Here are the textbooks you should use to prepare for your promotion to corporal in a police
or sheriff's department. Police promotion exams with up to 500+ questions from each
of
100+ great textbooks are now available.
What are the best textbooks to study to prepare for
your police corporal exam?
Which book
your agency chooses 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) or a very small agency (10 officers or fewer). You will also need to use your judgment and
knowledge of how the rank of corporal is considered and structured in
your specific agency; is it considered strictly a supervisory rank, or if in a very small agency, say 10 officers or less, as
mid-manager?
Here is a list of 3 supervision textbooks which
typically appear on a police promotion exam for the rank of
Corporal. After each title is the number of questions we have
available in
our testing center.
Basic Handbook of Police Supervision
240+ questions Common Sense Police Supervision 330+ questions
High-Risk Patrol - 360+ 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 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 5
supervision textbooks that clearly stand above the rest, all
of which I have written numerous exams from for the ranks of both
corporal and sergeant.
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 corporal
promotion exam any time in the future, you need to own and
constantly read the material in the below 7 textbooks. They are
listed below not in any particular order.
Basic
Handbook of Police Supervision: A Practical Guide for Law
Enforcement Supervisors - Gerald W. Garner. Now in its 2nd
Edition. From me; This is an
excellent textbook to use for a police corporal exam in any agency,
or police sergeant exam for small to medium agencies. It does what
its title implies- it covers all the basics. It sticks to the theme
of basic, common-sense and tried-and-true supervisory methods, not
delving too deeply into theory or covering advanced supervisory
practices. From the publisher: This handbook provides reliable
guidance on what to do next and offers practical, no-frills advice
about what to do to counter the day-to-day challenges and outright
calamities that make up the first-line leader's work life. Perhaps
even more important, it offers time-proven recommendations on how to
prevent a bothersome situation from escalating into crisis
proportions in the first place. It will prove equally useful to the
veteran, novice or future law enforcement supervisor. Its sound
advice will help him retain his emotional as well as physical and
moral health in a real-world environment that seems to become more
challenging every day. It will help him to lead and bring his people
to share his practices and beliefs in doing a very critical job the
right way.
Basic
Hanbook of Police Supervision exam, test questions, study guide and
flashcards
Common
Sense Police Supervision: Practical Tips for the First-Line Leader -
Gerald W. Garner. This is an excellent textbook to use for a
police corporal exam. From me; I like this book a lot for new
supervisors. It is very well written, and in plain language. I have
written many corporal and corporal exams using this textbook going
back to its very first edition. It covers all the material a new
supervisory needs, and gives them a good outlook on what lies ahead
- such as all their former comrades pushing their limits and
stopping conversations mid-sentence when you walk into the briefing
room. From the publisher; The purpose of this sixth edition is
to stimulate the veteran, novice, or would-be police supervisor to
utilize his or her most powerful tool, common sense, in carrying out
the duties of an effective leader. Made up of life experience, good
judgment, prudence, and a well-developed ability for solid reasoning
and logical decision making, common sense will guide the intelligent
supervisor in finding effective solutions to most of the problems he
or she will encounter while leading police personnel. Visit us for
the
Common Sense Police Supervision 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.
Effective
Supervisory Practices - Better Results Through Teamwork - 5th
Edition - ICMA Press -
From me; I like this book a lot for new supervisors, although it is
not written specifically for law enforcement or by law enforcement
professionals. Instead, it is written for government workers to
include law enforcement, fire service, and all other municipal and
county departments. It is well written, in plain language, with a
lot of illustrations. It covers all the material a new supervisory
needs, in a simple to follow and understand format. It places a
heavy emphasis on customer service and problem solving in the
workplace. From the publisher; ICMA’s newest edition of its
best-selling Effective Supervisory Practices: Better Results through
Teamwork gives today’s managers and supervisors a powerful tool for
understanding the many dimensions of the supervisory role and their
impact on helping to improve productivity, implement quality
management, and build an effective work team. Visit us for the
Effective Supervisory Practices exam, test questions, study guide
and flashcards.
Introduction
to Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice -
by Hess, Orthmann and Cho. From me; This is a 600+ page work which
covers all law enforcement topics and is a popular choice for police
corporal and corporal exams. Very thorough, very well written, and
very well organized. EVERYTHING is covered, and in good detail. It
is a lot to take in, and it may be viewed unusual to assign this
book along with others to also study for a corporal promotion.
Usually, agency clients can eliminate the chapters on courts and
corrections, bringing the study material down to "only" 500 pages.
From the publisher; Fully updated to reflect the latest changes in
the field, this new edition provides comprehensive, practical
coverage of both law enforcement and the criminal justice system as
a whole (including courts, corrections, and juvenile justice) in one
convenient volume. Acclaimed for its uniquely accessible writing
style, many real-world examples, and its realistic and relevant
"boots on the street" perspective, this new edition is packed with
up-to-date information on today's hottest topics. These include the
numerous ways technology is changing the day-to-day operations of
policing; the recommendations of the President's Task Force on 21st
Century Policing, including the need to improve trust and legitimacy
with the public and a shift to a guardian mindset; the law
enforcement response to new terrorism threats such as ISIS and
homegrown violent extremists, the consequences of Brady-Giglio
violations, and more. Visit us for the
Introduction to Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice exam, test
questions, study guide and flashcards.
Effective
Police Supervision - More and Miller - now in its 9th edition.
From me; Excellent, comprehensive textbook. 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
and Cpl 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.
Police
Field Operations Theory Meets Practice - From the publisher;
This book is a comprehensive, readable text that presents a
practical look at police field operations and is designed to be used
in one-semester courses on police operations or patrol procedures.
Chapters have been designed to be independent units that can be
taught individually, but also build upon each other to provide a
complete picture of police operations. The text covers all major
areas of police operations including patrolling, investigations,
crime mapping, community policing, hot pursuit issues,
communications, gangs and drugs, and more. Discussions focus on
issues and challenges that police officers face on the job and help
students bridge the gap between theory and practice. Visit us for the
Police Field Operations Theory Meets Practice exam, test questions,
study guide and flashcards.
Are YOU prepared to respond to these police
corporal oral board questions?
"How would YOU describe your knowledge
and of police supervision and leadership?"
"How have
you, or will you, apply this knowledge?"
"What do you
feel MOST qualifies you to be promoted into this entry-level
department supervisory and leadership position?"
"This supervisory position is all
about community and leadership. You are leading a team of
department community police officers, reporting directly to a
sergeant. 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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questions you have seen asked on exams and exercises. Send your
questions to me directly -
Paul@PoliceCareer.com.
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Police Corporal Promotion Test Questions
Police Corporal Exam Question 1 The Supervisory Function "Assessment" comes under which of the 5
Supervisory Skill Areas? (A) Leadership (B) Knowledge
(C) Community (D) Human (E) Conceptual
Police Corporal 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 Corporal Exam Question 3 Outstanding supervisors have a significant attribute that
distinguishes them - it is (A) leadership ability (B) the
facility to communicate effectively (C) the ability to carry
out orders (D) the desire to motivate
Police Corporal Exam Question 4 The study and theory by Herzberg that concerns "What do people
want from their job?" is called (A) happiness - productivity
theory (B) motivation - hygiene theory (C) social - work
theory (D) satisfaction - productivity theory
Police Corporal Exam Question 5 Regarding significant beliefs within the police culture,
police believe that the war against crime can only be won by
(A) making the rules (B) ignoring the rules (C) following
the rules (D) giving them a great deal of discretion
Police Corporal Exam Question 6 Supervisors should especially be aware of the theory of
__________, which addresses in particular the needs of adult
learners. (A) argotsy (B) epistemology (C)
endocrinology (D) andragogy
Police Corporal Exam Question 7 Of the three styles of counseling listed below, which one has
the disadvantage of taking too much time for some situations?
(A) Combined (B) Directive (C) Nondirective (D) none of
the above