Solution Centered Sociology - Coursework Example

Due: Solution Centered Sociology – Analysis of Washington DC. Metropolitan Police Department Introduction The origins of Metropolitan Police Department Washington could be traced back to 1860s when the central part of USA was combating serious law and order issues and there were rise in concerns regarding the safety and protection of people and places. The stressed situation results in enaction of 1899 Watchmen in Municipal Facilities Act by Congress that estabslihed a police force for the safety of municipal government facilities. In 1973, District of Columbia Government Protective Services Division was created and Mayor was designated with the authority to control the police force and District of Columbia Protective Services Division was created that is now called Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) (Searcher, 32). Being the nation’s first federal law enforcement agency, the Metropolitan police department Washington DC possesses great importance for the country and it has been involved in the investigation of several high profile cases during different time period like Lincoln assassination (Searcher, 32). Till its establishment to the present time, the Metropolitan police have evolved as major source of security for Washington and this is working on district level in USA (Braga, 12). It provides full police station services throughout the District of Columbia that is responsible for law enfforcement activities, security of physical properties that come under the District of Columbia (Jocelyn, Joshua and Carey 5). This essay is aimed to present a detailed analysis of the Metropolitan police department of Washington DC from sociological perspective. It discusses the issues that are associated with sociological phenomenon and have been faced by the Metropolitan Police Department since its establishment. Defining the Problem Being the Metropolitan Police Department of the capital city is an intensely challenging position. There are varieties of social issues and problems that are usually faced by the police departments of the metropolitan cities on daily basis and they have to make adequate policies for dealing with such issues (Braga, 12). The metropolitan police department interacts with the people and community members on daily basis during performing its different activities and in this interaction they have to meet people belonging to different cultural, racial and social identities. The Washington DC metropolitan police department also interacts with people of different groups on daily basis and while dealing with their different problems they encounter many social issues (Braga, 12). The main problem faced by the MPD is proper and effective management of matters related with community and law and order situation because unlike traditional style of policing approaches, it would not be possible for the police of the modern day to remain reliable on the conventional means of policing. Now a day, days the police departments are supposed to have very strong roots inside the community and people so that they can investigate about different issues and can prohibit the crime by spotting it in planning phase. This is possible only when the police can have deep roots inside the community and they can instantly trace any unusual activity by any individual or group of people living in their community or visiting their premises. For this purpose, the police department is required to attain better understanding of the social concepts and theories so that they can make effective policies and strategies to make effect social links and can appear to be a better socialized entity. In sum, the metropolitan department has to be well aware of the sociology concepts and theories so that they can apply them in their working and polices (Jocelyn, Joshua and Carey 5). This awareness is required not only at workforce level but also at administrative level because the plans and policies are made on higher level and then the entire workforce work for the execution of these plans and thus it is important that people working in the department at all levels must understand the importance of sociology theories and concepts and their implications within their own working (Colvin, 95). This understanding can make the policies effective and successful and eventually the department would be able to attain its desired objectives through effect practice of sociology theories. Analyzing the Structure The Metropolitan Police Department has a long history during which it has gone through different structural changes as well. The social structure has drawn important impact on MPS structure as well, since there have been some administrative changes made to meet the changes in the social environment. For instance, the department was initially under the control of federal government but in 1973, Home Rule Act was introduced and the mayor was assigned with the responsibility of controlling the department. The strategic plans and objectives of MPD are directed by its mission statement that states “It is the mission of the Metropolitan Police Department to safeguard the District of Columbia and protect its residents and visitors by providing the highest quality of police service with integrity, compassion, and a commitment to innovation that integrates people, technology, and progressive business systems” (MPD Annual Report, 2014) Analyzing the Process The mission and vision of the metropolitan police department has been rooted inside the reasons that have led towards its establishment. MPD has the norms that insist on taking effective measures for the safety of people and property and maintaining strong links with community. MPD is basically aimed at reflecting to the national crisis and law and order situation requirements. The police department states that its main objective is to assure the safety of the District of Columbia by providing complete and sound protection to the people residing here as well as who visit here. MPD focuses upon the values like integration with people, community collaboration, technology adaptation and maintenance of progressive business system. The guiding principles set out by the police chief also affirm that the policemen are directed towards the activities through which they can reduce the crime and prohibit the activities that can create fear among the people. They have the aim to establish their department as a role model for all the police department of the country as well as world. Along with time, thereare no major changes occurred in their stated aims however, there is increase in their attention towards community policing and several programs have been initiated to interact effectively with people. The working process at the police department is being conducted with proper management and planning and no administrative failure issues so far has been came out that can put forward any question on the working, organization or process of the Metropolitan Police department.In order to attain their objectives, the department has created several specialized units and teams. There are many specialized unites that work under the Patrol service like the Gun Recovery, Robbery, Auto Theft Unit etc. Patrol officers are selected to perform their duties in these special units. They mostly conduct their patrolling activities in plain dress rather in police uniform and help the patrolling officer in the process of investigation and intelligence gathering. Some Liaison units have also been established under the Special Liaison Division that works to gather and manage data and information about different population groups residing in Washington. In addition, the Emergency Response Team ERT was also created under the MPD is 1984. It was a full time unite that has been assigned with some special tasks related with the handling of emergency situations. For better provision of police services, the department has initiated some training programs for the police to assure the competency of the staff to deal with the problems and provide the services that match with their values, mission and vision. Office of Unified Communication has also been established as a district agency that answers and dispatches the emergency and non-emergency calls and categorizes them as Priority I, II and III calls. The policemen are supposed to respond towards these calls at immediate basis and by setting out the priorities; it became easy for the policemen to decide their actions regarding the issues for which call has been made. The policing process has been made systematic and more responsive through this communication process. MPD also pays attention to the issue that the policemen are not involved in any case of wrongdoing or misconduct with the people. The department encourages the people to report the cases where they have been wither subjected to or witnessed any type of misconduct by any policemen. The complaints could be launched at MPD or DC office of Police complaints (OPC). The Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) has been established to investigate the complaints any take further actions if the misconduct is proved. This is an important part of their working process that truly reflects their values and vision. It shows that MPD really cares for the community and strictly discourage misuse of authorities by their workforce. Organization Defined MPD has been structured in the same manner that has been followed by most of the US police department. There are no disconnects found in the stated structure that the one that has been practiced in real. The structure is not different from individuals’ perceptions because it follows a widely accepted and practiced policing structure. The members of the police department are directed to follow the culture of the organization that is highly diverse in nature. The department do not support racism or gender discrimination and the structure of the department also reflects that MPD is following a uniformed culture where the policemen are supposed to focus on the stated vision, mission and objectives of the department. All the employees of the department have been allotted with their duties and they smoothly perform the tasks designated to them The leaders Efficient and dynamic leadership plays vital role in the success of any organization and when it comes to police stations, the chiefs of the departments are supposed to play vital role in motivating their workforce and keep them continuously involved in the activities to prevent crime in the jurisdiction. The Washington Metropolitan Police Department is currently headed by Chief Cathy, L Lanier (Jocelyn, Joshua and Carey 5). She has formulated some guiding principles for the police department and has clearly expressed her intentions to fight crime through building effective communication link within the police force and with the community. She has demonstrated her understanding about the communication and community collaboration through different policies and steps taken by the police department from time to time with the intention of fostering linkage between police and community. She has also introduced and implemented certain models of communication in the department and has also directed the work force to increase the use of social media to interact with public and improve their socializing skills (Metropolitan Police Department, Web). Cultural differences The Metropolitan police department is highly culturally diverse and it employees people of different races and ethnicities. According to estimate more than half of the sworn members of the police department are non-white; either they are Black, Hispanic or Asian. The metropolitan police department has been taken as example of culturally diverse organization because it has history of hiring people from different races especially African Americans. During 1960s, one quarter force of this police department belongs to African community and this percentage was increased along with time (Metropolitan Police Department, Web). The department is gender diverse as well because one quarter of the sworn members of this department are females and these figures clearly indicate that this department is highly diverse in nature with respect to culture, gender and ethnicity. The department has currently been header by the female chief that is an important example of gender diversity and shows that the appointments at the police departments are made on merit without pertaining to gender or ethnic biasness. The composition of the workforce at MPD shows that there is lot of awareness about understanding and dealing with the cultural differences. The department has employed people from both genders and different races so that they can deal with the people by understading their concerns in better ways and the people will also feel comfortable in dealing with the people of their own race or cultural groups. Adopt to change MPD has shown positive signs towards adopting the change in the social surroundings. The major change occurred in the society is the technological revolution and MPD has adopted all the new technological devices and tools that can help them in enhancing their functions. The department has been using desk computers and car computer for many years to maintain a continuous communication link among the police force so that they can perform their duties with great efficiency. The department has launched its website that contains complete information and records about the police department. There are extensive guiding facilities provided at the website of the department allowing the people to launch their complaints, look for the relative district and get information about police officers etc. The department provides 24 hour online support to the people and responds to all their messages instantly. In addition, the department is also making full use of social media to interact with the community. The Metropolitan police Washington DC departments are offering online support system which is helpful for the people as they can attain safety by misuse of technological innovations. Individuals can talk about their issues with professionals and they can recognize the distinction between bogus and true e-mails and web hyperlinks. This section is performing well in the community by supply of adequate attention regarding those criminal programs which are related with neglect of contemporary technical resources (Jocelyn, Joshua and Carey 5). This division is treating with pc coughing, pc breaking, and technical terrorism and coughing of banking accounts complications. This division is also providing these solutions with newest technical support that is making accessibility of these services certain and obvious without any booking. In order to keep it updated with the technological developments, the police department has installed new computers, mobile data computers, desktop computers and f=digital radios in the station. Deviant behavior Deviant behavior is the reason of trouble for the public because this is minimizing the level of trust of public in the police department. In this matter, metropolitan police Washington DC is trying to convince the customers with provision of good and better services without any restriction. Inquisitorial program is associated with participation of legal courts in research procedure. This technique is liked because this is useful for efficiency of legal procedure with reasonable resources. In opposite part, Anglican program of research is related with understanding of meeting with of scammers. This procedure is associated with researchers only because this is conducted with asking and responding to about criminal activity occurrences. This issue is also recommended because this is displaying the invisible information behind the criminal offenses. There are different complains led by the people and critics against the police department during different times however, there is no big issue or case filed against the department that claims that it is not actually practicing the values of community policing. There is overall a satisfying response of people towards the impression that the metropolitan police department gives importance to society and community and their working reflects that they have great values for socializing with people. Their administrative structure also shows that the response of the department towards the social structure and change is very responsive. Unexpected change The technological advancements on one hand have provided the police department with many facilities and enhanced options to improve their working but at the same time there are many unexpected changes occurred for them due to technology because along with traditional crimes now they have to face and solve the cases of cybercrime as well. Cybercrime is a common type of criminal cases and this is faced by various persons in the society. In this matter, performance of metropolitan police Washington DC is satisfactory as this is dealing with crime by the use of latest technological resources. For this reason, scammers are using modern sources of emails which are in the access of common individuals easily. Accordingly, research authorities use technological innovation for managing online criminal activity issues and this can be made certain with appropriate focus and attention in this issue. For this reason, appropriate preparing is essential because this is major factor to generate modern outcomes. In this issue, individuals are cautious as they plan for their protection properly and use social press sites with apt care. Demographic challenges During the early 1970s, some social activists claimed that the Metropolitan police department is mainly focused on the White community but this impression was soon rejected by the police department since the number of black police officers witnessed increased along with time. The department has also been headed by Black police chief in different times. At present, the police chief is a white women but the police force is heavily populated with the black workforce. This shows that the demographics of the Metropolitan police departments are changing and there is no inclination towards providing more working opportunities on whites. According to the current figures, there are 59% African American, 32% white, 7% Hispanic, and 2% Asian. This shows that the department has been realized that they are operating in area where the demographics are diverse and thus the workforce to deal with these people should also be diverse in nature. In the city, where many blacks, Asians and Hispanic live along with the white, if the police department is all comprised of white people then the people will not get a sense of belongingness with them and they will claim biasness in the police behavior and activities due to the demographic differences. This issue is very well handled by the police department through the employment of the policemen from different ethnicities and eventually it could be said that the department has been successful in dealing with the demographic needs of its area. Conclusion The essay presents a detailed analysis of the Metropolitan Police Department Washington DC with respect to the sociological concepts. The essay discusses in detailed the structure, organization, working process and leadership of the police department and also examines different challenges encountered by the police department and the policies that they have made to handle those issues. It has been unveiled that the metropolitan police department has been working in the center of the city that is highly diverse from demographic, cultural and ethnic point of view and thus the police department has to deal with the people of different races, nationalities, genders and demographics. The analysis of the structure, organization and working on the police department in detail has allowed gaining understanding about their routine activities as well as special duties. It has been found that the police department management has expressed its great concern and awareness towards sociology. They seem well aware of the importance of being social and socializing has been an important part of their policing process. They have been conducting various programs aimed at community collaboration and as a result, it could be said that the department is successful in maintaining its image as a community police department. The diversity in the workforce is also a positive aspect of the police station that affirm its willingness to deal with the special needs and expectations of the people of different communities through appointing the policeman representatives these own group. For better dealing with the people, the police department has shown great interest in community policing and for many years it has been practicing the community policing style. It has been arranging different programs and meetings to collaborate with the community at different levels and as a result they have successfully buildup strong socialized network with their community. In sum, it could be said that the Metropolitan police department has demonstrated great understanding and awareness regarding the sociology concepts and values and their working is clearly indicating that they not only understand the sociology theories but also know how to practice them in real life within their activities and operations. References Braga, A. A. and Weisburd, D. L. Police innovation and crime prevention: Lessons learned from police research over the past 20 years. Police Innovation: Contrasting Perspectives. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Print. Braga, A. Problem-Oriented Policing and Crime Prevention. Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice Press, 2004. Print Colvin, Goh. “Validation of the technology acceptance model for police”. Journal of Criminal Justice, 33, 89-95, 2005. Print. Deeben, John. “To Protect and to Serve: The Records of the D.C. Metropolitan Police, 1861–1930”. Prologue Magazine, vol. 40, No. 1, 2008. Jocelyn, Fontaine, Joshua, Markman and Carey Nadeau. Promising Practices of the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department. District of Columbia Crime Policy Institution. Brookings: Urban Institute, 2010. Metropolitan Police Department. About MPD. Web. http://mpdc.dc.gov/page/about-mpdc. Accessed December 5, 2015. Searcher, Victor. The Farewell to Lincoln. New York: Abingdon Press, 1965. Print. Read More