Command Transitions in Public Administration ― A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Proactive Strategies

This Brief provides a quantitative and qualitative analysis of proactive strategies for management transitions in criminal justice and other public administration civic service agencies. These organizations have a unique need for managing transitions effectively.

Compared to private organizations: they have a relatively high frequency of management transitions due to the terms of elected and appointed officials, and these new managers more often come from outside the organization.

Through an mixed-methods study of criminal justice command level staff in New York state, researchers found a number of key components to successful transitions. Based on their study, the researchers prepared a set of guidelines called the Command Transition Matrix. This tool is aimed at police and public administration leadership. The methodology used to develop it will be of interest to researchers in Criminal Justice Administration, Public Policy, and Management Science.

James C. Brown, Ed.D. is a Professor of Practice in Criminal Justice at Utica College in Utica, NY. His background includes a 16 year full and part-time career in law enforcement, serving as Chief Deputy of Law Enforcement & Civil Division Operations with the Oneida County, NY Sheriff’s Office & other agencies. In January 2014 he was sworn in as Police Commissioner in the Town of New Hartford, NY. He received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, his master’s degree in public administration, and his doctorate in education in educational leadership.