Which term describes the professional obligation of a supervisor for the actions of subordinates?

• A. Chain of command
• B. Command responsibility
• C. Direct supervision
• D. Administrative liability

Answer: (B)

Command responsibility describes a supervisor’s professional obligation to oversee subordinates and be answerable for their actions when the supervisor knew or should have known about misconduct and failed to act. In policing, a supervisor is expected to monitor behavior, enforce policy, intervene to stop wrongdoing, and ensure proper training and reporting. If misconduct occurs and the supervisor did not intervene, report, or take corrective steps, they can share accountability for those actions. This is different from simply the organizational structure (chain of command), the act of supervising in the moment (direct supervision), or liability arising from broad administrative decisions (administrative liability). For example, a sergeant who ignores repeated misconduct or neglects to address it can bear command responsibility because the failure to supervise allowed the wrongdoing to continue.