POLICE ORGANIZATION

Police Organization

Police Organization

Introduction

This paper reviews the organizational subsystem and subsystem tasks of modern police department. Why these tasks must be grouped into like subsystem functions to be effective. It also, examines how the police organization must adhere to a chain of command in order communicate. The role supervisors, management and the administration must take in delegating authority and methods to monitor its misuse or abuse. How well developed organizational policies and procedures guide the use of police employee discretion to ensure the philosophy of the department is met.

Police Organizational Tasks and Policy

All criminal justice agencies must have an organizational structure in place to help them function efficiently. Most modern police agencies use the organizational subsystem in conjunction with organizational principles and policies and procedures to ensure a department operates efficiently and effectively to provide police services. If there is a breakdown in the organizational structure it can disrupt the day to day operations of the department. The effects of this structural breakdown can range from poor employee morale, abuse of sick leave, high attrition rates, allegations of corruption, and distrust from the public.

The organizational subsystem is comprised of three subsystems; operations, administration, and auxiliary subsystems. These subsystems provide the frame work in which specific tasks can be logically placed based on the subsystems function. However, grouping tasks in subsystems can pose a major challenge to the agency, due to its size, budget, and policing strategies, which are constantly changing and evolving (Wilson & McLaren 2007). Tasks should be grouped so that they will work together with other tasks in the subsystem without over burdening staff.

Operations are police activities that directly affect the public the tasks in this subsection generally need to be performed around the clock. For example, patrol, traffic, criminal investigations, special operations, crime prevention, juvenile services, community services, and school services are tasks assigned to operations. The operations subsystem is considered the backbone of the department.

Literature Review

The unity of command has been an organizational principle Napoleon was battling at Waterloo. Unity of command insists that communication between a subordinate and superior be on a one to one basis. A subordinate should never be expected to report to more than one superior or take orders from more than one superior. Departmental policy must stipulate that each officer only take orders one person usually that officers immediate supervisor (Cordner & Scarborough 2007). The policy must also remain practical for police work by clearly stating who the officer should receive orders from and under which circumstances.

By establishing this policy a department maintains the chain of command and eliminates confusion on behalf of the employee. In a properly organized department the chief or sheriff should delegate his or hers decision making authority to all levels of the agency. Delegation of authority is supposed to make the system work. The chief delegates authority to commanders, who delegate authority to managers, and so on down the line. Written guidelines in the form of policies and procedures also regulate ...