Item A - ICMA/PERF Report - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

some of the sergeants interviewed do not believe the initial forty hours of training is adequate because it does not include sufficient material for developing their leadership skills. When leadership skills are developed at the early stages of a supervisor's career, subsequent training can be far more meaningful. There is a strong desire for more leadership training. Front line leadership is critical to the success and image of the police department. Poor leadership affects morale, performance, and public perception. When supervisors suffer from poor leadership skills, they provide poor or no guidance to officers, especially those who are young, inexperienced, and may be more likely to make poor decisions that result in citizen complaints. There is no guarantee that a properly trained supervisor will be a good one, however, there is greater likelihood that an untrained one will make more mistakes. Recommendation No. 38: The department should seek leadership, management, and supervisory training opportunities to enhance and build from that training mandated by the state. Discussion: Most agencies find that the required level of training is exactly what is was intended to be, the minimum standard. Without question the training offered is valuable, however, it should be considered only a starting point. Recommendation No. 39: The department should seek the assistance of corporate, university, and professional law enforcement trainers in building their command staff and instilling leadership in their officers. Discussion: In Washington, D.C., for example, the public utilities have invited police officials from several surrounding police agencies to occupy seats in 54