Provision of Police Leadership Development Opportunities, Bramshill: Problem, Solution and a Critical Engagement
| Author | Robert Adlam |
| Published date | 01 June 2001 |
| Date | 01 June 2001 |
| DOI | 10.1177/146135570100300307 |
| Subject Matter | Applied Paper |
International Journal of Police Science &
Management
Volume 3
Number
3
Provision of police leadership
development opportunities, Bramshill:
Problem, solution and a critical
engagement
Robert Adlam
Head of Research, National Police Training, Human Rights Unit, Willow Hall, Bramshill
House, Bramshill, Hook, Hampshire RG27
OJW;
Tel:
+44
(0)1256 602 230;
Fax:
+44
(0)1256 602 223; E-mail: radlam@bramshill.ac.uk
Received: 6th December, 2000
InternationalJournal of Police
Science and Management,
Vol. 3
No.3,
2001, pp. 260-278.
©Henry
Stewart Publications,
1461-3557
Page 260
Robert
Ad/am is head of research in the Na-
tional Police Leadership Faculty at
NPT,
Bram-
shill.
ABSTRACT
This paper notes the current interest in the
question
if
police leadership iffectiveness. It
restates the complex role that Bramshill plays
in relation to the development
of
police
leaders
and the leadership
of
police organisations. It
indicates the
core
function
if
the National
Police Leadership Faculty situated at National
Police Training, Bramshill, and suggests that
a sufficient body
if
knowledge has accumulated
showing that police leadership is a distinct and
difficult
practice.
It
raises
the possibility that the
current provision
if
police leadership develop-
ment
is inadequate, and presents a comprehen-
sive 'set
of
moves' that could be adopted if a
programme
if
police leadership development
were to be, at least, comprehensive.
The
paper then moves on to raise a series
if
questions that are designed to challenge the
assumption that better 'leadership' is the solu-
tion to the problem
if
police iffectiveness. In
this latter part
if
the paper a discussion is
developed in relation to the apparent continua-
tion
of
'heroic' images
of
leadership. In addi-
tion, the paper considers the psychological iffects
of
power wielding -as they are described in
M-ebers
(1967) essay 'Politics as a vocation'
- and argues that the current content
of
the
police leadership development curriculum is
supeificial and inadequate because it fails to
include this type
if
analysis in its
courses
and
programmes
of
study.
INTRODUCTION
The
purpose
of
this
paper
is to higWight
the
growth
of
interest
in
'police
leader-
ship',
and
to
indicate
how
the
National
Police
Leadership
Faculty
at Bramshill
might
respond
to
that
interest
if
it is to
play a
major,
credible
and
significant
role
in
the
education,
training
and
develop-
ment
of
current
and
future
police
leaders.
While
the
faculty is able to
create
and
then
offer an
extensive
range
of
'learning
opportunities
and
structures'
that,
in
prin-
ciple, assist in
the
development
of
police
leaders, it is
not
clear
that
asufficiently
'critical'
perspective
has
developed
in
rela-
tion
to
the
current
discourses
on
police
leadership.
The
paper
begins
by
outlining
the
cur-
rent
concerns
with
and
criticisms
of
police
leadership. It
moves
on
to restate
the
complex
role
that
has
been
and
is
being
played
by
'the
college'
at Bramshill in
relation
to
the
development
of
effective
police
leaders. It
notes
that
the
core
function
of
the
National
Police Leadership
Faculty is
the
provlSlon
of
'quality-as-
sured'
police
leadership
development
op-
portunities.
It
continues
by
noting
that
recently
the
faculty has
begun
formal
research
(or
'enquiry')
into
the
specific
study
of
police
leadership. It suggests
that
it is
becoming
possible
to
defme
adis-
tinct
field
of
practice
known
as
'police
leadership'.
The
paper
considers
some
of
the
measures
that
could
be
taken
if
the
'official'
development
of
police
leaders
were
to
meet
standards
of
rigour
and
'professionalism'. Finally, a
number
of
basic questions are raised,
with
the
prime
intention
of
subverting
the
attempt
to
fmd
in
better
'leadership'
any
straightforward
solution
to
the
problems
of
police
effec-
tiveness.
THE CONTEMPORARY CRITIQUE OF
POLICE LEADERSHIP
Acriticism
of
the
quality,
adequacy
and
effectiveness
of
police
leadership has
emerged
from
many
quarters.
It
has
been
posted
by
Her
Majesty's
Inspectorate
of
Constabulary
(eg
the
thematic
inspection
- see
HMIC,
1999),
by
the
Association
of
Police
Authorities
(eg
the
perception
of
police
leaders as
'clones'
- see
Vick,
2000),
by
the
current
Home
Secretary,
Jack
Straw
(eg
innovation
does
not
emerge
from
the
police
themselves
but
mainly
from
government
and
academics),
and
by
the
Police
Federation
(eg
the
failure
of
senior
police
at
ACPO
to
measure
up to
their
responsibilities.
Direct
or
indirect
criticism
of
police
leaders
and
police
leadership has also
been
acharacteristic
of
inquiries
into
and
reviews
of
policing,
such
as
the
Macpher-
son
Report
(1999),
Bunyard
(1993)
and
Woodcock
(1991).
The
National
Police Leadership Faculty
at Bramshill has also
found
'problems'
with
the
quality
of
police
leadership.
Baker
(2000) has
highlighted
the
'limita-
tions
of
the
"custodial
model"
in
police
leadership',
Adlam
(2000a)
notes
the
'inadequate
theoretical
base
that
police
leaders
and
managers
bring
to
the
policing
of
aliberal
democracy',
Long
(2000)
underlines
the
'inability
of
police
leader-
ship
to
withstand
the
suffocating advances
of
the
new
managerialism',
and
Vick
(2000)
thinks
that
'police
leadership fails
to
lead
and
adapt
to
change'.
Densten
(1999),
in
the
course
of
his
study
comparing
police
leadership
be-
haviours
with
leadership
norms,
makes
reference
to
'an
examination
of
the
litera-
ture
on
police
leadership'
and
identifies
'three
critical issues'.
These
are:
-
the
importance
of
leadership
In
the
police
organisation
-
the
negative
behaviours
of
police
leaders
-
the
unique
aspects
of
the
law
enforce-
ment
environment
which
affect
leader-
ship.
Densten
notes
that
'several studies'
have
referred
to
negative
aspects
of
police
leadership
behaviour,
and
adds
that
these
include
'frequent
empty
gestures,
con-
servative, cautious,
and
authoritarian
management
styles,
poor
communication
skills
and
lack
of
management
support'
(Densten,
1999: 46).
Recently,
too,
a
number
of
trenchant
criticisms
of
police
leadership
have
ap-
peared
from
serving
police
officers.
These
include
Broadbent
(1999),
who
notes
the
'invisibility'
of
senior
police
officers,
and
Newman
(2000),
who
fmds 'a
growing
band
of
senior
officers
who
do
not
pass
muster'
against tests
of
judgment,
respon-
sibility
and
aim.
A
measure
of
the
concern
about
police
leadership felt
by
government
was also
made
explicit
in
a
consultation
paper,
'Police
training: A
consultation
docu-
ment'
,
published
in
November
1999
Ad/am
Page
261
To continue reading
Request your trial