POLICE ORGANIZATIONS - THEIR CHANGING INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS (FROM MANAGING THE POLICE ORGANIZATION - SELECTED READINGS, 1978 BY LARRY K GAINES AND TRUETT A RICKS - SEE NCJ-47507)

• NCJ Number: 47509
• Author(s): G B SANDLER; E MINTZ
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 9 pages
• Corporate Author: West Publishing Co
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE EASTERN SOCIOLOGICAL SOCIETY, PHILADELPHIA, PA, APRIL 1974; REPRINT FROM JOURNAL OF POLICE SCIENCE AND ADMINISTRATION, V 2, N 4 (1974), P 458-463

Annotation

INDICATIONS THAT THE PARAMILITARY ORGANIZATIONAL STYLE IN POLICE AGENCIES IS GIVING WAY TO A PHILOSOPHY OF PARTICIPATIVE MANAGEMENT IS CITED, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO DEVELOPMENTS IN THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT.

Abstract

POLICE AGENCIES MOST FREQUENTLY ARE CHARACTERIZED AS PARAMILITARY ORGANIZATIONS: CENTRALIZED COMMAND STRUCTURE; ONE-WAY DOWNWARD COMMUNICATIONS IN THE FORM OF ORDERS; RIGID SUPERIOR-SUBORDINATE RELATIONSHIPS DEFINED BY PREROGATIVES OF RANK; IMPERSONALITY; OBEDIENCE; EMPHASIS ON THE REPRESSIVE NATURE OF THE WORK. THIS STRUCTURE IS DESIGNED TO REDUCE INEFFICIENCY AND PERMIT RAPID MOBILIZATION IN EMERGENCY AND CRISIS SITUATIONS. HOWEVER, THE PARAMILITARY STRUCTURE HAS NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES -RIGIDITY, STIFLING OF INNOVATION, BAD MORALE IN THE LOWER RANKS, CONFLICTING EXPECTATIONS EXPERIENCED BY OFFICERS WHO ACTUALLY DEAL WITH THE PUBLIC, ORGANIZATIONAL ROLE RELATIONSHIPS AND PROCESSES THAT ESTABLISH A QUESTIONABLE MODEL FOR INTERACTIONS WITH THE PUBLIC. THE DEMONSTRATIONS AND RIOTS OF THE 1960'S REVEALED THE NEED FOR A COOPERATIVE RATHER THAN A CONFLICT-ORIENTED MODEL OF POLICING. A TECHNICAL, PROCEDURAL, LEGALISTIC APPROACH IS NOT SUFFICIENT; THE JOB REQUIRES HUMAN RELATIONS AND PROBLEMSOLVING SKILLS. THERE HAVE BEEN MAJOR INDICATIONS -- IN NEW YORK CITY AND ELSEWHERE -- OF CHANGE, INCLUDING LESS RIGIDITY IN THE ORGANIZATION, HUMANIZED IMAGES, AND REDUCED DISTANCE BETWEEN ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATIONS AND BETWEEN POLICE AND CIVILIANS. A NEW OVERALL MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY -- PARTICIPATIVE MANAGEMENT -- IS EMERGING. VEHICLES FOR PARTICIPATIVE MANAGEMENT INCLUDE TEAM POLICING, FUNCTIONAL MANAGEMENT, MANAGEMENT CONFERENCES, AND PEER PANELS. ALTHOUGH SUCH PROGRAMS CAN MODIFY THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF PARAMILITARY STRUCTURE, ULTIMATELY THE ELIMINATION OF RANKS, ACTUAL DECENTRALIZATION OF AUTHORITY, AND REORIENTATION OF THE POLICE IMAGE TO ONE OF SOCIAL SERVICE OFFICER WILL BE NECESSARY TO ALTER SIGNIFICANTLY THE STYLE AND VALUE SYSTEMS OF POLICE AGENCIES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED --LKM)