Deciding and Acting: Training the Police Leader

Abstract

In order to improve police management and citizen security, police forces have opted to establish organizational change strategies, among which we can highlight the development of leadership and decision-making skills in police officers. Therefore, this qualitative-documentary research analyzed the training of aspiring police officers in Ecuador related to these two topics, in order to learn about the existence of leadership and decision-making subjects and their approach. Among the findings, it can be mentioned that leadership is present in police education programs in Ecuador as a subject taught with a greater time load in managerial police officers. Finally, as a contribution, a comprehensive training model (theory, practice and axiological) is proposed in a participatory teaching-learning environment with active methodologies such as simulations of real situations and case analysis for a timely response. This model promotes the idea that every police officer is a leader, wherever he/she is and whatever position he/she holds, regardless of his/her rank, capable of leading and being led.