Police Executive Process

* Another component the police management follows is legalistic style which tells the officers to preform matters formally. With legalistic style the administrators reduce discretion to a minimum and emphasize uniform and impartial arrest for all crimes.

This essay discusses the effects of the police organizational culture on a Police officer’s ability to make independent decisions.

Policing today consists of three eras. These three eras have adapted and built off one another through history (Parr, 2014). The first era started around 1840 to 1930, and is known as the Political Era. The second Era is known as the Reform Era and lasted from 1930 to 1970. The last era is called the Community-Problem Solving Era and is still being adapted and used today. The Political Era emphasizes on meeting the needs of politicians. The police were given power through the local government and the community had very little say in what happened. The police and politicians worked together to control the city and neighborhoods (Palmiotto, 2000). This was often referred to as a ward. The ward politician controlled all the police in their neighborhood. The police officers tasks included not only crime prevention and order but a lot of social service activities that involved their neighborhoods. The officers resembled the ethnic backgrounds of the neighborhoods they lived and worked in and performed their patrols gaining trust from their community (Palmiotto, 2000). This allowed positive integration of police officers leading to more public service, and the trust of the officers to stop crime when is starts.

As a police officer, the major objectives are to maintain order, enforce the law, protect one’s property, and to save lives. In addition, police are divided into two roles based on how they perform their duties. The two roles of a police officer are a public servant and a crime fighter. A police officer whose role as a public servant is to serve all types of people, as well as criminals. Public servants regularly provide advice and make judgments as to the degree of risk they should take with the public. Many decisions involving risk are relatively easy to make, but others are complex and significant consequences (Kernaghan and Langford, 2016). These risks may involve using force and the consequences could be media backlash or a potential termination. Public servants abide by the oath and uphold the integrity and honor of the organization as an officer. Also, public servant officers like to play it safe because they like to be known as ordinary citizens who like to go home to their

Policing and the way they operate are truly similar as if they are hand in hand with one another. In order for operations to run smoothly and the department to be functioning as one there has to be proper training and care from the supervisors, administrators and from everyone who works together to understand that they’re a team. Everyone in the police department has to work together instead of against one another just to make sure everyone is doing their jobs by the books with no room for errors.

With the implementation of a formal system of policies, procedures, rules and regulations, and discipline the behavior of the officers can be modified to emulate the values and objectives of the department. Assuring first that the command staff / Chief of Police and his subordinates are compliant and fully knowledgeable of all current rules, regulations, policies, and standards, the delegation of authority for specific actions would relieve the burden on chief. As a result, more attention can be placed on the officers and their activities in the field.

As a patrol officer in Memphis for nearly ten years I feel personally invested in questions concerning the management of patrol personnel. Having seen many good officers and a few bad officers over the years I know the difficult task administrators are required to handle on a daily basis. I come from a military background and prefer clear direct instruction/guidance from my management. By knowing what the standards are and the possible consequences for failing to meet them I feel comfortable in my day to day responsibilities. Not all officers are like me, some dislike what they perceive to be micromanagement. Yet I would contend that clear policy and procedure as well as a strong mission statement as the benchmark for officer success are not

Although the economic environment and social relationships have changed, police officers remain the centerpiece and foundation of civil law enforcement — but without community support and trust, they will never be capable of doing their job effectively. Public trust is the cornerstone of successful policing, the currency by which they are allowed to operate. One act of misconduct, perceived or otherwise, reflects wholly on the department and is one of the most substantial hurdles to overcome as an active stakeholder within the community, not an enemy of it. Strong leadership can steer the department through adverse periods of municipal distrust by fostering a culture from within that promotes openness, fairness, and high ethical standards. Creating buy-in from internal stakeholders establishes a strong foundation and promotes esprit de corps, upon which a very successful strategic communication and outreach campaign to external stakeholders (latent, expectant, and definitive) will thrive and ensure widespread support.

“Rank does not confer privilege or give power. It imposes responsibility.” (Peter Drucker) An effective manager can be the difference between a successful law enforcement organization or its failure. There are several theories on effective management in law enforcement and the business world alike. Some of those theories can cross over and be helpful for a law enforcement manager. A manager can have the knowledge of all theory relative to law enforcement management, but without understanding several key concepts, the manager will in turn not be effective. An effective law enforcement manager is responsible for far more than just managing employees, unlike the business world. Effective law enforcement managers’ decisions likely impact the safety of the citizens within the jurisdiction, and that is the greatest responsibility. There are several components that will allow a law enforcement manager to be effective. Out of those components there are three primaries that are of upmost concern. Those three components are effective communication, organizational skills, and empowerment.

Police executives have always had different issues within the police department. Most police executives try to find a quick fix in order to solve the issue of police misconduct. Police misconduct is defined as inappropriate action taken by police officers in relation with their official duties (Police Misconduct Law & Legal Definition, n.d.). In order to solve this issue, one must acknowledge their different challenges, overcome the “code of silence”, and find out the role of organizational culture.

In this paper I would be identifying, compare, and contrast the policing function at the local, state, and federal organizational levels. I would be Analyzing how the organizational, management, administration, and operational functions at these three organizational levels are similar or different and why. Also I would be identifying the leadership characteristics and responsibilities pertaining to each organizational level.

Police leadership uses standardization and procedure as a way to create consistency and predict¬ability in law enforcement operations (Batts, Smoot, & Scrivner, 2012). The San Diego Police Department, like nearly all law enforcement agencies uses leadership models mimicking the United States military. Paramilitary organizations use highly structured framing to conduct business operations. The structural frame creates compartmentalized specialization, and predictable, uniform task performance desired by police executives. The tightly designed rank-and-file structure delineates locus power and control based on position (Bolman & Deal, 1991). Power rests at the top. Contained with this structure is top-down control of personnel,

“Lack of leadership competency is often the most critical obstacle to successful police projects” (Yang, 2012, p. 535).

Whisenand, P. M., & McCain, J. K. (2014). Managing Police Organizations. In P. M.Whisenand, & J. K. McCain, Managing Police Organizations (p. 33). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

The style of police leadership has gradually changed over the last several years. The traditional belief that the solitary leader who possessed the wisdom, integrity, and courage to manage a police department, or a shift of officers has been replaced with the concept of teamwork (Wuestewald, 2013). The idea of using a team to manage an organization is nothing new in the private sector, however, replacing the old idea of a solitary leader has taken time and is slow to take hold in some organizations.