RESEARCH
Police Chief Turnover in Texas : An Exploratory
Analysis
Police chiefs serve in one of the most visible , demanding , and complex roles in government . Not only are they responsible for the department ’ s operations , they are also expected to effectively interact with other law enforcement and governmental agencies , business leaders , citizens , elected officials , and special interest groups . The American Bar Association has noted police chiefs are among the most important and demanding positions in local government . While numerous studies have been conducted to identify factors contributing to officer turnover , little is known about police chief turnover . The average tenure for a police chief ranges from four to six years . This turnover often impacts the department ’ s operations , creates chaos , and contributes to operational instability . More importantly , shorter tenure in the top leadership prevents the implementation of lasting change in departments . This study was designed to compare and evaluate the impact of leaders ’ performance and department ’ s performance on
the turnover of police chiefs . To accomplish this , peer evaluation survey data was obtained from newly appointed chiefs . The final sample size of 164 incumbents revealed approximately 52 % of their predecessors voluntarily resigned . More than half ( 57.5 %) were hired from outside the agency and approximately 70 % of the respondents viewed the governing authority to be politically stable . Analysis of the data revealed the chief ’ s experience and being hired from outside the agency was significantly linked to increased tenure . They also found candidates who were hired by the mayor experienced less turnover as compared to those hired by a city manager or city council .
Researchers noted chief turnover was more frequently linked to the individual ’ s leadership approach and performance as compared with the department ’ s performance . They suggested seasoned police executives are an untapped resource for helping communities address issues . In closing , the authors wisely noted terminating a police chief is often considered politically expedient when faced with a controversial issue . However , this approach is short-sighted and typically results in more harm than good .
Ydu Li and Ben Brown , “ Police Chief Turnover in Texas : An Exploratory Analysis of Peer-Evaluation Survey Data Pertinent to Police Performance and Turnover ”, Police Quarterly , Vol . 22 , Issue 4 , pp . 391-415 , ( 2019 )
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