NCJ Number
88288
Date Published
1982
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This chapter focuses primarily on police inspection as the process for obtaining facts on persons, things, actions, and conditions through observation, inquiry, examination, and analysis to show conditions requiring change and actions that may need to be taken.
Abstract
Two types of inspection may be used in all but the smallest departments: (1) line inspection, which is conducted by those in direct command who can demand immediate action by subordinates; and (2) staff inspection, conducted by persons with no direct control of the subject of the inspection and who normally report only inspection results and take no corrective action. The report review process is one of the most basic approaches for analyzing the quality of police service and may include a random field checking of victims and complaints to establish the accuracy and thoroughness of handling calls which require written reports. Since it is impractical to expect that the training and education required for assessing departmental operations will be found internally, an outside audit may sometimes be conducted. A specialized function of internal control is an internal investigation, which generally deals with violations of personnel integrity. This involves the establishment of an internal affairs unit and citizen complaint processing. Discipline, with both positive and negative sanctions, is vital to the preservation of effective performance and employee morale. In disciplinary processing, police administrators should see that personnel are given all the personal safeguards afforded any citizen, but only arbitary and capricious actions in administrative hearings should be subject to court review, and chiefs should not protect officers from the consequences of their misconduct. A right to appeal must be clearly established. Fair discipline can do much to minimize rash employee union activity. Eight footnotes are provided.