Policing Practices and Operations

Policing Practices and Operations

Desmond Odunze

CJA/394

January 12, 2015

Roy Diaz

Policing Practices and Operations

Introduction

Though much have changed in the way policing agencies carry out their tasks and how communication and enhancement of discipline in these forces, the traditional organizational structures have been borrowed to effectively align the current structures. In this perspective, most of the methods that were used by the traditional agencies are still in use to enhance communication patterns and are only modified to meet the current needs. In this paper, analysis of the relationship between the traditional techniques of organizational structuring in the policing agencies and how change continues to be effected t meet with the trends that evolve are analyzed. In addition to this, focus on the current trends and analysis of the issues facing the modern partnership between the law enforcement agencies and community is important to help form recommendations for changes to improve the relationship and effectiveness.

Relationship between Traditional organizational Structures of Policing Agencies

Organization of the policing agencies can be traced back in the eighteenth century after the assassination of President James Garfield by a prospective police officer in order to air his disgruntlement over lack of a chance in the police force. Several enactments of the law were effected creating the police agencies that were arranged in a hierarchal organizational structure to enable smooth communication patterns. Several departments in the force were created and a clear communication lines created such that each department was answerable to a higher supervising authority. In this sense, a chain of command was created to help the agencies to operate smoothly. In the framing of the laws, officers were supposed to be answerable to their supervisors in a continuous chain of command with rankings with different responsibilities in order to be effective in their carrying out of their duties.

In the current arrangement and organization of the policing agencies, much of what was passes in the organizations and the communication patterns have been retained making the force more of the traditional organizational structures. In this similarity, the policing agencies are operated through a chain of command that with little changes in the way officers relate at work. This have been effective in maintain discipline and order in the structuring of the police agencies.

Communication Patterns in the Policing Agency

Most agencies in the policing function usually share information regarding instances of crime in order to effectively deal with crime by responding to issues. There has been decentralization of the police functions with more response to crime being witnessed in the country as the police use the communication patterns available to share information and strategies on the best practices to fight crime. One of the main communication patterns is that each police agency is independent and shares information in order to be able to meet the objective of fighting crime. Community relationships have been strengthened by making police agencies responsible for response and the community sharing of intelligence with agencies. This goes a long way in strengthening the relationship between the community and police agencies and enabling the community to enjoy safer environment.

Current Trends in the Approach to the Policing Function

Police agencies continue to have changes to enhance their cooperation with the community in the modern policing. The force have changed from the traditional paramilitary organizational structures to shortened chain of command and focus on community focused agencies that try to make cooperation with the people in order to solve the law enforcement problems. Police training have been emphasized in order to create police agencies that are effective in solving community problems and not just focus their attention on the arrests and use of force in the policing. Analysis of the needs of the police is also another modern milestone that helps the stakeholders to analyze the needs of resources and achieve maximum advantage through use of minimum resources and expenditure. Together with stocktaking and organizational adjustments, development of strategies and plans in the policing agencies is a necessary tactic that is employed in order to enhance the capability of the force to meet future needs and challenges of policing. These changes are effected with the use of the traditional mechanisms of identifying problems and development of methods and techniques to better offer good policing.

Issues in the Partnership between Law Enforcement and Community

The partnership of the modern policing agencies and the community have been effective in relation to the traditional paramilitary means of policing in that the officers usually relate better with the community that helps the identify challenges in the community and deal with it. However, several challenges and issues arise in the partnership and the policing agencies should focus on addressing the issues. One of the main issues in the partnership is the lack of police officers to act on information provided by the public. In this perspective, people are afraid of giving information to the police since there is a notion that the information will not be acted upon. Confidentiality issue is another problem as people purports that the police officers may share information provided to criminals through unscrupulous behaviors. Further problems emerge when the police agencies use violence when dealing with crime as the public becomes afraid and irked and thereby refrain from cooperating with the police.

Recommendations of changes to Improve Partnerships between Law Enforcement and Community

In order to increase and create better partnerships between the law enforcement agencies and the community, one of my opinions is to enhance training of the police officers so that they will be able to understand the community better. One way of doing this is though creation of learning for different departments in the agencies for officers to learn sociology techniques that will foster better relations with the public. In addition to this, emphasis on the need of the cooperation to the community members is vital in the enhancement of security in the country. The public should be encouraged to offer information to the police and educated on the importance of the cooperation to the law enforcement. When police officers act on the information availed by the public, people will be more confident when providing the information since they will be sure the information will be acted upon. Thus, the policing agencies should form a communication platform that will enhance confidentiality of the information provided and action to fight crime.

References

Peter, G. (2008). Organizational structure as predictor of intelligence strategy implementation in policing.