CJ 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 29: Police Perjury, Proactive Policing, Street Justice
Police Organization
The typical American police department is a bureaucracy, with a military style of
operation.
The police bureaucracy
Police agencies have a bureaucratic structure. The systematic administration of police
departments is characterized by specialization of tasks and duties, objective
qualifications for positions, action according to rules and regulations, and a hierarchy of
authority. Bureaucratization maximizes efficiency. The downside of bureaucracy for the
police is that this form of organization is marked by lack of flexibility, indifference to
human needs, and a pattern of allowing red tape (for example, excessive rules) to
impede effective problem solving.‐
Quasi-military features
Most police departments are also quasi military organizations. Police officers wear ‐
uniforms, tote guns, carry ranks (for example, patrol officer, sergeant, lieutenant, and
captain), and operate under an authoritarian command structure in which orders flow
one way—from the top down. Borrowing from the military, police often refer to the “war ‐
on crime.” The military model creates problems. By subscribing to the idea that they are
at war against crime, police can slip into embracing the notion that “anything goes in
war.” This ends justifies the means mind set can lead to police perjury, violence, and
other abuses of power.
Police management styles
James Wilson, a Harvard University political scientist, identified three police
management styles.
Watchman style management focuses on keeping order. Officers ignore minor
violations and settle disputes informally by meting out street justice.
Legalistic style management places a premium on handling matters formally,
“according to the book.” Administrators try to reduce discretion to a minimum and
emphasize uniform, impartial arrests for all crimes.
Service style management stresses community service above law enforcement.
Instead of arresting all suspects, officers are encouraged to make referrals to
social service agencies.
Police Strategies
From the early 1800s to the 1980s, patrol and criminal investigation dominated policing.
Uniformed police patrolled the streets to prevent crime, to interrupt crimes in progress, and to
apprehend criminals. Whatever crimes patrol officers did not prevent, detectives attempted to
solve by questioning suspects, victims, and witnesses. Research since the 1960s has shown the
limits of both patrol and investigation for controlling crime. In the 1990s, the police
adopted proactive policing strategies in which police initiate action instead of waiting for
calls.
Patrol
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Document Summary
The typical american police department is a bureaucracy, with a military style of operation. The systematic administration of police departments is characterized by specialization of tasks and duties, objective qualifications for positions, action according to rules and regulations, and a hierarchy of authority. The downside of bureaucracy for the police is that this form of organization is marked by lack of flexibility, indifference to human needs, and a pattern of allowing red tape (for example, excessive rules) to impede effective problem solving. Most police departments are also quasi military organizations. Police officers wear uniforms, tote guns, carry ranks (for example, patrol officer, sergeant, lieutenant, and captain), and operate under an authoritarian command structure in which orders flow one way from the top down. Borrowing from the military, police often refer to the war on crime. the military model creates problems. James wilson, a harvard university political scientist, identified three police management styles. Watchman style management focuses on keeping order.
