The Structure of Police Department Research Paper

The Structure of Police Department - Research Paper Example Police structure that follow ranking motive officers to work especially when there are promotion opportunities (Das, D 2012 Introduction The body empowered by the state to ensure property protection, law enforcement and reduce civic disorder is the police. Police force is also known either of the following names police department, crime prevention, law enforcement agency, gendarmerie and constabulary. Police is an crucial part in part in ensuring law enforcement. The body is empowered by the state to ensure property protection, law enforcement and reduce civic disorder is the police. Although Police departments have a formal structure, they apply an informal decision making way. These formal police departments which are used as formal law enforcement agencies corresponds military systems know as military model of policing. They are several types of structures used in formulating police departments; vertical, horizontal, team and matrix structures (Samaha, 2005). Vertical structure is the most commonly used in police structure. These departments are strictly formed using tenets of classical systems. In this structure, specialized divisions work independently and form other divisions. Command and control runs through the divisions’ chains of command and communications in general follow this command chains. Departments that are organized vertically are less flexible and tend to innovate in minimal degree (Gaines et al, 2011). The second structure matrix is one that separate procedures and operations are geographically decentralized. It is mostly used by large departments, those with various patrol districts where detectives report to as opposed to going to the central detective commander. It is often used in highway patrol and state agencies. Furthermore, it is usually driven by workload and geographical area. However, it a costly type of structure as compared to the rest. Consequently, use of matrix type of units and organization allows for flexibility in the police departments. It has a significant contribution to solving problems as it allows police departments to gather a mixture of resource to tackle a problem. It is advisable for police executives to consider matrix structure when faced with problems. Giving problems purely to one unit often limit the range of alternatives solutions and option that can be deployed. (Gaines et al, 2011). However, sometimes matrix structure is difficult to coordinate as the outcome involves mixed units or agencies. Third, there is horizontal structure, in this structure actions are formed around core processes and vertical hierarchy and boundaries of departments are eliminated. Usually appropriate in large police agencies for instance where several districts are organized in a department, and a commander is in control (Daft, 2008). In this, each district operates as a mini police department. More authority in this structure is delegated to commanders of districts while vertical level is reduced. M oreover, horizontal structure reduces bureaucratically and hierarchy difficulties procedures that are associated with increased rank levels. Lastly, team structure uses temporary and permanent team to deliver services and figure out problems. The best illustration of team structure is the way in which community policing is carried out in many jurisdictions. Team structure is significant as it focuses on group level activities and not the structure of command.