Why not hire civilian commanders?

In 1828, Sir Robert Peel, the father of modem law enforcement, said, "The police are the public and the public are the police...." Over time, attempts to remove corrupt influences from American police agencies forced many law enforcement officials to adopt a paramilitary organizational structure and to reject the possibility of any civilian roles in policing. While this stance helped distance police organizations from corrupt political influences, as an unintended consequence, the police became estranged from the very communities they served.

The time has come, however, to revive Peel's notion of the police and the public as one entity, sharing common goals and desires. The community-oriented policing philosophy emphasizes focusing a law enforcement agency's talents and energies on problem solving and changing the social conditions that give rise to crime. It seeks to empower both police personnel and community members to resolve problems.

The community-oriented policing philosophy has opened the door to using civilians in key management positions as a way for departments to tap into the vast reserves of managerial expertise available in the private sector. It also fosters greater confidence and rapport with their communities and dispels the antagonistic relationships that might exist between the citizenry and the police. A civilian in upper management can serve as a bridge between the community and the department.

Job Dimensions

To understand the role civilians can play in law enforcement agencies, one first must examine the critical functions performed by all police managers. Among other requirements, a person in the upper management of today's law enforcement organization is expected to:

* Oversee the operations of uniformed forces or technical support personnel who respond to emergencies, enforce laws, and maintain records

* Take command of personnel in emergencies and direct complex public safety events and special investigations

* Use discretionary authority in dealing with complaints from the public

* Ensure that reports, memoranda, and correspondence prepared by the staff are complete, accurate, and ready for the executive to sign

* Respond to difficult questions about regulations and policies.

Effective managers have good decision-making skills. They can judge alternatives and realize the ramifications of each decision. They look at long-term consequences and implications, rather than merely handle short-term crises. Their decisions are consistent with the department's mission and goals, even when those decisions might be unpopular.

Analytical skills enable good managers to identify problems and their causes and to break complex problems into components more amenable to examination. These managers recognize gaps in data and can conduct research to obtain necessary information using a variety of sources.

Upper-level managers must be able to set priorities, coordinate and schedule tasks or events logically so as to obtain the most benefit from staff and material resources, and increase efficiency. Today, these qualities exemplify a trait often referred to as "entrepreneurial."

Above all, upper-level managers are leaders. They coordinate, delegate, and follow up on the work of subordinates. They guide and motivate people to achieve tasks and solve problems. They take initiative and do not shy away from action.

The list of managerial duties and characteristics could continue, but what is most noteworthy is a task the list does not include - making arrests. Managers are not technicians. They must have education and experience in the duties of managing a complex organization, not necessarily in the specifics of policing.

Use of Civilian Commanders

Law enforcement agencies assign the title of commander, captain of police, lieutenant, or deputy chief to positions in charge of a division or bureau, with the incumbent reporting directly to the chief of police or agency head. Whether the division conducts administrative, investigative, or field work, the scope of duties and responsibilities for the commander remains essentially the same.

Civilian division commanders have worked in law enforcement for some time. Even though their presence is not new to the profession, many departments still might not realize the unique strengths they can bring to an agency. Unlike police officers who rise through the ranks, civilian employees typically make lateral entries into law enforcement organizations and are selected because of their special qualifications. As a result, they bring a fresh perspective to their positions and to police work. The public also might afford them a certain credibility due to their civilian background and experience.

In addition, simple economics justifies the widespread use of civilians. The cost of employing a sworn division commander significantly exceeds the expense of a civilian because of considerable differences in pay and retirement rates.

In many police agencies, civilians command the support services or administrative branches of their organizations. The highly technical aspects of administration - budgeting and accounting for example - can be learned and perfected in the private sector and then applied efficiently to the realm of policing.

Another position in which civilian command could be advantageous is internal affairs. Rather than calling for the creation of an external review board, citizen complainants might view a civilian as being more fair and neutral than a sworn commander.

These represent a few of the many positions civilian commanders can fill. Police executives contemplating the use of civilians should consider the full range of possibilities.

Challenges

Through decades of vigilance and effort, law enforcement as a whole has sought to banish political corruption and influence from its midst. As law enforcement agencies embrace the valuable concept of hiring civilian commanders, precautions should be taken to ensure that the gains made in years past will not be compromised now. Strict hiring standards should be developed (preferably on a statewide level) and uniformly applied to all civilian applicants to avoid political intervention.

In order to perform effectively, civilian division commanders, as well as any other civilian employees, must be treated equitably and considered equal to their sworn counterparts. They should be inserted into the normal department hierarchy or rank structure. In addition, civilian commanders should be able to rotate to other division assignments, just as captains or deputy chiefs do. As second-level commanders, they should be trusted to act in the absence of the agency head, just as their sworn peers would.

Law enforcement executives who decide to bring in civilian managers will need to take steps to gain the acceptance of civilians in the police culture. It is important to emphasize that hiring civilians in no way devalues the contributions of sworn officers; it simply provides a way for the agency to take advantage of the expertise available within the community.

Officers might worry about how hiring civilian commanders will affect promotional opportunities for sworn personnel. For example, as a cost-saving measure, some police departments in California have placed civilian commanders in management positions traditionally held by sworn personnel. This does, indeed, affect the career ladder for sworn officers within these departments. However, the effects are no greater than those of the increasingly prevalent practice of hiring upper-level sworn commanders from outside an agency. Lateral entries - sworn or civilian - bring benefits and drawbacks; police executives must weigh these carefully when making hiring decisions.

Civilian commanders need not be used solely to replace sworn commanders, however. In the Emeryville, California, Police Department, as in many other agencies, civilians have been hired to enhance the department by providing technical or managerial skills not found within the ranks. Thirty-four percent of Emeryville's employees are civilians. They bring expertise in computers, writing, public affairs, record-keeping, communications, and other areas to support the mission of the department and to allow sworn personnel to focus on their areas of expertise - enforcement and investigation. Sworn and civilian employees at all levels complement one another, integrating their talents to benefit the agency as a whole.

A concern equal to persuading officers to accept civilians is preventing civilian law enforcement professionals from becoming co-opted by traditional police thinking. Executives must encourage civilians to maintain their unique perspectives and not lose the very strengths they bring to the organization.

Conclusion

The traditional law enforcement agency is composed almost entirely of sworn personnel. If civilians work in an agency, they often are relegated to first-line job assignments and rarely used in supervisory or management positions.

Today, however, the paradigm is shifting. Purposeful police executive leadership is a full-time job. The contemporary police agency should include talented civilians at all levels of the organization, especially upper management. Law enforcement managers are effective because they possess certain qualities, traits, and skills, not because they have arrest powers.

Bringing civilian division commanders into a law enforcement organization can infuse the agency with fresh thinking. Carefully chosen, qualified civilian administrators bring new ideas into an oft-closed group. What better way to foster the notions of community-oriented policing than to bring members of the community into the police department?

Potential Civilian Command Assignments

Depending on the size and needs of the agency, the following assignments exemplify some suitable posts for civilian commanders.

* Accounts Payable/Receivable

* Affirmative Action Administrator

* Audit and Inspection Program

* Budget Administration

* Code Enforcement 

* Computer Systems Management

* Contract Administration

* Cost Recovery Program

* Crime Analysis

* Cultural Awareness Director

* Custodian of Records/Personnel Files

* Environmental Design Review

* Graffiti Abatement Program

* Internal Ombudsman 

* Jail Management

* Neighborhood Watch/Business Watch

* Outreach Program Development

* Payroll Supervisor

* Personnel Recruiting and Selection

* Records and Communications

* Risk Management Program

* Television Programs

* Training Program Development and Administration

* Workers Compensation Administrator

For additional information concerning the use of civilians in upper management, contact Chief Colletti or Ms. Jeannie Wong, Division Commander, Administrative Services, Emeryville, California, Police Department, at [phone].

Chief Joseph L. Colletti, M.P.A. commands the Emeryville, California, Police Department.