Specificity of the Police by Max Weber - Research Paper Example

THE POLICE IN SOCIETY Outline Introduction Principles of bureaucracy in police organizations Police agencies as organizations Organizational structure Unity of Command and Span of Control Organizational policies and procedures Communication within police organizations Comparison between police departments and Sheriff’s offices Conclusion Introduction The police are an umbrella body of people who are empowered by the state to enforce laws and regulations as well as checking for any civil misconduct. Police agencies are evaluated as organizations that have their structure, command principles, employment of policies and procedures, as well as having elaborate communication processes. Employment of principles of bureaucracy outlined by Max Weber in police organizations. Police agencies, just like other organizations are bureaucratic thus they clearly follow the principles of a bureaucracy. Max Weber, a German sociologist outlined the following principles of bureaucracy that are employed in many organizations. First, there is a lot of specialization such that everyone has their own assigned role. Then there is a clear hierarchy of office, where seniors and subordinates are very identifiable. Bureaucracies are guided by clear set of rules and regulations that guide the actions of personnel at each level. Another key factor is technical competence. Personnel are recruited to bureaucracies based on their qualifications. All official activities in a bureaucracy demand full working and completion by the individual in the office. This does not take into consideration the time taken. Management follows stable written rules that can be learned. They are the ones that determine ones performance in the job. That is why police chiefs and sheriffs are hired based on their experience and not on the on the job training. Police agencies as organizations Chain of command The running of affairs in any police agency responds a traditional pyramidal organizational structure. These agencies have a number of specialized special units which rank upwards starting with supervisors (sergeants), the mid level managers (Unit Commanders all) the way up to the (Administrators Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs). This structure enables the police agency to bestow authority through a chain of command. The different police units work together both internally and with external groups in order to serve the public. Organizational structure Every police agency has a unique organizational structure. The operations or line personnel run operations in the field and are divided into primary and secondary operations elements[Pea95]. First, there is the patrol function which is also referred to as the backbone of policing. The patrol forces provide routine patrols, conduct traffic and criminal investigations, arresting and functioning as generalists. The secondary functions are those that concern investigation. There are also support (non line) functions which increase with the size of the organization. They mainly include staffing and administrative services. The organizational structure directs how police organizations apportion workload among members according to a logical plan, ensures that lines of authority are definite, specifies the unity of command, assigns responsibility and authority and coordinates the efforts of all the members to work harmoniously to accomplish the mission. There are also other areas of specialization which are lesser known. They include community crime prevention, child abuse, drug abuse and missing children units. Unity of Command and Span of Control Unity of Command This is an organizational principle dictating that every officer should report to one and only one superior, until the superior officer is relieved. This comes to eliminate all forms of ambiguity so that there is know issuing of multiple orders from different supervisors. It strictly follows the chain of command. Span of Control It simply refers to the number of individuals that one can effectively supervise. There is a small limit that has fewer people at the top who increase as we go to the lower levels. A modern tendency in police operations is to have supervisors spread too thinly. Organizational policies and procedures In policing, the policies and procedures plus the rules and regulations are very important in defining role expectations for different departments. The leaders use them as the road map in the accomplishment of their missions. The policies stipulate the specific guidelines set to ensure tat all officers conform consistently to behavior that will enhance public protection Communication within police organizations Communication within police organizations can be a complicated and rigorous process since they kind of people dealt with are mostly deviant. However, there exist the following types of communication. First, there is the job instruction which involves about performance of a certain task. Job rationale deals with communication about a task to organizational task. There is the procedures and practice which clearly stipulates rules and regulations. There is also the feedback. Indoctrination is another kind that is designed to motivate the employee. The basic elements of communication are: Upward communication- it involves the communication between the subordinate and the superiors. This kind encounters many barriers such as physical distance. For instance if an officer detects something during the patrol, he has to follow the bureaucracy in order to pass the information to the seniors, and this makes the whole process cumbersome. There may be several cases of distortion along the hierarchy. Horizontal communication- It is an informal type of communication. I use channels such as grapevine usually taking place between peers. It has an advantage in that it promotes a feeling of team work and promotes cooperation. Grapevine This refers to rumours or unverified information and is very much common in police agencies. Some police departments have even established rumour control centers in case of major chaos. Grapevine spreads first and operates at the workplace to supplement formal communication. It can be used by management to help evaluate how the employees feel and also help them vent their frustrations. However, the information can also be false and malicious. Grapevine is a force that can not be evaded, but have to be faced every day. Written communication- they come with a lot of confidentiality in the large organizations. There are records maintained as evidence. It is also a preferred means of dealing with third parties and people outside the police agency. The written forms of communication act as protection for police agencies once they are faced with complains from third parties such as activists. Comparison between police departments and Sheriff’s offices Both municipal police and county sheriffs have general responsibilities which include traffic enforcement, accident investigation, criminal investigation and other related ones. However, the role of the sheriffs is more inclined towards providing court security, transporting prisoners, serving civil process such as divorce cases and operating local jails. The municipal police and the county sheriffs also together engage in special weapons and tactics plus in search and rescue operations. The sheriffs tend to be more involved in the rural and local operations. During the hiring and recruiting of new officers, the sheriffs and the police also undergo through almost the same tests and evaluations. The police tests; however tend to be slightly more rigorous than those of the sheriffs. They also have the authority to use various equipments such as guns and pistols. Dogs are also employed by the general police to be used at the much higher levels by sheriff’s offices. Computers and modern technology are also used almost equally. The executive officers include the chief of police and the sheriffs and all have an outlined criterion in which they are recruited. Their recruitment varies depending on the size of the agency they are joining. Their qualification requirements, selection and tenure are all different. Henry Mintzberg described a set if behaviors and tasks of the executives in any organization. He said that the roles of the executive officers can be summed up into interpersonal, informational and decision making within an analytic framework. The daily operations of the police usually intermingle with politics. The appointment of individuals to various offices and firing too is politically driven. Many police departments and units also tend to be exploitative just as politics is. This is because they have authority that has been bestowed on them by the state. The police have also clearly come in to the media by introducing police programs on the television. This has made people to get a clearer perception about how they operate. Therefore there have been increased media relations with the police. In the effort to deliver more services, the police are getting involved in contracting and consolidating. Smaller police agencies are contracting police services with lager agencies to as to deliver services that they formally could not deliver. The same is also the case in consolidation where two jurisdictions can be completely combined into a single agency so as to deliver services more effectively. Police agencies have also set minimum voluntary standards for law enforcement which must be met for effective delivery of services. One of the benefits of accreditation is decreased insurance costs in police agencies. Accreditation does not interfere with other police rules and regulations and therefore they are easy to go by. Conclusion The police are an important organization in any society. They ensure that minimum standards of civility and discipline are observed by all members of the society. This ensures that there is order which enables everyone to carry out their businesses without interfering with each others affairs. Works Cited Pea95: , (Peak), Read More