Abstract
Organizational designs refer to the way the management achieve the best combination of integration and differentiation on operations. Police are one of the law enforcement agencies that operate under various organizational designs. The Boston Police Department is divided into 11 neighborhoods districts and three zones. The organizational design model in the chapter is the line and staff structure. Boston Massachusetts Police Department uses the line and structure model. Line and staff structure enable line staff to gain knowledge and skills from the staff managers. The Boston Police Department has adopted a working design. The BPD should clearly indicate the pattern of authority between the staff and line officers. The move eliminates confusions through the police department. Line and staff structures align with how the departments operate. It facilitates growth among the personnel and increases confidence and trust between the police officers and the community. Line and staff structure bring about the economies of scale in the managerial perspective.
Organizational designs determine the success of an organization. Criminal justice agencies implement various organizational designs that align with its goals and objectives. Organizational designs refer to the way the management achieve the best combination of integration and differentiation on operations. Police are one of the law enforcement agencies that operate under various organizational designs. Some of the organizational designs include line structure, line and staff structure, functional structure, as well as matrix structure. The structure of an organization defines the resources available, the population it protects, and the make-up of the departments. One of the organizational design models in the chapter is the line and staff structure. Boston Massachusetts Police Department uses the line and structure model. The operating model provides a consistent and clear blueprint for how the resources are operated and organized. It is worth noting that organizations with strong organizational design are likely to achieve profitable and sustained growth. Line and staff structure are streamlined towards the expansion of the police department (Jones, 2013). Line structure refers to a design whereby the authority flows from top to bottom. It creates a set of subordinate and superior relations. The main focus is placed on accountability. The police department is expected to deliver more series, which creates the need to add support functions within the agency. The additional staff to the line structure eliminate special problems, enhances service delivery, and expertise. The Boston Police Department focuses on reducing fear, fighting crime and improving the quality of life. The police department achieves its mission by working in partnership with the community. Line and staff structure enable the police department to achieve its diverse goals and meet the demands of the public. The Boston Police Department has undergone tremendous changes in its composition and structure. The Boston Police Department is among the largest law enforcement agencies in the United States. The BPD (Boston Police Department) is composed of police officers and civilian personnel. Notably, approximately 2000 police officers and 800 civil personnel work with the department. The police officers patrol the neighborhoods using the patrol services and community policing. The department serves a population of approximately 617,000 people. The Boston Police Department is divided into 11 neighborhood districts and three zones. Each zone operates under the leadership of Deputy Superintendent. Each of the 11 neighborhood districts across the city operates under the leadership of a captain. Notably, the people working in the police department come from diverse background and gender (Maguire, 2003). They include Whites, Hispanics, Asians, and African-Americans. The BPD is structured under the office of the commissioner. Male are the most dominant gender. The BPD encourages veterans to apply for the available job opportunities. Those who work under police commissioners offices include chief of staff, the office of internal investigations, administrative hearings, as well as a legal adviser. Additionally, the Boston police department has several resources that enable the department to execute its mandates and functions. The department has several vehicles that assist in transportation. Some of the vehicles used by the police department include Ford Expedition, Chevrolet Caprice, and the Ford Explorer. The type of vehicles is aligned with the services required. Also, the department has various weapons, which police officers are authorized to carry. The organizational design that the BPD operates is associated with the success and achievements. The design works well for the department because of various reasons. The decision making is much efficient because of the adopted design. Line and staff structure allow the staff managers within the police department to perform their roles without managerial approval (Jones, 2013). Efficiency in decision making enhances service delivery and job satisfaction. The districts and zones that exist at BPD work well because it enhances specialization. The staff officers can concentrate on the planning process, and line officers focus on the execution. Through such strategy, specialization is achieved by the police department. Also, line and staff structure adopted by BPD leads to flexibility. The department can add new staff and introduce new activities without disturbing ongoing procedures. Line and staff structure enable line staff to gain knowledge and skills from the staff managers. The staff officers are believed to be knowledgeable in their fields; hence, the line staff can receive expert advice from the same organization. Therefore, the staff officers can assist in clarifying legal, ethical and policy related issues. Also, the adopted design works because it relieves the management of BPD of the managerial overload. It is because the delegation of responsibilities and duties can easily be carried out. Line and staff structure bring about the economies of scale in the managerial perspective. The staff department within the Boston Police Department can focus on centralization and concentration of supportive services. The combination of line and staff offices leads to creative thinking. Evidently, the design that has been adopted by BPD has efficiently functioned. Organizational learning theory is relevant at the Boston Police Department. It is based on the expert advice that line officers receive from the staff officers. Knowledge can easily be transferred within the organization. The knowledge within the department is created within groups, individuals and organizational (Maguire, 2003). Staff specialist can train the line personnel on various topics related to service delivery and management. Systems theory is also relevant to the structure adopted at BPD. The theory focuses ion interrelatedness of the organization. Changes in one department could have multiple effects. BPD operate as a system that interacts with the environment. The BPD has to adjust to the changes, especially those that are streamlined towards the expansion of the police department. There are sectors where improvements may be essential. The BPD should clearly indicate the pattern of authority between the staff and line officers. The move eliminates confusions through the police department. Also, the conflict between staff and line officers can be eliminated through implementation of strict rules. The staff should not undermine the contributions made by the line officers (Jones, 2013). The staff authority should be restricted to avoid conflicts. The advice given to line officers with the organization should be practicable and realistic. The BPD is made of various stakeholders, which include police officers, civilian personnel, and the community members. The relationship between all the parties should be strengthened through continued training, interaction, adherence to the rule of law. In the general perspective, the Boston Police Department has adopted a working design. Line and Staff structure align with the services and operations of the department. The department is strongly in partnership with the community through community policing. Line and Staff structure work for the BPD because it enhances expert advice, specialization, and expansion of police services. The police commissioner is the top official within the BPD. The zones and districts align with the organizational design adopted by the department. The Boston Police Department continues to achieve its goals and objects through adopting organizational design. Line and staff structures align with how the departments operate. It facilitates growth among the personnel and increases confidence and trust between the police officers and the community. There is improved coordination between districts and zones.
References
Jones, G. R. (2013). Organizational Theory, Design, and Change. Essex, England: Pearson.
Maguire, E. R. (2003). Organizational Structure in American Police Agencies: Context, Complexity, and Control. Albany: State University of New York Press.
