NCJ Number
68375
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 49 Issue: 6 Dated: (JUNE 1980) Pages: 20-26
Date Published
1980
Length
7 pages
Annotation
THEORIES OF ORGANIZATION ARE DISCUSSED, AND WAYS TO FOSTER COOPERATION BETWEEN INVESTIGATION AND PATROL UNITS OF A POLICE DEPARTMENT, SUCH AS ESTABLISHING TASK FORCES, LIAISONS, AND JOB ROTATIONS, ARE SUGGESTED.
Abstract
SOME HUMAN RELATIONS THEORISTS MINIMIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF FORMAL ORGANIZATION STRUCTURES AND EMPHASIZE GOOD RELATIONS AMONG CO-WORKERS TO FOSTER EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS. HOWEVER, OTHERS TRY TO SYNTHESIZE HUMAN RELATIONS; PROPOSING THAT ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY MUST ACCOUNT FOR PURPOSE, GOALS, STATUS, AND HIERARCHY. PATROL AND INVESTIGATIONS UNITS ARE VERY DIFFERENT, EACH DEVELOPING UNIQUE POINTS OF VIEW, HABITS, AND CHARACTERISTICS CONSISTENT WITH ITS MISSION. THUS, COOPERATION CAN BE PROBLEMATICAL AND HINDERED BY COMPETITION AND HOSTILITY. ALTHOUGH DIFFERENT TYPES OF POLICE UNITS ARE INTEGRATED AND MADE TO COOPERATE THROUGH THE POLICE HIERARCHY, INCREASING DIFFERENTIATION REQUIRES ADDITIONAL INTEGRATING DEVICES, SUCH AS POLICE REGULATIONS, LIAISONS, TASK FORCES, AND HIERARCHIES WITHIN EACH UNIT. HOWEVER, REGULATIONS AND HIERARCHIES ALONE LEAD TO OVERLOADING CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION WITH RESULTING DELAYS AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS. LATERAL RELATIONS, OR CONTACT BETWEEN PERSONS SHARING THE SAME PROBLEM OR WORKING ON THE SAME CASE, REGARDLESS OF TYPE OF UNIT, HELP PREVENT THIS. HOWEVER, TEAM POLICING, OR THE COMBINING OF PATROL AND INVESTIGATIONS WITHIN ONE GEOGRAPHICAL ORGANIZATION, WILL MOST STRONGLY AND PERMANENTLY FOSTER PATROL AND INVESTIGATIONS COOPERATION. EFFECTIVENESS OF SUCH POLICE UNITS HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED BY AGENCIES THAT HAVE TRIED THEM. HOWEVER, PROBLEMS MAY RESULT, SUCH AS A REDUCTION IN SPECIALIZATION. A FINAL COOPERATION-FOSTERING STRUCTURE DISCUSSED PROVIDES FOR INVESTIGATIONS AND PATROLUNITS TO REPORT TO EACH OTHER AS WELL AS TO A PRECINCTCHIEF. FOOTNOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS ARE INCLUDED.