The fundamental principles that effective consultants always adhere to when working with a client, regardless of industry, include possessing substantive expertise in the specific subject matter, guiding the client through suggestions rather than directives, and focusing on shared goals and interests between the external consultant and internal organization.
For a consultant engaging with a law enforcement agency or department, the requisite subject matter expertise encompasses an intricate, nuanced understanding of all applicable laws, policies, procedures, law enforcement culture, organizational dynamics within these para-military structures, best practices, both managerial and operational, and the multitude of complex issues facing police departments today (Stephenson et al., 2022). A consultant must have a robust, well-rounded knowledge of the environment if they desire credibility and trust from the client.
Additionally, one of the fastest ways a consultant can damage the productive working relationship with the client is by explicitly telling the law enforcement leadership what decisions to make or policies to enact. The consultant is there to advise, provide alternative options, share the pros and cons of various approaches, and guide the data analysis – but the agency ownership must remain the ones evaluating all factors through their specialized understanding of the department and community to select the optimal path forward. The consultant makes suggestions, and the client makes decisions (Santa Maria et al., 2017).
Perhaps most critically, the consultant must intimately recognize that the fundamental shared goal between themselves and the client is the tangible improvement of the law enforcement organization’s capabilities and performance in public service. The consultant should align all interactions with reinforcing and supporting this mutual interest so that both parties feel they are working collaboratively towards the same destination. If the client senses the consultant has an unrelated agenda or needs a grounding in the department’s advancement, the necessary trust will fail to develop.
The particular organizational issue within law enforcement that I will center this hypothetical client engagement scenario upon is leadership development, which, if addressed effectively, can create a cascade of positive impacts across the department. Recruiting and retaining strong leadership is vital for policing agencies to operate effectively in service of their community. Leadership shortages currently abound due to accelerating retirements and struggles to attract dedicated talent into leadership roles across law enforcement, developing into a capacity crisis for many departments nationwide (Stephenson et al., 2022).
To truly understand the root causes underlying deficiencies in law enforcement leadership training, planning, and advancement, as the consultant, I would conduct extensive interviews with approximately 15-20 personnel across varying seniority levels, seeking to capture perspectives from the differing authority gradients. Starting with the agency head, I would also speak to assistant chiefs and major division heads, then mid-level lieutenants and captains, followed by front-line sergeants and corporals, and finally, general officers and detectives not yet in formal leadership positions (Newell et al., 2022). I would inquire about positive and negative facets of their leadership development experiences moving up the ranks, strengths, and weaknesses they perceive in current developmental programs, self-assessed preparedness for their current and future responsibilities, familiarity with succession planning protocols, if any, and their general thoughts on improvements needed.
Additionally, I would thoroughly review all existing leadership training materials and manuals, curriculums, and modules, both introductory and continuing education, potentially observing some training in action. Comparing the alignment of leadership concepts covered to industry, best practices would highlight gaps or deficiencies to address. I would also closely analyze the current promotion system and related policies, precisely qualification benchmarks required to advance ranks, timetables, and considerations made for succession planning (Scholarworks & Nash, n.d.). Promotion pathways immensely influence shaping leadership readiness, so deducting any shortcomings there would be crucial. Finally, assessing available job rotations, temporary assignments in different departmental areas, mentorship opportunities, and similar developmental exposures for rising personnel would complete my data gathering to determine the root causes of leadership pipeline limitations.
Throughout this evaluative process, I would need to remain cognizant of inevitable strengths possessed by this audience alongside potential weakness areas that could pose challenges if not handled with care. In terms of strengths, most law enforcement professionals inherently want their department to maximize its service quality and community value, with leadership recognizing that proactive, continuous improvement is critical to reaching that goal (Santa Maria et al., 2017). This engenders openness to changes that demonstrate true advancement, even if initially greeted with the infamous cop skepticism for anything an “outsider” proposes. Additionally, sworn personnel have an intricate understanding of departmental needs and practical realities that an external consultant would require time to grasp fully. Leveraging that insider nuanced perspective on community problems and direct ties to the public would significantly benefit formulating leadership development enhancements.
However, weaknesses grounded in insular law enforcement cultural tendencies could hinder receptiveness to recommendations if not cautiously respected. The rigidity of thought patterns and resistance to perceived external overreach are joint, somewhat understandable reactions due to the necessity of chain-of-command integrity instilled in the training academy. Budget limitations also constrain the exploration of specific options departments would ideally implement if financially feasible. Moreover, especially in larger metropolitan agencies, political influences often attempt to override data-driven leadership decision-making for promotions when the recommendations must align with political donors or particular interest group preferences.
In terms of providing the gathered findings and feedback to the agency leadership and representatives participating in this engagement, I would present conclusions only after methodical analysis in an overtly collaborative, non-judgmental manner focused on the mutually agreed goals of bolstering leadership development that best supports department-wide excellence both now and in the foreseeable future. Rather than directives, I offer pros and cons of various options for consideration, aligned to the interests expressed by leadership in preliminary discussions regarding ideal outcomes (Newell et al., 2022). The obvious shared priorities are cultivating strong leadership that, in turn, enables top-tier community service, protects officer well-being, and proactively tackles emerging threats to public safety. Subtly but crucially, I frequently remind agency decision-makers that while I can supply recommendations, they own the intimate knowledge of department nuances and community needs that will determine which suggestions to adopt. My job is not to impose changes on the department but to offer my objective external assessment of high-potential pathways forward.
A critical element to weave through the entire engagement process is transparently conveying to agency leadership and staff how each assessment, interview, ride-along, training observation, or recommendation traces directly back to the shared goal of elevating department leadership to fulfill their duty to the community best. Whether examining promotion policy intricacies or patrolling with an overnight street unit, I, as the consultant, must connect insights gleaned back to either a strength demonstrating achievement of that goal or an identifiable gap presenting an opportunity to improve towards the goal (Newell et al., 2022).
This continually reiterates the collaborative nature of the relationship between my external expertise and their internal operational authority. It also reinforces the ultimate motivation for department participation in this intensive evaluation of something foundational as leadership development – to enhance their capacity to serve and protect every citizen the badge represents. Suppose the inherently noble aims of law enforcement become obscured at any point in favor of bureaucracy or politics. In that case, the engagement will lose momentum, so I must consciously reorient all players back towards that north star frequently. My responsibility is thus not confined merely to supplying dispassionate technical guidance but equally includes upholding leadership’s meaningful connection to community impact.
References
Newell, C. J., Ricciardelli, R., Czarnuch, S. M., & Martin, K. (2022) Police staff and mental health: Barriers and recommendations for improving help-seeking. Police Practice and Research, 23(1), 111–124. https://doi.org/10.1080/15614263.2021.1979398
Santa Maria, A., Wörfel, F., Wolter, C., Gusy, B., Rotter, M., Stark, S., Kleiber, D., & Renneberg, B. (2017). The Role of Job Demands and Job Resources in the Development of Emotional Exhaustion, Depression, and Anxiety Among Police Officers. Police Quarterly, 21(1), 109–134. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098611117743957
Scholarworks, S., & Nash, V. (n.d.). Relationship Between Substance Use, Alcohol, and Posttraumatic Relationship Between Substance Use, Alcohol, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Law Enforcement Stress Disorder Symptoms in Law Enforcement. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=13444&context=dissertations
Sharps, M. J. (2022). Processing under pressure: Stress, memory, and decision making in law enforcement (3rd ed.). Looseleaf Law Publications.
Stephenson, M. D., Schram, B., Canetti, E. F. D., & Orr, R. (2022). Effects of Acute Stress on Psychophysiology in Armed Tactical Occupations: A Narrative Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1802. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031802
Wolter, C., Maria, A. S., Wörfel, F., Gusy, B., Lesener, T., Kleiber, D., & Renneberg, B. (2018). Job demands, job resources, and well-being in police officers—a resource-oriented approach. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 34(1), 45–54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11896-018-9265-1
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