U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Four R's for Police Executives

NCJ Number
163131
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 65 Issue: 7 Dated: (July 1996) Pages: 9-13
Author(s)
J D Sewell
Date Published
1996
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Instructors who teach police management and leadership need to focus on professional basics that encompass reading, writing, rhetoric, and roots.
Abstract
Reading is often the nemesis of law enforcement executives, particularly since the volume of documents crossing their desks can be overwhelming. Police executives can stay ahead of the information power curve in several ways, including trade and professional journals, journals outside traditional law enforcement literature, and daily local and national papers. In addition, books and monographs focusing on strengths and weaknesses of public and private programs can identify political and programmatic pitfalls accompanying institutional change efforts. The power of writing, especially in an age of electronic information exchange, cannot be underestimated. Effective writing requires the ability to assess the target audience and tailor the writing to the audience's needs and reading level. In the area of rhetoric, the most successful leaders in any field have the ability to express themselves effectively and persuasively and also have the capacity to listen. Finally, as law enforcement's role continues to evolve in response to communication needs and social change, it is imperative that police executives develop a sense of roots. Such roots are grounded in professional and personal philosophies, values, and experiences that form the basis for decisions. 2 endnotes