Police in AmericaPolice in America

Chapter FourChapter Four

Police OrganizationsPolice Organizations

© 2013 McGraw-Hill Companies. All Rights Reserved.McGraw-Hill

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Quasi-Military Style of Police Quasi-Military Style of Police OrganizationsOrganizations

Officers wear uniformsOfficers wear uniforms Military-style rank designationsMilitary-style rank designations Hierarchical command structureHierarchical command structure Authoritarian organizational styleAuthoritarian organizational style Legal authority to use deadly force and carry weapons Legal authority to use deadly force and carry weapons

CriticismsCriticisms Cultivates an Cultivates an ““us versus themus versus them”” attitude attitude Encourages the idea of a Encourages the idea of a ““war on crimewar on crime”” Authoritarian style contrary to democratic principles and Authoritarian style contrary to democratic principles and produces low moraleproduces low morale Rigid structure leaves room for job dissatisfaction Rigid structure leaves room for job dissatisfaction

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Police Departments as Police Departments as OrganizationsOrganizations

Dominant style is as a complex bureaucracyDominant style is as a complex bureaucracy Characterized byCharacterized by

Complex organizationsComplex organizations Tasks assigned to Tasks assigned to ““bureausbureaus”” Hierarchy and clear division of laborHierarchy and clear division of labor Responsibility for specific tasks delegated to lower-ranking employeesResponsibility for specific tasks delegated to lower-ranking employees Clear chain of commandClear chain of command Clear unity of commandClear unity of command Written rules and regulations Written rules and regulations Flow of information according to chain of commandFlow of information according to chain of command Clear career paths Clear career paths

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Pros and Cons of Bureaucracy Pros and Cons of Bureaucracy in Policingin Policing

Rigid, inflexible, and unable to adapt to external changesRigid, inflexible, and unable to adapt to external changes Communication within the organization often breaks downCommunication within the organization often breaks down Tend to be inward looking, self-serving, and isolated from the people Tend to be inward looking, self-serving, and isolated from the people

they servethey serve Are accused of not using the talents of their employees and even Are accused of not using the talents of their employees and even

stifling creativitystifling creativity

Criticisms:Criticisms:• Cultivates an “us versus them” attitudeCultivates an “us versus them” attitude• Encourages the idea of a “war on crime”Encourages the idea of a “war on crime”• Authoritarian style contrary to democratic principles and produces low moraleAuthoritarian style contrary to democratic principles and produces low morale• Rigid structure leaves room for job dissatisfaction Rigid structure leaves room for job dissatisfaction

The ProblemsThe Problems

The PositivesThe Positives

Informal AspectsInformal Aspects Horizontal and vertical cliquesHorizontal and vertical cliques

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Bureaucracy and Police Bureaucracy and Police ProfessionalismProfessionalism

Professionalism challenged by the Professionalism challenged by the bureaucratic nature of policingbureaucratic nature of policing

Professional departments adopted a Professional departments adopted a ““by by the bookthe book”” approach to policing approach to policing

The bureaucracy imposes formal controls The bureaucracy imposes formal controls over the behavior of police officersover the behavior of police officers

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Changing Police OrganizationsChanging Police Organizations

Community PolicingCommunity Policing Decentralizes decision making (territorial and administrative)Decentralizes decision making (territorial and administrative)

Task ForcesTask Forces Officers from different ranks based on talentsOfficers from different ranks based on talents

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Community PolicingCommunity Policing

Community policing attempts to modify the Community policing attempts to modify the police organization through de-police organization through de-bureaucratization. bureaucratization. decentralize decentralize deformalizedeformalize despecializedespecialize delayerizedelayerize

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COMPSTAT: Computer COMPSTAT: Computer Comparison StatisticsComparison Statistics

Clarifies the departmentClarifies the department’’s mission, goals, and valuess mission, goals, and values Holds managers accountableHolds managers accountable Organizational power and authority transferred to Organizational power and authority transferred to

commanders who are responsible for geographic commanders who are responsible for geographic areasareas

Resources are transferred to commanders.Resources are transferred to commanders. Data used to identify problems and to evaluate Data used to identify problems and to evaluate

success and failure.success and failure. Middle managers expected to use innovative problem-Middle managers expected to use innovative problem-

solving tacticssolving tactics

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Civil ServiceCivil Service

Formal and legally binding procedures Formal and legally binding procedures governing personnel decisionsgoverning personnel decisions

Nearly universalNearly universal Purpose: to ensure personnel make Purpose: to ensure personnel make

decisions objectively decisions objectively Reinforces the hierarchy of police depts.Reinforces the hierarchy of police depts.

Rewards hierarchy Rewards hierarchy Status hierarchyStatus hierarchy Seniority hierarchy Seniority hierarchy Rank hierarchyRank hierarchy

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Police UnionsPolice Unions

Majority of police officers Majority of police officers represented by unionsrepresented by unions

Three major police unions:Three major police unions:

1.1. Fraternal Order of PoliceFraternal Order of Police

2.2. International Union of Police International Union of Police AssociationsAssociations

3.3. Teamsters Law Teamsters Law Enforcement LeagueEnforcement League

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Police Unions ContinuedPolice Unions Continued

Collective BargainingCollective Bargaining ““The method of determining conditions of The method of determining conditions of

employment through bilateral negotiationsemployment through bilateral negotiations”” Grievance ProceduresGrievance Procedures

Provides due process to employeesProvides due process to employees Unions and Shared GovernanceUnions and Shared Governance Impasse Settlement and StrikesImpasse Settlement and Strikes Impact of Police UnionsImpact of Police Unions

Improvements in salaries and benefitsImprovements in salaries and benefits

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Police Organizations and Their Police Organizations and Their EnvironmentEnvironment

Contingency TheoryContingency Theory Organizations are structured to achieve specific Organizations are structured to achieve specific

goals (crime control)goals (crime control) Institutional TheoryInstitutional Theory

Organizations operate in relation to their Organizations operate in relation to their external social and political environmentexternal social and political environment

Resource Dependency TheoryResource Dependency Theory Organizations must obtain resources to surviveOrganizations must obtain resources to survive