Today

2 key issues:(1) Structure of police agencies(2) Policies/Procedures

Hierarchy

Most organizations have some hierarchyAny organization where someone has

authority over someone else (i.e. a “boss”)Degree of hierarchy is usually related to sizeProblems:Communication delaysProblems in creating feedbackTough to balance supervision with efficiency

Accountability

Key principle: Responsibility to carry out a task should come with the commensurate authority, and no authority should be given without commensurate responsibility

Issue: When authority is delegated, it is not always used wisely (too much, too little, or improper use).

Monitoring of delegated authority is essentialMonitoring must be fair and uniform

Police & Authority

Ultimate authority rests with the Chief, who must delegate his/her authority

Chiefs often reticent to delegate authorityBut:This affects administration, but often not

operational issuesLine officers still have tremendous authorityStill:When authority is delegated, it must be clear

how authority is to be used.

Key Organizational Principles

Four:(1) Chain of command Formal communication channels(2) Unity of command No more than 1 superior(3) Span of control Number of subordinates reporting to

supervisor(4) Grouping like functions Organizational units (admin, operations, aux)

Written Guidelines

Police possess great power over citizensWant police to use power in accordance with

organizational principles/valuesWant to provide police with guidance about

expectations of how to use powerThis is done through guidelines: policies,

procedures and rules/regulationsIssue: Police deal with a wide variety of

situations and are afforded tremendous discretion

Policies

Not too long ago, police administrators resisted making policies to serve as standards for officers’ conduct.

They resisted based on 3 arguments:(1) The criminal law is an effective and sufficient control

on the behavior of officers charged with enforcing it(2) Policies are unworkable, since every police situation

is different(3) By specifying restrictive policies, the police would

create narrow standards by which their conduct would be judged in court, thereby increasing their exposure to civil liability

What is Policy?

They are guides for decision-makingThey are more general than procedures and

rules

Policy is vital—every situation is different, but meaningful guidelines can be created for critical and frequent police situations (e.g., use of force, domestic violence, off-duty conduct, special operations)

Some research shows that policy can have demonstrable effects on employee behavior

What are Procedures?

More specific than policiesGuides to action: a means for carrying out

policies (“action plans”)

Problem: procedures can create efficiency and effectiveness, or they can hamper them.

So: police must invest in procedural development, outlining which activities need strict control, which need decision-making guidelines, and which need summary guidance.

What are rules/regulations?

Specific guidelines with no room for discretion

Require or prohibit specific behavior (e.g. no officer shall receive free meals or drinks)

“Action mandates”

Systems Theory

Written guidelines must be meaningful, and kept current

These should be developed with input from the system (both internally & externally)

These should be part of a closed system (i.e., there needs to be a “feedback loop”).

How?Review of internal documents (complaints, UoF

reports)Review of police research literatureContact with other agencies, professional orgs,

training programs, etc.