Threats to internal security and the need to maintain law and order have prompted the security policy makers in collaboration with various government agencies to come up with suggestions of having an enhanced and equipped police force that can respond to any security issues at any given moment. The police force has managed to become a significant agency in the governance of the country and to undertake its roles in the most effective way; there have been numerous reforms that have facilitated the required levels of the organization and hence operations. The vital aspect in the police organization and operation has always been the decision-making and response to various situations that are of concern to society (Haberfeld, Clarke & Sheehan, 2015). The police force is organized into departments that are headed by experienced police officers who have served for a considerable amount of time and have managed to climb the ladders of leadership for their exemplary performances.
A typical American police department is considerably a bureaucracy that has a military style of operation. The systematic administration of police departments is organized by specialization of duties and tasks. According to Haberfeld, Clarke, & Sheehan (2015), there are objective qualifications for positions in which personnel must act and operate according to regulations and rules by adhering to a hierarchy of authority. Bureaucratic organization maximizes efficiency in the police operations. On the other hand, the visible downside of the bureaucracy exercised by the police force is that the operations are, in most cases, marked by a lack of flexibility, red tape, and indifference to human needs.
The police force tends to operate under quasi-military features. Most of the departments fit into this structure, in that officers are required to wear uniforms and carry ranks. They include lieutenant, patrol officer, sergeant and captain in regards to their duties. These professionals tend to operate within an authoritarian command structure in which orders normally flow one-way. Those at the top are expected to direct their subordinates, and not vice-versa. Borrowing from the military approach, police often refer to the “war on crime.” By subscribing to the notion that they are at war against crime, police officers are eventually motivated to work as diligently as possible to ensure that they are in charge of every situation within their assigned duties.
Police have employed various management traits in their operations to enhance their performance. In the recent decades, they have developed three distinct management styles (Perez, 2014). These include the watchman style, legalistic style, and the service style. Under the watchman style, the police tend to focus on keeping order. They are inclined to ignore minor violations as they concentrate on the bigger picture. Perez goes on to observe that the legalistic style is concerned with police placing a premium on handling matters formally. Finally, Perez describes the service style. Police have begun to stress community service over law enforcement. Rather than simply arresting any and all offenders, police officers are now being encouraged to make referrals to social service agencies.
Police operations are organized into various categories that include patrol, traffic, investigations and special units. These structures play crucial roles in ensuring that law and order are maintained and that those who violate the laws of society are prosecuted as required by law (Perez, 2014). In each of these operating units, there are a number of support services that can be fulfilled by police personnel themselves, or specialists may be hired to provide these services. They include records, personnel, training, communication, planning, and research, among others.
The organization of police operations into given categories helps to ensure efficiency. Instead of operating as a generalized unit, the modern police force has realized the need for specialization that helps to improve law enforcement in a society in which crime patterns are constantly changing.
References
Haberfeld, M. R., Clarke, C. A., & Sheehan, D. (2015). Police organization and training: Innovations in research and practice. New York: Springer.
Perez, D. W. (2014). The paradoxes of police work. Clifton Park, NY
