Introduction
The major role of police officers is seen in their maintenance of public order following a legal framework. A police officer is, in his day-to-day duties, expected to adhere to the laid down legal principles if he has to be effective in those duties. However, we have often heard of episodes where the police have been found to flout the same laws they purport to enforce. Cases of police brutality, unlawful arrests, or even illegally obtained evidence are not new to our ears.
This means that, in many instances, the police themselves are ignorant of their crucial role in ensuring the prevalence of the rule of law at all times. Therefore, they need to be directed and guided on how to carry out this role. In addition, who could be more suited for this position except for their own supervisors? This essay discusses the various ways the police supervisors can, through coaching, monitoring, and counseling their juniors to effect change in their institutions and ensure a religious following of the law.
Supervising
Role of police supervisors
Though normally overlooked, the role of police supervisors is very vital, not just to that particular institution, but also to the whole society at large. “Clearly, the work of sergeants – much like that of a symphony conductor – can either enhance or weaken the community’s perception of the department’s professionalism” (Werder, 1996, p. 2). Their success is seen, not by how skilled they are in their work, but by what proportion of those skills is portrayed by their subordinates through the performance of their duties. They achieve their roles through the motivation of subordinates, coaching, and counseling.
Mentoring an employee involves teaching. “Mentoring can be defined as the proactive development of each subordinate through observation, assessment, coaching, teaching developmental counseling and evaluation” (More & Miller 2007, P.280). It is aimed at increasing a subordinate’s productivity by imparting skills as well as a sense of belonging.
Supervisors should evaluate their performance and reward each person’s work accordingly, depending on how good or substandard it is, thus making them accountable for their actions. This further motivates them. Most individuals look forward to being valued by their seniors through promotion, recognition, and approval. This makes them satisfied with their work resulting in increased productivity. Failure to do this reduces employees’ morale and productivity.
It includes motivating subordinates. Motivation is a very effective method of increasing the productivity of staff. The study has shown that “…unhappy officers are more apt to be absent, suffer more symptoms of fatigue, burnout, or anxiety, and less likely to identify with organizational goals” (Fitch, 1982). The reverse is also true.
Coaching
Can be realized through effective communication. This is where supervisors ensure that employees stay focused on their primary responsibilities and perform their duties to standards. They formulate rules and policies to be and implement them on their juniors. “In performing this role, they help to build and maintain the all-important trust relationship between a community and its police” (Froese, 2011).
Open communication ensures that subordinates know exactly what the organizational goals and objectives are. They perform their duties in line with the overall organizational direction. But these should not be so static as to hinder innovation. “The best supervisors define their objectives and then allow officers to decide on the best ways to accomplish those jobs” (Fitch, 1982). Also, they should not be so vague as to cause confusion and conflicts.
Coaching does not only require effective communication, but it also requires effective listening. “A truly effective coaching process involves a two-way communication” (More & Miller 2007, P.263). Effective listening gives the subordinates the confidence that their ideas and opinions are important, and this helps in their involvement in decision making.
Counseling
Is also a way of effective police supervision. Supervisors provide daily guidance to their subordinates. They watch over them, give orders that are to be followed, and build strong teams from among their juniors. “They are the first vital step in the chain of command that delivers policing services to a community” (Froese, 2011).
Therefore, the role of police supervisors should not be underestimated in the maintenance of law and order. “When a supervisor’s engagement is less than needed, it has a pervasive negative effect on everyone else on the shift, with potential consequences for interactions with the public” (Froese, 2011). Failure to effectively supervise the police force is a sure way to create mistrust between the community and the police, a situation that may breed very undesirable consequences.
Limitations of supervision
To start with, the supervisory role requires a higher level of experience and human skills than ordinary supervisors normally possess. With their leadership position, they need to have a deeper understanding and grasp of natural human thinking. Most of these supervisors do not have any special training in handling human resources. The end result is a miserable failure out of no fault of their own.
Most institutions do not give these individuals the attention they deserve. The only thing they do is define the role, set ambitious objectives to be achieved and then go ahead and pox some individuals into those predefined job groupings, without evaluating the suitability of their targets in handling those positions. “Transition into a supervisory role is often left to chance” (Froese, 2011).
Overcoming challenges
The first step to overcoming these challenges will start with the specific supervisor himself. They have to understand how crucial their role is for the stability and successful development of the police institution. They should be well aware of their reflective influence on their subordinates. “[Supervisors] have to be cognizant that with their ability to influence, every comment, gesture or nonverbal communication is interpreted by their subordinates as either support for, or rejection of, a management position” (Tully, 2002, p. 9).
Also, they should Endeavour to gain massive knowledge in their area of operation. This knowledge may be acquired through formal education, i.e., by taking part-time courses in educational institutions. They could also read other available materials such as magazines, journals, or books on the subject. The bottom line is, they should understand their job and its demands, and they cannot be excused from that duty by blaming the institutions they work in for not availing training programs.
Part of this learning process involves understanding the core values of their institution. But that in itself is not enough; they must go a step further and ensure that these values are instilled in their subordinates to create in them a sense of responsibility in their duties. “To do otherwise not only devalue their role as a supervisor but acts as a catalyst for misconduct problems within a police organization” (Water, 2004). By instilling a sense of responsibility in them, the supervisor helps the subordinates to identify with that institution and take their duties, not as an income-earning means, but as a way of life to be enjoyed on a daily basis and to be performed with utmost dedication (Michael, 2004).
Organizational role
The police institutions should also put more resources into the area. Management should provide development needs to police supervisors. Funds should be set aside for this purpose alone. They should appraise their staff and identify their areas of lacking. Then chose their method by which employee development is to be achieved. They could choose an educational institution and make arrangements for such training. It could also be an on-the-job experience, which is the most important. “It is well known that 80% of personal growth happens on the job and, while a formal course is a good start, what really counts is on-the-job experience” (Froese, 2011).
Further, the organization needs to acknowledge their hard work and reward them. This will be done after evaluating them effectively. Their important contribution needs to be sought and considered in management. “They need to be seen as part of the management team, included in decisions that influence how services are delivered and listened to when advice is being sought on methods, priorities and plans” (Froese, 2011). This makes them feel useful and appreciated.
Conclusion
As we have already seen, the role of supervisors cannot be undermined. The supervisors literally determine how orderly the community is just by the effective governing of their institutions. Without them, there would be no coordination within the police force, and this will consequently cause a state of chaos in the society. They regulate their subordinates, which, in turn, regulate the outside world. Therefore management should always ensure that these individuals are accorded their due credit, and the supervisors should, in turn, play their role effectively.
References
Fitch, B.D. (2008). Motivation: Re-thinking the Supervisor’s Role: Law and Order Magazine.
Froese Forensic Partners Ltd. (2011). The Importance of Effective Supervision in Law Enforcement: Suite 1000, 55 University Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2H7. Web.
Michael, Waters. (2004). The Leadership Role of the First-Line Supervisor in PoliceOperations: Published July 2004, The Florida Police Chief Magazine.
More, H and Miller.L. (2007). Effective Police Supervision: Coaching, Counseling and Mentoring, 5th Ed, Chapter 9, copyright Mathew Bender and Company, inc, a member of the LexisNexis Group.
Tully, E. (2002) The Slippery Slope: National Executive Institute Associates, Major cities chiefs association and Major County Sheriff’s Association Leadership Bulletin, 1-11.
Werder, E. (1996). The Great Sergeant! National Executive Institute Associates, Major Cities Chief’s Association & Major County Sheriff’s Association Leadership Bulletin1-9.