This book was inspired by the Everyday Offending in Plymouth project (www.
everydayoffending.org) which revealed Plymouth’s ‘Youngest Ever Chief
Constable’: the charismatic Joseph Davison Sowerby 1892–1916, portrayed on
the front cover photograph of Plymouth City Police Force in 1907 (second row,
eighth from left). Sowerby’s innovative strategies to tackle drunkenness and
antisocial behaviour were an early form of zero tolerance policing which earned
him the enduring respect of the town and his men. He provides a fascinating
exemplar of some of the remarkable individuals who have held the office of Chief
Constable but whose experiences have, from a historical perspective, often been
undervalued. The office of Chief Constable is a unique, challenging and often
invidious role requiring significant leadership skills, effective managerial strategies,
diplomatic dexterity and political integrity. However, the role of Chief Constables
in the past has not generally been afforded the same attention as the rank and file.
Leading the Police aims to redress that balance presenting a series of chapters
analysing the challenges and tensions associated with police leadership and
exploring the wider contextual and historical developments.