Police Chief Qualifications

This research compares the qualifications required for appointment as an American Chief of Police with those required for appointment as a British Senior Police Administrator. Alternative title are employed in both Britain and the United States for these positions; however, the terms are used in this research to denote the senior line officer within a police organization. Requirements for either the position of police chief or senior police administrator vary in each country according to jurisdiction; however, the greatest differences occur between jurisdictions of significantly different sizes. In this research, the focus is on the senior police line officers in major urban jurisdictions.

The basic qualifications for chief of police/senior police administrator are those associated with experience, training, and education (Leonard and More, 1987). In the United States, in the contemporary time period, most major urban jurisdictions establish minimums for years of experience in law enforcement, as a qualification for appointment as chief of police. Typically, such requirements begin at 15 years. Some basic field experience is expected of applicants; however, at least twothird of an applicant's law enforcement experience is expected to be in command and supervisory positions. In Britain, the trend toward a requirement for highlevels of experien

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Unfortunately, political imperatives impinge upon both the appointment of chiefs of police/senior police supervisors in both the United States and Britain, and on the discharge of responsibilities by such individuals once they are appointed. In the United States, it is not uncommon for a successful applicant for the position of chief of police in a major urban jurisdiction to rely heavily on political influence (Leonard and More, 1987). While the political factor may not be applied as blatantly in Britain as it is in the United States, it, nevertheless, plays an important role in the appointment of senior police administrators in many of that country's major urban jurisdictions (ManwaringWhite, 1983). Public Administration in Police Organizations In both Britain and the United States in the contemporary time period, a chief of police/senior police administrator is expected to be an effective public administrator (Broderick, 1987; Horton, 1988). An effective public administrator in the early1990s will, among other things, be an individual who recognizes the significance of public administration in contemporary society. The interest of the general public in public administration in contemporary society is centered in e
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Approximate Word count = 2461
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)

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