Here are the textbooks you should use to prepare for your promotion to lieutenant in a police
or sheriff's department. Police promotion exams with up to 500+ questions, from
100+ great textbooks, are now available.
What are the best textbooks to study to prepare for
your police lieutenant exam?
Which book is chosen by your agency for a lieutenant promotion exam 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 also need to use your judgment and
knowledge of how the rank of lieutenant is considered and structured in
your specific agency; is it considered middle-management, top
management, or if in a very small agency, say 15 officers or less, as an executive manager, i.e. assistant or deputy
chief? The biggest difference being, of course, as an executive you
need to be able to step in to lead your agency at any moment, so the
demands in education are much higher.
Here is a list of 14
supervision, management and leadership textbooks which typically
appear on a police promotion exam for the rank of Lieutenant. After
each title is the number of questions we have available in
our testing
center.
Challenging the Law Enforcement Organization -
Proactive Leadership Strategies 130+ questions Effective Police
Leadership - Moving Beyond Management 410+ questions Effective
Police Supervision - More and Miller 550+ questions High-Risk
Patrol - 360+ questions Police Field Operations Theory Meets
Practice 500+ questions Police Patrol Operations and Management
285+ questions Leadership and Management in Police Organizations
350+ questions Managing Police Organizations 230+ questions
Organizational Behavior and Management in Law Enforcement 420+
questions Police Administration - Cordner 430+ questions
Police Administration: Structures Processes and Behaviors 540+
questions Proactive Police Management 310+ questions Reducing
Crime - a Companion for Police Leaders 220+ questions The Police
Manager 330+ questions
In my own career I rose
to the rank of lieutenant in a medium size agency with just under
100 officers. While lieutenant is normally not considered upper management
or executive rank, lieutenant in our agency became the third in
command because of a flattened organizational structure. We had eliminated the ranks of captain
and major 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. A
second deputy chief, technically a major's rank and position, was
also eliminated. So, I was in a special spot - as the senior lieutenant - I 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 for
use in a police lieutenant promotional exam, all
of which I have written numerous exams from for the lieutenant rank.
Any of them can be used in a small, medium or large agency, since
they each contain a comprehensive summary of supervisory,
management, administration and leadership principles.
My BEST piece of
advice on this page? If you believe you are heading to a
police lieutenant promotional exam any time in the future, you need to own and
constantly read the material in the below 11 textbooks. They are
listed below not in any particular order.
Police
Supervision and Management In An Era of Community Policing -
Peak - Gaines and Glensor. From me; Excellent book to study for
career enhancement, and for a police lieutenant promotional exam. Excellent coverage of
community and problem-oriented policing management and leadership
topics. From the publisher; Taking a
problem-solving approach, this book provides readers with an
insider’s view of the challenging and demanding world of the police
supervisor or manager. Aimed at first-line supervisors and mid-level
managers, it covers basic human resource responsibilities (training
and evaluating officers, officer rights, etc.) and day-to-day tasks
(deploying and scheduling, responses to crime problems, etc.). This
edition includes new chapters on union and labor relations, police
operations and homeland security. Throughout, case studies get
readers thinking about the issues and exhibits show what some
jurisdictions are doing to address problems of crime and disorder.
Visit us for the
Police Supervision and Management In An Era of Community Policing
exam, test questions, study guide and flashcards.
Management
and Supervision of Law Enforcement Personnel - Lombardo and
Schroeder. From me; Not to be confused with a similar title
described below. People are always getting the two mixed up. This is
a very nuts-and-bolts direct and to the point book that is easy to
read and study, and the presentation is in the format where you can
take this supervisory and management knowledge and run with it
without hesitation. This great textbook makes for a very difficult
police
lieutenant exam.
From the publisher; This title is a must read not
only for anyone studying for a sheriff, law enforcement or police
lieutenant promotional exam, but also
for current managers/supervisors who would like to improve their
on-the-job performance. Topics include principles associated with a
police supervisor's or manager's role as a leader, planner,
communicator, performance evaluator, trainer, disciplinarian, and
human relations specialist. Visit us for the
Management and Supervision of Law Enforcement Personnel exam, test
questions, study guide and flashcards.
Stratified
Policing: An Organizational Model for Proactive Crime Reduction and
Accountability From the
Publisher: Implementing effective crime reduction
requires deliberate thought and effort to integrate processes into
the police organization, its culture, and the day-to-day work.
Provides police leaders a clear path for institutionalization of
crime reduction modeled after current police processes. It sets up
an organization to more easily incorporate evidence-based strategies
into everyday operations with the goal of changing a police
organization from reactive to proactive. From me:
Groundbreaking - EXCELLENT work. Very focused, well researched, and
clearly presented roadmap for agencies of all sizes to achieve crime
reduction WITHOUT changing their agency size or rank structure. This
textbook is a great choice for
Sergeant
- Lieutenant and Captain promotions. Our exam has 200+ questions.
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.
Effective
Police Leadership - Moving Beyond Management, by Thomas E.
Baker. From me; A very important leadership book I
have used often to write a
police
lieutenant exam. From the publisher; In this much-anticipated
5th Edition, Tom Baker
expands on the revolutionary leadership insights that made his first
two editions so popular. This enhanced and expanded version explores
even more strategies that help agencies, administrators and officers
leverage crime data more efficiently and effectively. From
explaining what a leader must be, do & know, to plans for putting
expert-level leadership skills to work immediately, Effective Police
Leadership is gold for law enforcement leaders. Great leaders aren't
born, they're made...and this book makes them! Visit us for the
Effective Police Leadership 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.
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.
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.
Effective
Police Supervision - More and Miller - now in its 9th edition.
From me; Excellent, comprehensive textbook. I
know it doesn't say management or leadership in the title, but
believe me this exhaustive 500+ page work covers it all. I know many
agencies (especially medium to large agencies) that choose it for Lt as well as Sgt
promotion examinations. From the
publisher; Outstanding first-line supervisors are essential to the
success of any law enforcement agency, yet many officers lack the
supervision training necessary to excel. Effective Police
Supervision immerses readers in the group behaviors and
organizational dynamics supervisors must master in order to lead
their teams and to help create an effective police department.
Combining behavioral theory and updated case studies, this core
text, now in its eighth edition, is a vital tool for all police
officers preparing for promotional exams. Visit us for the
Effective Police Supervision exam, test questions, study guide and
flashcards.
Management
and Supervision in Law Enforcement - Hess and Orthmann - From
me; The Management and Supervision In Law Enforcement Study
Guide and the accompanying
police
promotion exam for this title is one of our most often requested
study items. I like this book for writing promotion exams and do it all the
time, and have written difficult and challenging exams way back to
the third edition. Now in it's 7th edition, this textbook has
been used in the statewide, civil service police lieutenant
promotional exam in New Jersey and other states for quite awhile.
From the publisher; a practical and straightforward book,
Management and Supervision In Law Enforcement focuses on law enforcement managers and supervisors, their
jobs, and the complicated interrelationships between members of the
law enforcement team and the communities they serve. The seventh
edition begins with a general overview of the policing profession to
provide context for later discussions of the role of managers within
the field. Readers will learn about post-9/11 policing, research on
the effects of 9/11, and the latest on data-driven policing,
intelligence-led policing, evidence-based policing, and predictive
policing. A new "Ethical Dilemma" boxed feature challenges readers
to think critically about the moral issues faced by supervisors
every day. This comprehensive overview of the responsibilities of
law enforcement leaders, covering relevant topics ranging from the
newest principles in policing to the exciting technological aids
changing the face of law enforcement today, prepares readers to
become tomorrow's leaders. Visit us for the
Management and Supervision in Law Enforcement study guide and
the promotional exam.
Managing
and Leading Today's Police: Challenges, Best Practices, and Case
Studiesprovides a comprehensive insider’s view
into the challenging work of police leaders at all levels of
management. Using a problem-based learning approach, the authors
draw on their extensive practical experience to critique the
organizational, personnel, and operational issues facing police
agencies and to assert “what works” in contemporary police
management. The 4th edition is a major revision, moving from a
supervision to a management perspective, perfect for use in police
lieutenant promotional exams. It covers new policing
strategies, methods, and technologies transforming the field and
demanding new knowledge of police supervisors, managers, and
leaders.
Managing and Leading Today's Police: Challenges, Best Practices,
Case Studies - Peak 4E exam, test questions, study guide and
flashcards..
Police
Patrol Operations and Management - Hale - From me;
Since most new police promotions to sergeant and also lieutenant
first wind up in patrol, I see this book a lot for promotional
exams. It is a good, solid choice that is an excellent foundation
for patrol knowledge. From the
publisher; Based upon a practical application of theory with the
“how-to” of “real world” policing, this book details the core
functions of a police agency—covering patrol operations, goals, and
strategies. It combines management theory with case study examples
taken from small police departments. KEY TOPICS Specific chapter
topics discuss police patrol hazards, community-oriented policing,
patrol force staffing and deployment, special issues in patrol
operations, and upgrading patrol effectiveness. For police
practitioners, field supervisors, and middle managers. Visit us for
the
Police Patrol Operations and Management exam, test questions, study
guide and flashcards.
Rising
Through The Ranks - Leadership Tools and Techniques for Law
Enforcement. From
the Author and Publisher: Effective leadership is a journey, not a
destination. Rising through the Ranks will be the starting point in
that journey for thousands of men and women in law enforcement.
Telling real stories of leadership and courage from police
departments and investigative agencies, former DEA Leadership Fellow
and Pittsfield, Massachusetts Police Chief Mike Wynn is the perfect
author. As the only book of its kind, Rising through the Ranks will
prepare effective leaders from local police officers to federal
agents. From me: This is a short but very descriptive and
hard-hitting book on leadership and courage in the face of
adversity. Very good choice for promotion "through the ranks" from
corporal through captain.
Rising
Through the Ranks promotion exam, test questions, study guide and
flashcards.
Emotional
Survival for Law Enforcement - A Guide for Officers and Their
Families - 1st Edition and 2021 Update - From me: This excellent textbook is often used
in police corporal, sergeant and lieutenant exams. This
title should be required reading in all law enforcement agencies and
in all police academies, with copies for each police family member.
From the publisher; Dr. Gilmartin is a behavioral scientist who
specializes in issues related to law enforcement. With twenty years
of police experience under his belt, he currently provides service
to the law enforcement community as a consultant. In writing this
book, it was his goal to aid officers and their families in
maintaining and/or improving their quality of life both personally
and professionally.
Emotional
Survival for Law Enforcement 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. A classic
for use in police lieutenant promotional exams, but it is still in
widespread use, 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 many sergeant, lieutenant and captain promotions up to 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.
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 also 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. Now in its 8th edition, it is a
classic for use in a police lieutenant promotional exam,
and has been going back to its 1st edition. 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.
Local
Government Police Management - 4th Edition by ICMA Press. - From
me; YES
- this is another old textbook (2003). But it also is still widely
used in lieutenant and captain 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.
Challenging
the Law Enforcement Organization - Proactive Leadership Strategies by
Jack Enter, Ph.D.
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.
Proactive
Police Management - Thibault, Lynch and McBride - From me; This is widely
used text for police Lt. exams, and 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
police lieutenant promotional exam. 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.
Are YOU prepared to respond to these police
lieutenant oral board questions?
"How would YOU describe your knowledge
and of police leadership and management?"
"How have
you, or will you, apply this knowledge?"
"What do you
feel MOST qualifies you to be promoted into this important
department mid-management and leadership position?"
"This mid-management position is all
about community and leadership. You are leading a team of
department supervisors, reporting directly to upper management. 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."
Send me police lieutenant promotional exam and assessment
center 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.
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Police Lieutenant Exam Test Questions
Police Lieutenant Exam Question 1 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
Police Lieutenant Exam Question 2 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
Police Lieutenant Exam Question 3 More than any other feature, it is the emphasis on __________
that differentiates the modern patrol operation from earlier
forms of policing. A community input B alternate police
responses C systematic problem solving D crime analysis
Police Lieutenant Exam Question 4 The "Attributes of a Viable and Dynamic Organization" includes
which of the following? Check all that apply. (A) Effective
officers will typically make many decisions outside the purview
of supervisors (B) Crime fighting is viewed as the most
important part of the police mission (C) Supervisors assume a
subordinate role to the management team in making important
decisions (D) The development of guidelines and their
evaluation must occur continually (E) Accountability applies
to every level of the organization (F) Problem oriented and
community based policing is the main focus of the organization
(G) A close working relationship with the police union is
mandated and fostered (H) Effective officers will typically
make many decisions outside the purview of supervisors