Why Organization Is Important in a Police Department - 1

Why Organization is Important in a Police Department - 1

Why Organization is Important in a Police Department

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The organization of a police department is what gives it the ability to meet its mission to protect and serve the public. The manner in which a Department organizes itself can have a profound impact on the public, the officers, and the community as a whole. There are many methods of organization. Several factors are important in the organization. Some of those factors involve organizing a department by area, time, and purpose or function.

When a department is considering its manner of organization, one of the first areas it needs to consider is organizing by area. This could include dividing up the community into beats, which are also known as posts. These are usually areas that are covered by police offices on foot patrol, motorcycle patrol, horse or mounted patrol, bicycle, scooter, and in some urban jurisdictions, Segway patrol. The beats are combined into sectors or zones, which are then combined further into precincts. When one considers organizing by area, then, they are concerned with beats, sectors, and precincts.

Once a precinct's area organization is determined, the department will then need to organize by time. There are many schools of thought in organizing a department by time. Some departments are organized into three tours of eight hours each – with the tours consisting of a midnight or night shift, day shift, or evening shift. Because of training needs, some departments will overlap shifts, creating longer shifts, to permit for time to train or communicate. Some departments operate on two twelve-hour tour or four ten-hour tours. Depending on the amount of manpower and budgetary resources available, a department can plan around time in many ways to accommodate its needs and the needs of the community. A study completed in the 60's suggests that departments should organize and concentrate its manpower based on when crimes and calls for service occur, when most crimes occur, and other factors.

Another option to consider in the organization of a department by time is the use of steady tours. Working constantly rotating shifts has a health impact on officers, and can affect every area of their lives. Their circadian rhythm is disrupted when they are consistently changing from one shift to another. The resulting impact on their eating, living, social, sleeping and other life issues is impacting negatively and can increase stress, which has been connected to other major health issues.

Another factor in need of consideration in police organization are the requirements for auxiliary support. Auxiliary support includesthose functions that exist to assist police officers in the completion of their duties. This includes such functional areas as property control, laboratory services, detention cells and services, booking, identification, alcohol testing, facilities, equipment, supply, maintenance, motor pool, and communications. These services need to be available to officers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In the absence of these services, the officer is not able to do his or her job. Efficient organization of these support functions is very important to the effective operation of the department.

No discussion of organization would be complete without discussing organization by function and purpose. This is a method of grouping the employees, managers, and officers of a department into group based on their function or purpose in the organization. Organizational Line Units are those units that directly interface with the public and officers to accomplish the goals of the department. Organizational Staff Units are support positions and groups that provide support to units, including human resources and clerical support. In most departments, like units are grouped together. For example, Detectives may be grouped together, but they may be organized into sub-groups that include homicide, vice, cold case, and other areas. Other groupings would include patrol, traffic, organized crime, gangs, drugs, community relations, and others unique to the community.

The ultimate test of a department in the effectiveness of its organization lies in its ability to meet the needs of the public in a timely and efficient manner consistent with its departmental goals and objectives. If a department is not organized in an efficient manner, it will be hampered in its efforts and the result could be an unhappy public, unhappy officers, and unhappy managers and city officials. Taking the time to understand and explore the most effective design for a department's organization can relieve potential headaches downstream.

References

Wadsworth. 2005. An Introduction to Policing. Thompson Learning, Inc.

Maguire, Edward R. 2003. Organizational Structure in American Police Agencies: Context, Complexity, and Control. New York. SUNY Press.