What role does law enforcement administration play on increasing or decreasing stress within the agency?

Answer 1

SAFTY IS UP TO EVERYBODY,
and some jobs involve more stress than others
ALLWAYS REMEBER
HEAT OFF ME HEAT OFF YOU
AND S--T ONLY ROLLS DOWN HILL

Answer 2

I retired after 21 years in law enforcement including 16 years as a first line supervisor. The administration can pretty much make or break morale and alleviate or cause stress.
I worked for my last chief 1 year when I decided that it was time to do something different. This guy is a one man wrecking crew and we found out where he worked before our department that they praised the heavens when he left! I was told morale went thru the roof when he left.
I also read a law enforcement magazine from England which mirrored the ability of administration to put more stress on the officers than the criminals.
Believe me, I'd rather go one on one with an armed robber than put up with 21 more years of the stupid, impractical suggestions we dealt with from our administration.
To make this long story end, good supervisors, administrators and officers who care, can make up for lower pay, not the best equipment. Uncaring, self-serving administrators can overcome good pay, good equipment, and hard working officers and make it a bad place to work.

Answer 3

I believe that the stress from administration is more stressful than the stress of working a beat. At least out there I know what to expect and it is not nearly as political. There are days I have gone to work wondering what kind of assignment will come in because poop rolls downhill to a knee jerk reaction to something that happened with a higher up. The people at the bottom, the "working Joe's" are usually the ones that suffer.

Answer 4

The Go To Guy hit the nail square on the head. One bad apple in the "chain of command" can make things extremely difficult to the officers. Depending upon the type of department an officer works for can determine the level of supervisory skills the "command staff" employ. Sadly, in many places...the command is established by a "good ol' boy" system. You get what you pay for!!