INTRODUCTION TO POLICING

Week 1 Historical Background of Policing

Week 2 Evolution of Police in the Philippine
Setting
Week 3 Police in Modern World
Week 4 Police Organization Concepts and
Principles

POLICE ORGANIZATION CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES

 In this module, we will be discussing the different
organizational units of police.
 TO DO LIST:

Please do the following in sequential manner:

1. READ the notes in police organization concept

and principle;
2. ANSWER the given Activity at the end of this
module.

A. Police Organizational Units

1. Functional Units: Functional units are those parts/components of the police organization that are well-
designed to work or perform definite tasks. The functional units of the police department are as
follows:

a. BUREAU: the largest organic unit within a large department, each bureau is
composed of a number of divisions.
b. DIVISION: the primary subdivision of a bureau
c. SECTION: smaller functional unit within a division that is necessary for
specialization purposes
d. UNIT: the smallest group within a section when further specialization is needed
2 LAW ENFORCEMENT ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION
2. Geographical Units: These are components of the police organization based on territorial jurisdiction.

a. POST: a fixed point or location where a police officer is assigned for duty, such as
the designated desk (station desk), an intersection or cross walk, or a point of ingress
or egress; a permanent spot for general guard duty.
b. ROUTE: a length of street/s designated for patrol purposes; also called LINE BEAT.
c. BEAT: an area assigned for patrol purposes, whether by foot or motorized
d. SECTOR: an area containing two or more beats, routes, or posts
e. DISTRICT: a geographical subdivision of a city for patrol purposes, usually with its
own station
f. AREA: a section or territorial division of a large city or metropolis, each composed of
designated districts

B. Police Terminologies/Jargons

1. ORGANIZE – to form a police unit for the purpose of accomplishing a common objective; to
arrange systematically a group of police unit/s.

2. ORGANIZING – the act of systematically arranging police units in hierarchical order to perform
specific functions thus achieve desired objectives.

3. MANAGE – to direct or conduct the affairs or interests of various police units; to control the
direction, operation, and business of a police unit or the police organization as a whole.

“The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It’s what you’re made of not the
circumstances.” – Unknown
 4. POLICE MANEGEMENT – the art or manner of administering, controlling, or handling all the
various aspects of the police organization; the skillful use of means to accomplish the task,
purpose or objective of a police unit or organization.

5. POLICE POLITICS – the study of public administration or affairs of the government in relation
to police matters; maneuvering for power within the police organization.
6. POLICE POWER – the power of the government to impose what is considered reasonable
restriction on the liberties of its citizens for the maintenance of public order and safety; legally
speaking, it is the power of the government to enact laws or regulations relative to persons and
property that may promote public health, public morals, public safety, and the general welfare
and convenience of the people.

7. POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY – the inherent responsibility of the police organization to be

answerable for the misconducts committed by its members; it may also refer to the legal
responsibility of the police officers to face any consequence that may arise while exercising their
powers, duties and functions.

8. SWORN OFFICER: personnel of the police department who took his oath of office and thus
possess the power to arrest

9. SUPERIOR OFFICER: an officer having supervisory responsibilities (either temporary or

permanent) over an officer of lower rank

10.SUBORDINATE: an officer belonging to the lower or inferior rank

3 11.COMMANDING OFFICER: an officer who is

LAW ENFORCEMENT in command of aAND
ORGANIZATION police department, bureau,
ADMINISTRATION
division, district, or area/station

12.RANKING OFFICER: an officer having the more senior/higher rank in a team or group of
police officers

13.COMMISSIONED OFFICER (PCO)– a police officer with a rank of police inspector and
higher. 

14.NON – COMMISSIONED OFFICER (PNCO) – a police officer with a rank of Senior Police
Officer IV and lower.

15.LENGTH OF SERVICE: the period of time that has elapsed since the oath of office was
administered to an officer; previous active services maybe included or added

16.ON-DUTY: the period when an officer is actively engaged in the performance of his duty; also
called ACTIVE DUTY

17.SPECIAL DUTY: in the police service, it is the form of duty requiring an officer to be excused
from the performance of his active regular duty

18.OFF-DUTY: the nature of which the police office is free from specific routine duty

19.LEAVE OF ABSENCE: a specified period during which an officer is excused from active duty
or direct participation in police work

“The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It’s what you’re made of not the
circumstances.” – Unknown
 20.SICK LEAVE: a period wherein an officer is excused from active duty by reason of illness or
injury

21.SUSPENSION: a consequence of an act that temporarily deprives an officer from the privilege
of performing his duties as result of violating a directive or other departmental regulation
22.DEPARTMENTAL RULES/POLICIES: rules established by the police department
directors/administrators to control the conduct of the members of the police force

23.DUTY MANUAL: a book of instruction that describes the procedures and defines the duties of
officers assigned to a specified post or position

24.ORDER: an instruction given by a ranking officer to a subordinated; either General, Special and
Personal

25.REPORT: usually a written communication unless otherwise specified to be verbal report;

verbal reports should be confirmed by written communication

POLICE FUNCTIONS
POLICE FUNCTIONS – duties and responsibilities explicitly carried out by police agencies to
meet the demands concerning public order and public safety.

A. Line Functions as Distinguished from staff functions

1. LINE FUNCTIONS (patrol, traffic enforcement, or criminal investigation) are those that are
4 LAW mission.
designed to meet the basic police ENFORCEMENT ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION
2. STAFF FUNCTIONS, on the other hand, are those that exist to support line functions, either
directly or indirectly. For example, the planning and research unit is clearly a staff function, but its
mission is primarily to support the line operations in either direct or indirect manner. 

Staff functions can be further broken down into two types: AUXILLIARY or SUPPORT
SERVICES and ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.  Under this arrangement, auxiliary or support
units, such as communications and crime laboratory services, are charged with the responsibility of
giving immediate assistance to the operations of line elements. In contrast, administrative staff units,
such as personnel and training provide services that are of less immediate assistance and are
supportive of the entire police department.

B. Functions of the Police

1. Maintain peace and order.
2. Enforce the laws in their respective assigned jurisdictions.
3. Prevent crimes.
4. Make arrests, searches, and seizures in accordance with law.
5. Investigate crimes.
6. Prosecute offenders.
7. Ensure public safety.
8. Protect life and property.

C. Types of Organizational Structure

THE LINE ORGANIZATION

“The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It’s what you’re made of not the
circumstances.” – Unknown
 The straight-line organization, often called the individual, military, or departmental type of
organization, is the simplest perhaps the oldest type. However, it is seldom encountered in its true form
in any but the smallest organization. The channels of authority and responsibility extend in a direct line
from top to bottom within the structure. Authority is definite and absolute.

While the line type of organization has many advantages, it also has some inherent weaknesses
that sometimes make its use impractical. Perhaps its greatest advantage is that it is utterly simple. It
involves a division of the work into units with a person in charge who has complete control and who
can be held directly responsible or accountable for results, or lack of them.

Quick decisions can be made in the line organization because of the direct line authority and,
because of these direct lines, each member in the chain of command knows to whom he is accountable
and who is accountable to him. Because responsibility is clearly fixed, discipline is easily administered,
responsibility for making decisions is well identified and singleness of purpose is fostered.
Coordination of effort is relatively easy to achieve because functional overlapping between units, a
prime cause of friction in any organization, can be minimized.   

THE FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION

The functional organization in its pure form is rarely found in present day organization except at
or near the top level. Unlike the line type of structure, establishments organized on the functional basis
violate the prime rule that men perform best when they have but one supervisor. The functional
organization divides responsibility and authority between several specialists such as the person
responsible for all training, the employee directing the community relations activities of all units within
5 the department, or the officerLAW having line authority over
ENFORCEMENT any employee AND
ORGANIZATION handling a case involving a
ADMINISTRATION
juvenile. The functional responsibility of each “functional manager “is limited to the particular activity
over which he has control, regardless of who performs the function.

Coordination of effort in this type of organization becomes difficult since the employees
responsible for results may be subject to the functional direction of several persons. Discipline is
difficult to administer because of this multi-headed leadership. There may be considerable conflict
among the functional administrators, resulting in much confusion among line personnel. Line of
authority and responsibility are fragmented into many functional channels, making each supervisor
responsible for several superiors depending upon the function he happens to be performing.

THE LINE AND STAFF ORGANIZATION

The line and staff of organization is a combination of the line and functional types and is found in
almost all but the very smallest police agencies today. It combines staff specialist or units with line
organization so that service of knowledge can be provided line personnel by specialist such as the
criminalist, the training officers, the research and development specialist, the public relations officer,
and the intelligence specialist. 

Channels of responsibility and authority are thus left intact since the specialist’s responsibility is
to “think and provide expertise “for the line units which are responsible for "doing". The line
supervisor must remember that he obtains advice from the staff specialist, not commands. 

“The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It’s what you’re made of not the
circumstances.” – Unknown