Leadership Attitudes and the Implementation of Community Policing in Law Enforcement Agencies in Rural North Carolina

Abstract

The purpose of the research was to compare characteristics and leadership attitudes of chief administrators of law enforcement agencies that have implemented community policing in rural North Carolina, and those who have not.

A survey questionnaire was used to measure leadership attitudes and professional characteristics of chief law enforcement administrators in North Carolina. The study used data from a survey of chief administrators of rural law enforcement agencies in North Carolina to examine the correlates of community policing and to determine if there are differences between agencies using community policing and not using it. It was expected that there would be common leadership attitudes among chief administrators of rural law enforcement agencies that have implemented community policing and that there would be common characteristics of their departments. It was further expected that there would be common leadership attitudes among chief administrators of rural law enforcement agencies that have not implemented community policing and that those departments would have common characteristics. It was also expected that departments with and without community policing grants would differ in the leadership attitudes of their chief administrators and the characteristics of the departments.

The study concluded that there were strong and striking differences between rural law enforcement agencies that have implemented community policing and those that had not. It also indicated that there were differences among the chief administrators who had implemented community policing. These chief law enforcement administrators scored higher on the Employee-orientation, Differentiation, and LEAD scores than those of departments without a COP grant. Further findings revealed differences in chief administrators having a baccalaureate degree, and having attended a management training course. Those administrators were more likely to have a COP grant.

The test of time will reveal if community policing is an enduring philosophy, a public relations tool, or a fad. As society evolves, so do the methods used to protect that society.