Here are the textbooks and exams
you should use to prepare for your upper-management promotion in a police
or sheriff's department. Exams with over 500 questions, from over
100 great textbooks, are now available.
What are the best textbooks to study TODAY to prepare for
your police administration exam?
Which books you need to study for a police upper management
exam (Captain, Commander, Inspector, Deputy Chief, Assistant Chief,
Undersheriff or Chief of Police) depends on whether you are working for a large agency
(150+ sworn) or a medium agency (50 - 150 sworn) or a small agency
(under 50 sworn). You will need to use your judgment and
knowledge of how the term "upper management" is defined in
your specific agency; for instance, someone holding the rank of
Sergeant or Lieutenant or Captain could be the 2nd or 3rd in command
in a small or medium size police agency. The biggest difference being, of course, as
upper management, as an executive rank holder, you
need to be able to step in to lead your agency at any moment, so the
demands in education are much higher.
Promotional Exams for
Police Administration and other police promotion textbooks can be
taken by you to use as study material within the Advanced Police
Promotional Testing Course at
PoliceCareer.com. There is also a practice police promotion
in-basket for you to try out!
In my own career I rose
to the rank of lieutenant, normally not considered upper management
or executive rank. But we had eliminated the rank of captain and
expanded the pay and duties of lieutenants, and cut the executive
rank structure to be only one deputy chief and a chief of police.
So, I was in a special spot - as the senior lieutenant - I still was
a division commander, but in the absence of the deputy chief or
chief or both, as the senior lieutenant I was expected to fill in as
acting deputy chief and even acting chief of police, which I did on
numerous occasions.
There are many textbooks that stand out, all
of which I have written numerous
police
administration exam questions for the top management
ranks.
Any of them can be used in a small, medium or large agency, since
they each contain a comprehensive summary of management, administration and leadership principles.
My BEST piece of
advice on this page? If you believe you are heading to a
promotion test for upper management rank at any time in the future, you need to own and
constantly read the material in the below 15 textbooks.
Here
is what you are thinking - "Fifteen textbooks! Oh, hell no way! Too
expensive!"
No, "too expensive" is what happens when you
don't make the top rank you are capable of, and leave $250K - $500K+
in a lifetime of pay and pension and benefits behind on the table.
That is "expensive" - NOT the thousand dollars or so for these
textbooks.
There, I finally got that off my chest. These
15 excellent textbooks are
not listed in any particular order:
Organizational
Behavior and Management in Law Enforcement - Vito, Walsh. From
the publisher; This book provides a clear, concise, realistic, and
up-to-date blueprint for successful police management. Drawing on
decades of experience as practitioners, consultants, trainers and
researchers, the authors fully reflect current theory and practice,
while accurately capturing the “feel” of real-world law enforcement
management. They focus on organizational behavior to promote a
deeper understanding of both the police organization as a whole, as
well as key interactions among officers, managers, and the
community. This edition integrates the latest research, and presents
all-new chapters on performance-based management and organizational
development. Visit us for the
Organizational Behavior and Management in Law Enforcement exam, test
questions, study guide and flashcards.
The New World of Police Accountability 3E Walker - Highly detailed, hard-hitting and thorough textbook for mid and upper management
police promotional exams covering research, background and implementation of all aspects of the new age of police accountability we are in. A detailed look at all accountability systems.
Fixing
Broken Windows - Kelling and Coles. From me; This is an in-depth
and comprehensive textbook that details the 1990s experience of
police agencies around the nation implementing "order maintenance"
as a focus in order to cut back crime. There has been a resurgence
of interest in the Order Maintenance / Broken Windos / Crime
Reduction topics and this textbook has started to be used in
promotion exams including our difficult
police
lieutenant exam.
From the publisher; Based on a
groundbreaking theory of crime prevention, this practical and
empowering book shows how citizens, business owners, and police can
work together to ensure the safety of their communities. George
Kelling, one of America’s leading criminologists, has proven the
success of his method across the country, from the New York City
subways to the public parks of Seattle. Here, Kelling and urban
anthropologist and lawyer Catherine Coles demonstrate that by
controlling disorderly behavior in public spaces, we can create an
environment where serious crime cannot flourish, and they explain
how to adapt these effective methods for use in our own homes and
communities.
Performance-Based
Management for Police Organizations - O'Connell and Straub. From
the publisher; Managing a law enforcement organization is a complex,
evolving process. Paul O'Connell and Frank Straub outline essential
components of performance-based management that help organizations
change from monolithic bureaucracies to innovative institutions.
Their book traces a dramatic shift in the thinking of what
constitutes policing and the refinement of organizations dedicated
to community service, public safety, crime prevention, and law
enforcement. Progressive, entrepreneurial police leaders employ
technology and sophisticated strategies to build agile organizations
that anticipate challenges and generate value for their communities.
Visit us for the
Performance-Based Management for Police Organizations exam, test
questions, study guide and flashcards.
Police
Leadership and Administration: A 21st-Century Strategic Approach
- Walsh and Vito First Edition 2018 - Police Leadership and
Administration trains police leaders and managers to search for
strategic solutions, rather than relying on old formulas and
scientific management principles. It shows how to tailor responses
to the unique problems and issues that law enforcement professionals
are likely to face in the complex field of police leadership,
providing a foundation with which to adapt to an ever-changing
criminal justice climate. This book is essential for
forward-thinking police leadership courses in colleges and
professional training programs. This textbook is an excellent
candidate for police promotion exams for the rank of lieutenant,
captain and higher management and executive posiitons. Visit us for the
posted 380+ question exam for
Police
Leadership and Administration: A 21st-Century Strategic Approach.
Leadership
and Management in Police Organizations - Giblin 1E From Me:
Excellent new title with an emphasis on applying classic studies of
leadership and police management to the new organizational problems
law enforcement faces today. From the publisher; Built on a
foundation of nearly 1,200 references, Leadership and Management in
Police Organizations is a highly readable text that shows how
organizational theory and behavior can be applied to improve the
operations, leadership, and management of law enforcement. Author
Matthew J. Giblin emphasizes leadership and management as separate
skills in successful police supervisors and executives, illustrating
to students how the two skills combine to improve individual and
organizational efficacy in policing. Readers will come away with a
stronger understanding of why organizational decisions matter and
the impact research can have on police departments. Visit us for the
Leadership and Management in Police Organizations - Giblin 1E exam,
test questions, study guide and flashcards.
Managing
Police Operations: Implementing the NYPD Crime Control Model Using
COMPSTAT - McDonald. From me; While not a management book in the
strictest sense, it does the best job in the fewest pages to fully
explore and ingrain the CompStat method into the police management
psyche. If you are going to read just one book all about CompStat,
this is the one. From the publisher; This text is a descriptive
presentation of how the largest and most influential police
department in the nation, the NYPD, has significantly reduced crime
over the last 10 years. As COMPSTAT is a critical tool in
implementing the community policing model, this case study and
methodology is of supreme importance to anyone interested in
community policing and studying crime reduction. Visit us for the
Managing Police Operations exam, test questions, study guide and
flashcards.
Leading
Cops in Turbulent Times by
Capt (ret) George Saadeh.
From me; Excellent new leadership and management title.
Well-researched timely perspective on police leadership. Now being
used in police sergeant, lieutenant, captain and upper management
exams. From the publisher; Leading Cops in Turbulent Times is a
clear roadmap to building high-performing organizations and teams
for current or aspiring public safety leaders. Whether you're a
police sergeant, lieutenant, captain or even Chief or Sheriff, this
book will help you build or improve the hard and soft skills that
are essential to great leadership. It is replete with practical,
common-sense advice and examples from historical figures and
contemporary leaders that will crystalize in your mind how to build
or improve your leadership skills.
Visit us for the
Leading Cops
in Turbulent Times exam, test questions, study guide and flashcards.
Challenging
the Law Enforcement Organization - Proactive Leadership Strategies by
Jack Enter, Ph.D.
From me; Great book. Well written, no jargon. Short enough but not too short.
You should read it, then put it down for a month or two, then read
it again. From the publisher; Among the topics discussed are
chapters on the impact of living and policing an unskilled and
violent society, why law enforcement managers fail to successfully
impact their agencies, and chapters on self-management,
communication, motivation, and being more effective in our personal
lives. Many of these latter “strategy” chapters have examples of
proactive techniques used by law enforcement managers as well as
“action items” to apply the principles examined in each chapter.
Visit us for the
Challenging the Law Enforcement Organization exam, test questions,
study guide and flashcards.
Managing
Police Organizations - Paul M. Whisenand. From the publisher;
Now in its eighth edition, Managing Police Organizations sets the
standard for police leadership and management by exploring the
relationship between leadership, management, and results. Written
for a broad audience, the book focuses on developing character and
leadership competencies. Using case studies and structured learning
exercises, it seeks to break down constricting operational levels
and barriers within police organizations and the communities they
serve. The text follows a logical three-part organization and each
chapter examines a key challenge for police managers and presents
practical ideas and methods police managers can use to successfully
lead their agencies toward quality and excellence of service. Visit
us for the
Managing Police Organizations exam, test questions, study guide and
flashcards.
Police
Administration - A Leadership Approach - Ortmeier, Davis. From
the publisher; Police Administration: A Leadership Approach was
written to support the need for a text that addresses supervision
and management as well as ethics, leadership, and the principles of
policing that form the foundation for efficient, effective, and
lawful administration of the modern police service. Unlike other
texts, this book blends theory with practice. It presents a
foundation for the administration and management of a police agency
in a logical, flexible, and understandable step-by step process.
Visit us for the
Police Administration - A Leadership Approach exam, test questions,
study guide and flashcards.
Police
Administration - by Gary W. Cordner - Now in its 11th Edition,
2023. From the publisher; This
national best-selling text examines police administration from
multiple perspectives: a systems perspective (emphasizing the
interrelatedness among units and organizations); a traditional,
structural perspective (administrative principles, management
functions, and the importance of written guidelines); a human
behavioral perspective (the human element in organizations); and a
strategic management perspective (communications and information
systems, performance evaluation, strategies and tactics, and
prevailing and promising approaches to increasing effectiveness of
police agencies). Visit us for the
Police Administration - Cordner exam, test questions, study guide
and flashcards.
Police
Administration: Structures, Processes, and Behaviors - Swanson,
Territo and Taylor 10th Edition. From me; One of my all-time favorite Police
Administration textbooks. From the publisher; Built on the foundation of its
authors’ decades of experience in law enforcement, training, and
teaching, and updated to reflect recent subjects and concerns in the
field of police work, this 10th Edition of Police Administration:
Structures, Processes, and Behaviors blends a comprehensive
introduction to police administration with key supporting details.
Content is comprehensively illustrated with relevant,
never-before-seen photographs, original tables and diagrams, cases
studies, and “Current Event” boxes that provide thorough
explanations of recent events. In this updated edition, the authors
explore the evolution of American policing and modern organizational
issues. This best-selling text vividly and effectively introduces
students to the procedures, politics, and human relations issues
that police supervisors and administrators must understand in order
to succeed. Visit us for the
Police Administration: Structures, Processes, and Behaviors exam,
test questions, study guide and flashcards.
Proactive
Police Management - Thibault, Lynch and McBride - From me; This is
a widely
used textbook for police exams for Lt. and above, and it is one of my favorites. Material
is very cutting-edge and challenges many conventions and norms in
the field. Well documented and cited. I can honestly say I know many
candidates that very much enjoyed reading this textbook for their
promotion exams. From the
publisher; It emphasizes a contemporary and proactive approach to
police management. Various police management styles are addressed
throughout, from traditional scientific management to the
behavioral/systems approach to the human relations approach. Its
chapters take a realistic look at operational problems that can
occur within a police department and how a consultative, proactive
management style can help solve and resolve them. Fully updated in
this edition, its goal is to reveal how proactive management
techniques and new technology are revolutionizing police management
today. Visit us for the
Proactive Police Management exam, test questions, study guide and
flashcards.
The
Police Manager - Green, Lynch and Lynch - From me; This is a widely
used textbook for police exams for Lt. and above, and it is one of my
two or three favorites. It would be suitable for an upper-management exam for a
small or medium agency. From the publisher; The Police
Manager gives practical, field-tested guidance to students and
professionals who aspire to leadership roles in law enforcement,
providing a comprehensive explanation of issues and challenges that
they will face as police managers. The book is divided into four
parts, covering historical and philosophical underpinnings,
behavioral aspects of police management, functional aspects of
police management, and major issues in modern police work. Visit us
for
The Police Manager exam, test questions, study guide and flashcards.
Why
Law Enforcement Organizations Fail: Mapping the Organizational Fault
Lines in Policing - by Patrick O'Hara. Now in its 3rd Edition. From me; This book needs
to be read by every police manager. From the publisher; Why Law
Enforcement Organizations Fail dissects headline cases to examine
how things go wrong in criminal justice agencies. New third edition
cases include the deadly police assault on New Orleans' Danziger
Bridge after Hurricane Katrina; the deaths of Amadou Diallo and
Trayvon Martin; and Bernard Kerik's fall from 9/11 hero to federal
prisoner. Highlight cases that remain from the first edition include
the Jon Benet Ramsey murder investigation and the conflagrations
that ended the sieges in Waco and at the MOVE house in Philadelphia.
These human tragedies and organizational debacles serve as starting
points for exploring how common structural and cultural fault lines
in police organizations set the stage for major failures. The author
provides a framework for sorting through these cases to help readers
recognize the distinct roles of operational mechanics,
organizational structures, rank and file culture and executive
hubris in making criminal justice agencies vulnerable to failure.
The book examines how dysfunctions such as institutional racism,
sexual harassment, systems abuse and renegade enforcement become
established and then readily blossom into major scandals. Why Law
Enforcement Organizations Fail also shows how managers and oversight
officials can spot malignant individuals, identify perverse
incentives, neutralize deviant cultures and recognize when reigning
managerial philosophies or governing policies are producing
diminishing or negative returns. Visit us for the
Why Law Enforcement Organizations Fail exam, test questions, study
guide and flashcards.
Police
Administration - Gaines and Worrall - From the publisher;
Police Administration, Gaines and Worrall, now in its third edition,
will give criminal justice students and practitioners the concrete
knowledge to ascend through the ranks to become a chief, sheriff or
other high ranking law enforcement official. "On the Job" boxes
highlight insights by working police administration professionals.
Key issues such as conflict resolution, human resources, budgeting
and collective bargaining become clear with the use of sample forms
and documents used by police organizations from around the country.
Homeland security and terrorism, topics that have recently come to
the forefront of police administration, are also covered. Visit us
for the
Police Administration - Gaines and Worrall exam, test questions,
study guide and flashcards.
Police
Administration - Wilson, Fyfe, Greene, and Walsh 5th
Edition 1997 -
From me; YES - this is an old textbook. But it is still used in upper management
exams, for a good and valid reason. One of its authors and
contributors is O.W. Wilson, AND almost all of the material is still
pertinent to upper and executive management positions today. From
the publisher; Perhaps no other book in policing has captured more
admiration and market share than O.W. Wilson's "Police
Administration". Now Wilson's text has been revised by three top
scholars in the field. This long awaited revision combines the nuts
and bolts approach of the original with an up-to-date theoretical
and policy perspective that makes it accessible to students and
practitioners alike. Visit us for the
Police Administration - Wilson exam, test questions, study guide and
flashcards.
Police
Management - by Roberg, Kuykendall and Novak -
YES - this is another old textbook (2002). But it is still used in
upper management
exams, and deserves to be. No doubt, some items are outdated, but
this appears to be the last edition of a classic police management
text, and it still inspires and imparts wisdom, so still has value. From
the publisher; The Third Edition of Police Management, by Roy
Roberg, Jack Kuykendall, and Kenneth Novak, presents an
interdisciplinary approach to police management, achieving a balance
between theory and practice. The text offers students and those
interested in managing police organizations an analytic approach to
police managerial issues and practices. Utilizing the most
up-to-date data and research to present complex information in an
easy-to-understand format. A central theme of the text is viewing
the transition from traditional to community policing from a
managerial perspective. Visit us for the
Police Management - Roberg exam, test questions, study guide and
flashcards.
Local
Government Police Management - 4th Edition by ICMA Press. - YES
- this is yet another old textbook (2003)! But it also is still widely
used in management exams, also for a good and valid reason. It is a
compendium from a great variety of management and leadership
sources, making it unique in presenting solid, proven material from
these numerous sources, all of which are clearly cited. From the
publisher; This brand new revision of ICMA’s classic police
management reference includes new coverage of such cutting-edge
issues as terrorism and community security, leadership and managing
change, setting standards and measuring performance, information
management and technological innovations, and strengthening
police-community partnerships. It provides information for local
government administrators and police executives on managing patrol,
prevention, investigations, and transportation services; the special
challenges of local drug control and criminal organizations;
internal functions such as human resources, planning, and facilities
design; and linkages with other governmental and nongovernmental
agencies and service providers, including crime laboratories. The
volume emphasizes the importance of personal leadership by the chief
in facilitating change, setting standards, and fostering integrity.
Visit us for the
Local Government Police Management exam, test questions, study guide
and flashcards.
Are YOU prepared to respond to these oral board questions?
"How would YOU describe your knowledge
and of police management and administration?"
"How have
you, or will you, apply this knowledge?"
"What do you
feel MOST qualifies you to be promoted into this very important
department position?"
"This management position is all
about community and leadership. Describe in detail your own
philosophy of community and problem oriented policing, and how
you are prepared to provide leadership in these areas on day one
in your new rank."
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up for our police promotion newsletters. You will be able to
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topics.
Send me Exam and Assessment questions you have faced
- one of the column features is that I will research and comment
on written exam or assessment center questions you have heard,
answered or encountered and that you are unsure or curious
about, including any unusual in-basket items. We will be glad to give you our expert opinion on
questions you have seen asked on exams and exercises. Send your
questions to me directly -
Paul@PoliceCareer.com.
Sign
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Police Management and Administration Promotion Test Questions
A central unresolved tension at the core of police relations
with society is the tension between crime fighting and
______________. A problem solving B professional crime
fighting C community policing D non-crime service
functions
Successfully leading change at any level of the organization is
the result of ___________. A innate behavior B learned
behavior C organizational motivators D political mandates
Which of the organizational and governmental budget types is a
planning tool that links the expenditures for each program to
the achievement of goals? A line item budget B performance
budget C planning-programming budgeting system (PPBS) D
program budget E zero-based budget
Maturity is defined in Situational Leadership as the capacity to
set A no goals at all unless the situation demands it B
high and possibly unattainable goals C high but attainable
goals and the willingness to take responsibility D low and
easily obtainable goals
The five broad categories of plans are listed below. The
category of plan which are, in effect, attempts to anticipate
where a jurisdiction will be in the future and to ensure that
official resources are marshaled accordingly, are called A
Administrative plans B Management plans C Operational
plans D Procedural plans E Tactical plans
At no point is the influence of top management more important in
shaping discipline than at the A pre-employment or hiring
phase B end of the probationary stage C very beginning of
an officer's career D point the officer wants to be promoted
E end of the police academy