Rights of police officers and the development of police unions - Essay Example

Rights of Police Officers and the Development of Police Unions Rights of Police Officers and the Development of Police UnionsPolice officers of law enforcement agencies that are not unionized may face many challenges, for example they might not be able to protest against lowers salaries and facilities with the higher authorities. Non unionized law enforcement agencies can also not negotiate collective grievances with relevant authorities. Unions can offer many benefits to police officers as they give them a platform to voice their concerns, like regarding unfair wages, to the top management (Bagley, P. 2007). Naturally, officers of law enforcement agencies are at a loss if they are not allowed to unionize.

Non unionized police officers also cannot negotiate the details of their contracts at a collective level, which is also a challenge for non unionized law enforcement agencies. Absence of union from agencies is also not good for authorities and management. When there are unions, management has an opportunity to negotiate with leaders of the union in order to solve any problem. Absence of unions might lead to organizational issues and uncertainty, which will be very difficult to resolve. This is why presence of unions is also important for management as they know people with which they can talk and negotiate in case of any grievance of employees.

Police departments that have union protection are much better off than police departments without union protection. Unions are good for both employees and management. Employees can raise their voice against any injustice as they have a clear platform do so. Unions also give management and authorities a chance to resolve issues amicably without disrupting normal activities of the police department. Law enforcement agencies have an important function in the society and, therefore, employee dissatisfaction and grievance can have negative consequences for the whole society.

This is why unionized police department are better off than non unionized police departments. ReferencesBagley, P. (2007). The ‘Everything’ Guide to Careers in Law Enforcement: A Complete Handbook to an Exciting and Rewarding Life of Service. New York: Everything Books