Summary

Police Administration, Seventh Edition,examines police administration from four perspectives: a systems perspective; a traditional, structural perspective; a human behavioral perspective; and a strategic management perspective. The systems perspective emphasizes the links between units and organizations, the influence of external conditions on systems, and the importance of feedback for correcting and improving performance. The traditional perspective highlights administrative principles, management functions, and the importance of written guidelines. The behavioral perspective stresses the human element in organizations. The strategic management perspective focuses on finding the most effective ways of carrying out the organization's work and accomplishing its mission. The book begins with several basic considerations essential to understanding the unique features of police administration. These include the development and environment of police administration, the nature of police work, police goals and objectives, police organizational tasks, and the role of the police executive. These basic considerations serve as the foundation for more detailed exploration of modern police administration. Five case studies are included at the end of the book. This book is a valuable resource for students and practitioners interested in police administration.