ABSTRACT

Introduction The majority of law enforcement agencies in the United States are small agencies with

fewer than 25 officers (Hickman & Reaves, 2003). This means there is a great likelihood

that many officers will, at some point in their careers, work for a small to medium-sized

agency. Because of vast variations in agency sizes, it is difficult to generalize information

that fits appropriately with all agency sizes. Nonetheless, an overview of issues that

accompany managing smaller agencies can be helpful for potential supervisors in these

agencies.