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SUPERVISOR AND HIS SQUAD - A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING AND MOTIVATING POLICEMEN

NCJ Number
7833
Author(s)
ANON
Date Published
1972
Length
8 pages
Annotation
SUPERVISORY SKILLS INHERENT IN EFFECTIVE COUNSELING AND MOTIVATION OF POLICE.
Abstract
LEADERSHIP IN POLICE WORK REQUIRES MORE THAN OUTSTANDING PERSONAL QUALITIES. THE LEADER MUST BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND HIS SUBORDINATES AS INDIVIDUALS AND BE GUIDED BY THIS KNOWLEDGE IN SUPERVISING THEIR WORK EFFORTS. NEEDS WHICH INFLUENCE HUMAN BEHAVIOR, SUCH AS SURVIVAL, SECURITY, AND RESPECT, ARE RELATED TO PROBLEMS WHICH ARISE IN POLICE WORK. BEHAVIOR PATTERNS WHICH ARE SYMPTOMS OF INDIVIDUAL FRUSTRATION ARE IDENTIFIED. GUIDELINES ARE OFFERED FOR MOTIVATING POLICE THROUGH CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, DEVELOPMENT OF SUBORDINATES, AND RECOGNITION OF INITIATIVE. DANGER SIGNALS THAT OFTEN PRECEDE THE EXPRESSION OF A REAL COMPLAINT, SUCH AS A MARKED DEVIATION FROM A NORMAL PERFORMANCE OF DUTIES, LOW MORALE AND EXCESSIVE ABSENTEEISM, ARE ENUMERATED. THE AUTHORS THEN SUGGEST WAYS FOR DEALING WITH THESE PROBLEMS AND IDENTIFYING THE SOURCES OF THE COMPLAINT. A STEP-BY-STEP PLAN IS OUTLINED FOR HANDLING INTERVIEWS WITH SUBORDINATES WHO HAVE PROBLEMS. THE DYNAMICS OF INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS WHICH ARE PRESENTED IN THIS MANUAL CAN AID THE POLICE SUPERVISOR. (SNI ABSTRACT)