A MODEL PROCEDURE SHOULD BE FUNCTIONAL, READILY UNDERSTANDABLE BY A ROOKIE POLICEMAN OR AN ORDINARY CITIZEN. IT MUST CONTAIN SUFFICIENT SPECIFICITY, TO IMPOSE A CLEAR RULE OF LAW IN A FIELD WHERE ADMINISTRATIVE DISCRETION--OR ABUSE--HAS UNDERGONE LITTLE SCRUTINY. MANY OF THE DEPARTMENTAL ORDERS SURVEYED LEFT LARGE GAPS IN PROCEDURE AND ONE MAJOR DEPARTMENT OPERATED WITHOUT ANY WRITTEN RULES OF PROCEDURE AT ALL. IMPROVING THE PROCESS IS THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY. THE OVERRIDING OBJECTIVE OF THE PROCEDURES IS TO FOSTER IMPROVED SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC THE DEPARTMENT SERVES. BRINGING THE DELINQUENTS TO BOOK SERVES NOT ONLY TO UPGRADE THE GENERAL LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE AND ENHANCE DEPARTMENTAL MORALE BUT ALSO MAKES EVIDENT A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. OF EQUAL IMPORTANCE IS THE NEED TO EXPOSE THE UNFOUNDED, FALSE OR MALICIOUS COMPLAINT WHICH, STANDING UNREFUTED, WOULD TEND TO UNDERMINE THAT PUBLIC CONFIDENCE SO ESSENTIAL TO THE CONTINUATION OF EFFECTIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)
DISCIPLINING THE OFFICER - MODEL ORDER FOR POLICE DEPARTMENTS
NCJ Number
54
Date Published
1970
Length
43 pages
Annotation
A PROCEDURE TO BRING DELINQUENT OFFICERS TO BOOK, TO UPGRADE THE LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE, AND TO IMPROVE MORALE.
Abstract