This article presents data drawn from the written views of middle managers representing police departments from across the nation. The respondents were attending the Administrative Officers Course at the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville. During the course of their studies, they read Osborne and Gaebler's (1992) Reinventing Government. In a written essay, they were asked to identify the three best and worst ideas from this text. The results indicate that these police middle managers supported the elements of reinvention that reflected the ideals of community policing. They attacked other ideas as inefficient, inequitable, or unethical. Overall, their views reflect cautious support for the changes expressed in Reinventing Government.
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