Types of Law Enforcement and Leadership Roles

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Read time 5 minutes

GCE Editorial Team

Published on Feb 27, 2025

Law enforcement is both a system and a collection of activities. It comprises of all the agencies, systems and individuals responsible for carrying out law enforcement activities designed to maintain public order and safety and uphold federal, state and local laws. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement, there are numerous opportunities to consider in the various types of law enforcement agencies — from patrol officers to specialized or investigative roles.

There may also be opportunities to position yourself for potential advancement within this field. For example, you might choose to pursue leadership roles in law enforcement. When considering career and advancement opportunities, it is helpful to clearly understand the different law enforcement specialties.

Main Types of Law Enforcement

Law enforcement offers a diverse career field, with opportunities across different settings and specialty areas. For example, you could choose to pursue a law enforcement career at the federal, state or local level.

Some examples of federal law enforcement roles include Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agents and U.S. Marshals. At the state level, roles include highway patrol officers and state police officers. Local law enforcement roles include municipal police officers and county sheriff deputies.

In addition to federal, state and local opportunities, some law enforcement professionals serve in specialty capacities. These include game wardens, park rangers and other environmental law officers, who are charged with enforcing the laws that protect the environment.

The Importance of Leadership in Law Enforcement

Individuals who work in leadership positions within law enforcement fulfill essential roles. Leadership in law enforcement provides:

Accountability: Those in leadership positions are responsible for ensuring that all their subordinate officers are held accountable for their actions and that the law is enforced fairly and equitably.
Motivation: Leaders in law enforcement must keep their team motivated and driven to tackle modern challenges in policing.
Dedication to ethics: Since law enforcement officers are in a position of authority, it is vital that they maintain an unwavering commitment to professional ethics and to conduct themselves in a fair, impartial and nonbiased manner. Leaders must require ethical conduct and decision-making from their subordinates.
Professional work culture: Any organization’s culture tends to stem from the top. Law enforcement leaders can establish a positive work culture by requiring professionalism, encouraging professional development, setting clear standards and ensuring all employees work in an environment free of discriminatory practices.
Adaptation: Trends in unlawful activity, laws and regulations, available technologies and policing patterns are all subject to continual change over time. It’s the responsibility of all law enforcement leaders to keep their organizations flexible enough to continually adapt to change and evolve to better meet the needs of the communities they serve.

These are just a few essential functions that leadership roles carry out within the law enforcement field.

Leadership Skills and Styles

In order to serve their organizations well, leaders should actively cultivate effective police leadership styles and skills. Leadership styles among high-level positions within law enforcement can vary. Some of them may include:

Democratic: This leadership style is highly collaborative. Each team member has the opportunity to provide their input and the leader makes decisions after considering all input.
Transformational: Transformational leaders empower individual team members to achieve their true potential and to continually work toward achieving their full potential.
Autocratic: Autocratic leadership involves absolute power concentrated in one role. The authoritative leader makes decisions without input from any team members.
Laissez-faire: In this style, the leader provides team members with all the resources and tools they need and then steps back and trusts team members to carry out their responsibilities without much oversight.
Servant leadership: Servant leaders see themselves as servants to their teams who lead by example and strive to provide their teams with everything they need to succeed.

No matter the style that any leader embraces, specific leadership skills in all areas of law enforcement are essential. Some examples of top police leadership skills include:^1,2

Effective communication skills
Confident decision-making skills
Accountability and consistency
Empathy and compassion
Ability to inspire others
Ability to build trust
Integrity
Interpersonal skills

Resourcefulness, attention to detail and a commitment to service and professional development are other essential attributes of an effective leader in law enforcement.²

Potential Benefits of a Master’s Degree

The academic-related and other requirements to join a law enforcement agency and position yourself to potentially pursue advancement opportunities vary considerably from one jurisdiction and level of law enforcement to the next. Since there are no universal requirements, individuals seeking leadership positions should explore the criteria for the specific position they desire in their agency.

No matter which positions you’re seeking or the agency you work for, there are potential benefits of graduate education to consider. These may include:³

Opportunities to develop advanced or specialized knowledge in law enforcement
Potential to develop one’s leadership style and skills
Examination of the latest policing trends, policy changes and technological developments

In addition to the opportunity to examine the criminal justice system at the graduate level, a master’s degree may be intended to help prepare you to seek specific roles. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that applicants who hope to become an FBI special agent may demonstrate less work experience if they also hold a master’s or doctoral degree.⁴

Graduate Degree Options

There are a few different graduate degree options that you might consider earning if you’re interested in examining advanced topics in law enforcement, such as police leadership styles. For example, you might consider earning a master’s degree in justice studies or a general Master of Science (MS) in Criminal Justice degree. Depending on the university you choose, you might have the option to choose an emphasis or specialization, such as an MS in Criminal Justice with an Emphasis in Law Enforcement.

At Grand Canyon University, our master’s degree in criminal justice with an emphasis in law enforcement focuses on the key issues facing law enforcement leaders in modern times. It examines the intersection of socioeconomic issues with the law enforcement function and the most effective law enforcement management practices. The curriculum for this degree even takes a look at the intersection of psychology and criminal justice, covering topics such as psychopathology, criminal profiling and crisis intervention.

Additional concepts and competencies taught include:

Analysis of criminal behavior
Crime prevention strategies
Public relationship development
Organizational planning for law enforcement leaders
Leadership styles and skills, including conflict management and decision-making

At GCU, all our degree programs emphasize the importance of professional ethics and integrity. We strive to graduate servant leaders who are prepared to make a positive difference not only in the workplace but in the larger community.

Learners who earn a master’s in criminal justice may emerge feeling better prepared to position themselves to potentially pursue career advancement. Some examples of higher-level roles that you might want to consider could include:

Police supervisor
Detective supervisor
Warden
Correctional officer supervisor
Probation manager
Border patrol supervisor
Manager of juvenile corrections
Federal agent

Earn Your Master’s in Criminal Justice at GCU

GCU is committed to delivering industry-focused higher education that is designed to prepare graduates to pursue their career goals and make a positive impact in their communities. You can learn more about the Master of Science in Criminal Justice with an Emphasis in Law Enforcement degree program by filling out the form on this page to connect with a university counselor. You may also wish to explore our other criminal justice studies degree programs, available online or on campus.

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GCE Editorial Team