NCJ Number
66563
Date Published
1979
Length
25 pages
Annotation
THE DOMINANT SOCIAL CONTROL OF POLICE WORK STEMS FROM EXTERNAL CONSTRAINTS, BUT IN ANGLO-AMERICAN SOCIETIES A MAJOR SOURCE OF CONTROL IS ALSO THE INDIVIDUAL OFFICER AND THE ORGANIZATIONAL REALITY.
Abstract
THE TYPES OF CONTROLS THAT CONSTRAIN POLICING IN ANGLO-AMERICAN SOCIETIES ARE REVIEWED, PARALLELS ARE DRAWN, AND DISTINCTIONS MADE BETWEEN CONTROLS IN ENGLAND AND IN THE UNITED STATES. HISTORIC ATTEMPTS TO CONTROL THE BEHAVIOR OF POLICE OFFICERS RESTED HEAVILY ON IDEAS OF CHARACTERS; SUCH ATTEMPTS LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHLY SPECIFIED INTERNAL RULES (ATTEMPTS TO DEAL WITH 'FLAWS IN CHARACTER'), SPECIFYING OBLIGATIONS TO PROCEDURES AND MEANS OF ACCOMPLISHING STATED GOALS. THE PATTERNS OF ORGANIZATIONAL INTEGRATION THAT EMERGED HAD AS ITS BASIS A MORAL ORDER WITH SHIFTING, SITUATIONAL MEANING. THIS IS TERMED THE 'ORGANIZATIONAL REALITY OF POLICE WORK.' WITHIN THIS CONCEPT, POLICE WORK IS SEEN AS A DISCRETIONARY, ALMOST SELF-DEFINED, WORKER-CONTROLLED ACTIVITY WHICH FORM REFLECTS THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHARACTER AND DEVELOPMENT OF POLICING, WHILE THE CONTENT IS SHAPED BY SEVERAL INFLUENCES INCLUDING JOB COMMITMENT, WORKER CONTROL OF OUTPUT, PATTERN OF RECRUITMENT, AND WORKING-CLASS CULTURE. THE COMPLEX COMMAND STRUCTURE AND HIERARCHY OF ROLES, AND THE ELABORATE MILITARISM OF INSIGNIA AND PUBLIC RHETORIC TEND TO OBSCURE THE FACT THAT THE CONTROL OF POLICE WORK LIES IN THE HANDS OF THE PATROL OFFICERS THEMSELVES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)