Mukhalipi,
2018; Puspitasari & Ratn, 2022; Xin et al., 2022). A plurality of sources reference discipline in
organizations that are not specifically public safety organizations. With agencies across the world
embracing progressive discipline policies, more research should be done to understand how
police agencies benefit from progressive discipline policies.
11
PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE AND THE POLICE FORCE
Specific to the problem at hand, more research needs to be done to understand how the
lack of following progressive discipline policies affects an agency. Front-line supervisors hold a
lot of influence and power in a police agency as they manage the rank-and-file officers.
Understanding the impact of an agency that ignores the policy violations of such supervisors
should be evaluated to fully understand the power of progressive discipline on an agency. If
possible, agencies that can be found that utilize police oversight committees more progressively
should be studied to understand the impact such committees have on the disciplinary process.
Conclusion
Local, state, and federal agencies across the United States have all implemented
progressive disciplinary policies. Some of these policies, such as New York PD’s “matrix”, are
thorough and give officers an idea of where punishment might land. Other policies only speak of
mitigating and aggravating circumstances that factor into their policies. Either way, the idea is
clear that agencies understand that allowing consistent policy violations, even if for the same
minor incident, is not a tolerable way to run an agency. Police agencies have also begun allowing
citizen oversight committees to be in the fold when it comes to discipline. Oftentimes, these
committees feel like they are tacked on as they do not have the authority to do much.
Research in the private sector indicates that organizations that have effective policies and
leadership that enacts them function well. Such agencies are efficient and show high rates of
employee satisfaction and low rates of turnover. An effective discipline policy is part of the
process that allows an agency to run at its peak. Progressive discipline in these organizations is
used as a corrective measure to get wayward employees to come back into the fold. Studies show
that if punishment is too harsh, the employee is at risk of re-offending and not becoming a
12
PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE AND THE POLICE FORCE
positive team member. The research plays out just as Cesare Beccaria’s ideals of celerity,
severity, and certainty indicated they would when it comes to discipline.
Biblical Perspective
The Bible gives the readers a few ways that they can glean what it takes to be a good
leader and the ways an organization, in this case the church, should be led. First, Christians
should look to be Christ-like when taking charge as the leader of a department. Jesus is described
as having an unworldly love for his fellow man as seen through his many miracles. Jesus also
should be understood as someone not afraid to push people in a different direction. In Matthew
16, the disciple Peter and Jesus have a confrontation of sorts. In this confrontation, Peter, whom
Jesus calls the rock of the Church, was confronted as being a hindrance to him. Jesus was not
afraid to put Peter aside when he was a detriment to the mission (Christian Standard Bible, 2017)
Christs’ mission on earth is vastly different than that of an agency CEO heading an agency, yet a
parallel can be drawn here that even those closer to the top need to be disciplined accordingly.
Further in Matthew, progressive discipline is detailed in regards to how it should be
handled in the Church. The first step is the confrontation of the sinner. Next, you shall bring the
sinner in front of more believers if the first confrontation doesn’t turn them away from the sin. If
that does not work, then you are to bring them before the congregation. If these progressive steps
fail at turning them around, then you must remove them from the church (Christian Standard
Bible, Matthew 18:15-17, 2017). This method can be directly associated with progressive
discipline in a modern setting. The goal for the sinner and the policy offender is to bring them in
line with the group. If proper repentance cannot be had, then they need to be removed from the
church or the agency, so as not to soil the rest.
13
PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE AND THE POLICE FORCE
References
Agbeyinka, Y. (2024). The impact of employee discipline on organization performance the
impact of employee discipline on organization performance. Journal of Social and
Educational Innovation, 11(22).
Bessler, J. (2019). The Marquis Beccaria: An Italian penal reformer’s meteoric rise in the British
Isles in the transatlantic republic of letters. Diciottesimo Secolo,
https://doi.org/10.13128/ds-25443
Christian Standard Bible. (2017) Holman Bible Publishers. Nashville, Tennessee
Commerce Police Department. (2018). Commerce Police Department Standard Operating
Procedure: Supervisory Responsibilities.
Culhane, S. & Schweitzer, K. (2017). Police shootings and body cameras one year post-ferguson.
Policing and Society, 28(9), 1038 – 1049.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2016.1275624
Douthit, N. (1975). August Vollmer, Berkley’s First Chief of Police, and the Emergence of Police
Professionalism. California Historical Quarterly, (54)2, 101-124.
https://doi.org/10.2307/25157560
Fikri Sama, F., Susila, I., Setyawan, A., & Sholahudin, M. (2024). The Impact of Work
Motivation and Work Discipline on Employee Performance Moderated by
Transformational Leadership. Asian Journal of Research in Business and Management,
6(1), 104-113.
Ferguson Police Department. (n.d.). Professional Standards and Internal Investigations
Disciplinary Guidelines. http://www.fergusoncity.com/DocumentCenter/View/3314/FPD-
Professional-Standards-and-Discipline-2192019-draft
14
PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE AND THE POLICE FORCE
Georgia Department of Public Safety (2022). Discipline. https://www.google.com/url?
sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://dps.georgia.gov/document/
document/801-discipline-revision-october-21-2022pdf/
download&ved=2ahUKEwi5zdC7jN6NAxU3kIQIHeJ7OwMQFnoECBsQAQ&usg=AO
vVaw26JWSXOE2MsNYRauk32R93
Keyes, V. & Keyes, L. (2023). A scoping review of police civilian oversight literature 1992-
2022. Policing: An International Journal, 46(4), 601-622
Leonard, E. (2019). Progressive discipline is the right way. Reference & User Services
Quarterly, 59(2), 92-95.
Makatita, M., Hendry, Y., Soselisa, C., Amin, M., Wattheluw, S., & Amin, M. (2024). The
Influence of Leadership Style, Organizational Culture, Policy Implementation, and
Community Participation on Public Service Efficeiency and Employee Satisfaction in
Indonesian Local Government. West Science Social and Humanities Studies, 7(2), 1221-
1236.
Mukhalipi, A. (2018). Employee Discipline Enhances Employee Engagement: An Affective Shift
Model Perspective – A Literature Review. Texila International Journal of Management,
4(1), 59-69.
New York Police Department. (2024). New York City Police Department Disciplinary System
Penalty Guidelines. https://doi.org/10.13128/ds-25443
Puspitasari, P. & Ratn, D. (2022). The Influence of Leadership Style on Employee Discipline in
Wiyung Sejahtera Hospital. The Indonesian Journal of Public Health, 17(2), 273-284.
https://doi.org/10.20473/ijph.v17i2.2022.273-284
15
PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE AND THE POLICE FORCE
Rad, A., Kirk, D., & Jones, W. (2023). Police unionism, accountability, and misconduct. Annual
Review of Criminology, 6(1), 181-203.
Transportation Security Administration. (2014). TSA Management Directive No. 1100/75-3
Addressing unacceptable performance and conduct.
https://www.tsa.gov/sites/default/files/foia-readingroom/1100.75-
3_addressing_unacceptable_performance_and_conduct.pdf
United States Department of Justice. (1998) HR Order DOJ1200.1: Part 3. Labor/Employee
Relations: Chapter 3-1, Discipline and Adverse Actions. https://www.justice.gov/jmd/hr-
order-doj12001-part-3-laboremployee-relations-chapter-3-1-discipline-and-adverse-
actions-aug
United States Marshall Service. (n.d.). USMS Guidance Table of Disciplinary Offenses and
Penalties. https://www.usmarshals.gov/sites/default/files/media/document/united-states-
marshals-guidance-table-of-disciplinary-offenses-and-penalties.pdf
Walsh, D. & Conway. V. (2011). Police governance and accountability: Overview of current
issues. Crime law and social change, 55, 61-68.
Xin, C. J., Ismail, F., & Khan, M. A. (2022). Employee Discipline Management: How to Pursue
Disciplinary Actions Effectively and Legally in The Workplaces.OJournal of Techno-
Social,O14(1). https://doi.org/10.30880/jts.2022.14.01.001
16
