Abstract
As local law enforcement organizations continue to embrace IT, the successful management of these technologies will continue to have expanding implications for the municipal organization. The emergence of the IT state and the risks associated with the accelerated rate of technological change places law enforcement professionals in a precarious position: balancing the needs for public safety with organizational efficiency and effectiveness concerns. This paper reports the findings of a study examining the role of law enforcement leadership with regard to the successful management of IT. This study assumes that the degree to which senior leadership within the police department and throughout the municipal organization embraces IT and appreciates the dynamic characteristics of the technologies themselves results in a greater level of success integrating technology into organizational operations.