The relationship between traditional organizational structures of policing agencies:
According to Gaines & Worrall (2012), all police organizations regardless of their size or location have a social structure. The social structure of a police organization is composed of the relationships between the members of the organization. Social structures play important roles in the organization. They form the basis for division of work among the members of the police force (Gaines & Worrall, 2012). They also serve other functions such as the way to socialize new members of the force into the police force. Traditionally, the social structure of police forces focuses on three dimensions. These are vertical, functional, and geographic (Gaines & Worrall, 2012).
Vertical structure consists of the hierarchy within the police force since it is a disciplined force. Therefore, the force groups members according to their rank. The seniority of serving police officers finds basis on their rank. Every rank in the police force answers to the more senior rank in this order until the highest ranked officer who is typically the leader of the entire police force (Gaines & Worrall, 2012). Duties are shared among the police officers based on their rank. For instance, there are duties that only senior officers can perform within the force while the junior officers handle simple duties like patrols.
The second dimension of the social structure of police forces is the functional structure. In this structure, officers are grouped according to their functions. A police organization typically performs many functions in an area. The force can be divided into a number of units with each unit being responsible for a particular function. For example, a police force can have a separate highway patrol unit, drugs unit, murder unit, and so forth. The work of the police force is divided into these units. Allocation of police officers will typically depend on the workload of the unit in the area (Gaines & Worrall, 2012).
The third dimension in the social structure of police organizations is geographic. In this case, geographic boundaries determine the jurisdiction of a police force. The police force will be responsible for policing within its boundaries. Typically, the police in the affected geographic location will only handle any matters within their boundaries. However, there can be collaboration between police in two geographic regions. This usually happens when a matter concerns both geographic areas or in cases where the force in one geographic area is more experienced in handling a matter of a particular type. In such cases, the police force in the affected location will ask for assistance in handling the matter (Gaines & Worrall, 2012).
Communication patterns both within and outside the policing agency:
Typically, communication within the police organization takes place by means of orders and internal memos. A senior officer will give commands to junior officers to perform a certain duty. The junior officers then report to their superiors. Using the chain of command, messages can travel across the whole police force. Communication with members of the public usually takes place in a number of ways. In matters of concern to the whole community, communications is usually handled by a police spokesperson. The police spokesperson is usually an officer with a high rank who is authorized to give the official position of the police force. Communication with individuals usually takes place using a variety of means. Most police stations have an occurrence desk where members of the public can make reports. Most police forces also have a toll free emergency number that can be used by members of the public in emergency cases.
Current trends in the approach to the policing function:
Current trends in policing have embraced the role of the community in police work. The main role of the police is to serve and protect the community in which they have jurisdiction. In the past, police forces tended to create a distinction between the police and the community. However, it was determined that police work would be very difficult if not impossible if the community was not involved. All the issues handled by the police happen in the community. The police themselves are a member of the community. Information that is helpful to the police is available in the community. This realization has informed the current trend towards policing. Members of the public are actively involved in police work. For example, members of the public are asked to provide information concerning any suspicious activities happening in the community. If a person was running a criminal business from home, their neighbors are more likely to know this as compared to the police. Members of the public require a means to provide such information that leads to the arrest of such individuals.
Existing issues with the partnership between law enforcement and community:
However, partnership between the community and the police still faces major problems. The most significant among these problems is the poor relationships between the police and the community. A good example of such bad relationships between the community and the police was witnessed in 2014 in the United States. A number of police departments were accused of discriminating against black people. This happened after a series of incidents where black people were shot by white police officers. As a result, there were demonstrations against a number of police departments around the country. Such incidents whereby a section of the community feels discriminated against by the police; results in poor relationships between the police and the community. The community in such cases will not collaborate with law enforcement.
Recommended changes to improve partnerships between law enforcement and community:
There are a number of changes that can be made to improve partnerships between the police and the community. First, the law enforcement agencies should be made to be representative of the community in terms of race. In many of the areas affected by police discrimination according to race, it was discovered that the racial composition of the forces was not representative of the communities they served. The case in Ferguson for example had 90% white officers serving in a community of 80% black people. People who feel discriminated against by law enforcement will not be willing to cooperate with the police. The police can also engage with the community more often in a bid to gain the trust of the community (Ray, 2014).
For instance, the police should not only be visible when there is a problem in an area. Rather, the police should try to engage the community in social activities to make the community understand the work of the police and the role the community has to play in this work (Ray, 2014). Law enforcement can also improve the channels they use to engage with the community. For a long time, law enforcement has only been reachable using formal means. Many people are now using informal means of communication such as social media. The police should ensure that they have a social media presence to make it easier for members of the public to interact with them.
References
Gaines, L. K., & Worrall, J. L. (2012). Police administration. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar/Cengage.
Ray, J. M. (2014). Rethinking community policing. El Paso: LFB Scholarly Publishing LLC.
