Question

Most police organizations use a quasi-military structure and typically follow military styled rank and bureaucracy. Is this type of structure beneficial to police agencies? Why, or why not? Also, consider and discuss other types of organizational structures that can be effectively adopted by police agencies

Answer 1

Explanation:

Most of the police organisations around the world are quasi military in nature because they also include specific rank of the officers, personnel carry arms, a Hierarchical Structure remains within the organisation. In this case the flow of orders is one way, top to down. This kind of structure differs from military by its close obedience towards the common benefits of the public. These organisations are also characterized by the bureaucratic nature. Specific personnel are ascribed with special kind of duties, they take actions according to the predefined rules, hierarchical structure remains in the authority. There are some upsides as well as some important downside of this structure:

Upsides:

•  It provides maximum efficiency.

• 1) This types of organisation is purely systematic and predictable in nature by the exact implication of prescribed rules.

•  The impersonality relationship principle ensures that the decisions within the organisation are not personnel specific.

• Division of labor ensures the development of expertise.

Drawbacks:

• The structure is not flexible.

• The division of labor increases the number of personnel and with that increases the cost of policing.

• The idea of "war against crime" comes from the military structure. This idea encourages them to take decisions above the rules.

• The bureaucratic structure takes a long time for the implementation of the law.

According to James Wilson, there are three main types of police organization structures:

Service style

Management of community is of greater priority, more than the law enforcement.

 Legalistic style

Based on the strict implication of the predefined rules.

Watchman style

In this structure the personals try to solve small conflicts then and there at the spot. Prompt decisions by the personals depending on their own judgement are encouraged.

There are many more types of police structure are found all over the world. One important member of this type of policing system is Community policing. In this case the officer is selected from his own locality and he creates a direct relationship with the people at the locality in order to maintain the law and enforcement there and takes decisions on his own for minor conflicts.