Formal Mentoring Progams For Law Enforcement Officials

Although law enforcement organizations have been known to mentor others throughout the community, historically, mentoring activities within the organization have not been as popular. Other types of organizations have shown a benefit when formal mentoring programs comprised of organizational employees were pursued. Due to the distinctive nature of law enforcement organizations that encourage self-preservation and individualistic behaviors as well as high rates of psychopathology, it is probable that there are stigmas related to anyone considered an outsider (Dowling, Genet, Moynihan, Cournos, & Goldfinger, 2005). These stigmas are potentially linked to the debatable high arrest rates of the mentally ill. Thus, this study sought to identify a possible connection to a lower arrest rate of the mentally ill by those law enforcement officers who were trained by Field Training Officers who were proficient in the mentoring skills identified by Kouzes and Posner's (1992) five leadership practices.