importance of such rules. Although many police administrators pursue an
academic education, most started as cops, and much of what they learn
about management is learned on the job. Police administrators must
operate in a complex environment where they deal with politicians, other
municipal departments, labor unions, the public, and the press. Like other
managers, they must follow organizational policies, and they often make
decisions under pressure. It should not be surprising that sometimes they
forget to consider their employees.

Middle level police administrators may have limited authority. They
may act in a certain way for political reasons, because they may be required
to do so by state or federal laws, or because they may have to operate on
a tight leash. Their policies may have been determined for them by the
commissioner--without their input--which means that they find them-
selves defending actions initiated higher up in their department.

Emergencies add another unpredictable element to an already difficult
relationship. Hostile publicity, unexpected emergencies, charges of cor-
ruption, and fiscal shortfalls may influence departmental actions. The
individual cop is given orders and must comply.

Police officers often work under stress, particularly in communities that
are trying to stamp out the distribution of illegal drugs. In some neighbor-
hoods, the police are literally at war, and violence and the threat of injury
are part of their daily work. While reading the cases that follow, think about
those aspects of police work in the particular community where the
incident arose: the discipline, the danger, and the quality of the employ-
ment relationship.

Many private employers have concluded that it is efficient to manage
employees by giving them a sense of ownership and encouraging them to
set their own goals and to exercise initiative. Motivational techniques are
used to reinforce that approach, including objective performance reviews,
bonuses, and equity participation. Those management techniques are
seldom emphasized by police departments, which are more likely to
depend on tight supervision, work rules, and quotas. The operations of
many police departments are based on command and control--the precinct
captain gives the orders, and supervision sees that they are carried out.

Command and control management theories have been abandoned by
many employers, but seldom are they abandoned by the police. Perhaps it
is time to mix a little green in with the blue. When patrolmen are treated
like cogs, they tend to adopt a low risk, robotic approach to their job. They
follow orders and become less willing to exercise initiative or to initiate
community activity.

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