Identify the tasks the lieutenant must tackle in terms of police information systems and analysis of police information
Information flow is one of the most important factors in shaping the function of the police. The police administrator or lieutenant is dependent upon the flow of data in order to base his decisions regarding future police directions. He requires two basic kinds of information in his decision-making task. These include; operational data which measures the effectiveness of regular operating procedures and meeting demands imposed by unusual occurrences, and management data, which include budgeting, fiscal and workforce allocations (Cordner, 2016, p.335).
Some information that is useful to the lieutenant that is useful for decision-making includes, the existence of an arrest warrant for a certain person. This information needs only to be stored, retrieved and cross-indexed. Other information, however, requires the lieutenant to aggregate, tabulate, correlate or otherwise, analyze in order to be of real utility in decision making. The lieutenant can utilize crime analysis information to understand crime better and service demand facing the shift or district. He can also use the information when assigning personnel and when deploying any special resources that may be available. He can also use, operation analysis for patrol allocation and deployment. He should also use intelligence analysis in order to address organized crime, drug trafficking, and terrorism. This information is important to him when making allocation, strategic, tactical and policy decisions. (Cordner, 2016, p.321).
How can these information systems benefit the lieutenant by reducing the budget yet still meeting the needs of the community?
These information systems are essential to the lieutenant when responding to outside requests for information and when engaging in planning. The nature of crime problems in a community is an important input to decisions about the allocation of police resources among different organizational units. This information is also requested by political leaders, community groups, and the media of the various legitimate purposes. Availability of this information of crime problems and trends is critical to the lieutenant when he is engaged in budgeting and strategic planning. By approaching citizens with surveys, questionnaires, and interviews, the lieutenant can identify particularly fearful neighborhoods and sources of fear. Tactics can, therefore, be employed to treat the sources of fear with the aim of minimizing citizen concern about crime (Cordner, 2014, p.330).
Identify the roles that are played by official and unofficial communications in organizations with which you are familiar. Tell about the formal and informal organizations and how they communicate.
Communication in an organization should occur across departments, groups, and teams as well as within them, up and down and sideways in its hierarchy. Communication up and down the hierarchy of the organization is often called vertical communication and communications among employees at the same level in the hierarchy or sideways is called horizontal (Dennis and Gundersen, 1988, p.154). Therefore, official messages in an organization move from senders to receivers in three channels; downward, upward, and horizontal.
Downward communication involves instructions, directions, and orders that include messages telling direct reports of what should be done. For instance, a sales manager may tell the members of his sales force about the products they should be promoted. Upward communication involves the flow of information from lower levels to higher levels, for instance, messages from direct reports to their supervisors. This message may include information that managers need to do their jobs, such as data they require to complete projects. It may also include suggestions for improvement, status reports, reaction to work-related issues and new ideas (Sims, 2002, p.154).
Horizontal communication involves the flow of information sideways or laterally at the same organizational level. This includes people at the same level. It, therefore, tends to be easier and friendlier, casual in tone and occurs more readily given that there are few social barriers between the parties (Agarwal, 1982, 211)
Informal channels of communication are as a result of social interactions among people who work together. They are complex and change rapidly, and their major role is to provide communication routes for members of small groups. However, this may encourage rumors which can be misleading and can cause harm to individual employees and their organizations when they are malicious, false, or unfounded (Sims, 2002, p.23). An example is when an officer is not happy with their sergeant they can report them using people close to the chief. This means that they will talk about the causes of their displeasure with the sergeant and in return these people will spread this problem, which will eventually end up in the ears of the chief (Cordner, 2014, p.313).
The formal structure is generally expressed in the organization chart. It includes official job roles and lines of responsibility and communication. The informal organization is a network of relationships which co-exists, based on personal and political relationships. Communication in informal organizations is of low quality being a mixture of rumor, leaks, and speculation. However, at times very accurate information can reach employees through the network. This can be defined in different ways, including the grapevine, the old boy network, and company social gatherings (Dennis and Gundersen, 1988, p.154).
Write about the primary methods by which police organizations actually control their employees' decision making.
For the police force to be effective in decision-making, greater control is exerted to their workers. This organization control involves formal administrative apparatus that is instituted to achieve control among its workers and work. It has three dimensions; administration, formalization, and centralization of decision making. Administration involves resources and personnel the police agency devotes to organizational maintenance and its day to day operation. These workers and resources assist the police organization in better coordinating and controlling its employees. Formalization includes the formal, codified, organizational rules and guidelines. This facilitates control of workers by communicating the appropriate methods for achieving organizational goals. Centralization of decision making involves the degree to, which decision-making authority is concentrated in a relatively small number of workers or is spread throughout the organization (Cordner, 2016, p.349).
According to Chief Couper, "it is both your right and your obligation as a citizen to probe your police agency, ask the questions and decide for yourself if your community's public safety needs are being met". Do you agree with his view? By what methods can the public obtain and analyze such information? What should the public do once it obtains answers to its questions?
Yes, I agree with Chief Couper’s sentiments because it is important for a citizen to probe the police agency, concerning community public safety. In order to achieve this goal, the police should in much more information sharing with community groups (Lu, 2003, p.77). With the advent of the internet, the most pleasant way to share information is through electronic means, the use of connected networks and the web. This allows the community to become more involved with law enforcement and the police will be more connected to the community (Giles, 2002, p.50). Hence, communication between them will be efficient. In this platform, the community can ask questions regarding their security and other important queries they might have regarding the community safety. Once the public has obtained the answers to their questions they can be able to know exactly what is happening in the police departments. Hence, this action will bring about trust among the community and the law enforcement officers. This means that the community will be able to assist police officers in investigating criminals or criminal activities in their region. When this occurs the crime rate of that region will reduce and criminals will be apprehended and separated from the law abiding citizens.
References
Agarwal, R. (1982). Organization and Management. Tata McGraw-Hill Education, 211-212.
Cordner, G. W. (2016). Police administration. Routledge, 319-349.
Dennis F. and Gundersen, R. H. (1988). Communication and Law Enforcement. University Press of America, 154.
Giles, H. (2002). Law Enforcement, Communication, and Community. John Benjamins Publishing Company, 50.
Lu, X.-A. (2003). Public Secrets as a Phenomenon in Organizational Communication: How Public Knowledge fails to become Organizational action. iUniverse, 77-80.
Sims, R. R. (2002). Managing organizational behavior. Greenwood Publishing Group, 23-154.
