PURPOSES & PRINCIPLES

OF POLICE ORGANIZATION

A REPORT FOR THE DEGREE IN

MASTER IN CRIMINOLOGY
University of Baguio

By: Rommel K. Manwong

 COVERAGE OF REPORT
Preliminary (Introduction)
Traditional Purpose of Police Organization

The Traditional Measure of Police Efficiency

Police Performance Measures
Pro-active Purposes of Police Org
Management Principles
* Theories
* Role of Police Managers
The Concept of Police Organizations
PRELIMINARY (INTRODUCTION)
….BASIC CONCEPTS

Police Organization Defined

A group of trained personnel in the field of

public safety administration engaged in the
achievement of goals and objectives that
promotes the maintenance of peace and
order, protection of life and property,
enforcement of the laws and the prevention
of crimes.
THE NATURE OF POLICE
ORGANIZATION
The police department is truly a
complex bureaucracy. It is most
frequently a multi-level organization,
organized in the form of a pyramid
with the top-level administrator being
the chief of police. At the bottom
level of the organization, one finds
the patrolman or line officer.
The police department by its very nature
places the line officer in a position where
he is a decision maker and manager of
his area of responsibility from the first
time he is given a “beat” to patrol.

There are few agencies in which the

efficiency and parameter of the law
enforcement functions are vested in those
individuals quite likely have the least
amount of experience and expertise in
the organization.
TRADITIONAL PURPOSES
What is Traditional Policing?
The old system or concept of policing
whereby policemen are looked upon
as an authority representing the
government it serve rather than as a
servant of the community. Here, The
police organization is used as
protector of “the few” instead of “the
many”.
Traditional Yardstick of Police
Efficiency and Effectiveness
The main traditional purpose of the
police is to protect the authority (the
government).

Hence, the yardstick of measuring

police efficiency under this kind of
policing is the number of people
arrested of crimes and the number of
people jailed.
It means:

“The more people arrested and

thrown to jail, the more the police
organization is effective and
efficient”.
To describe the traditional purposes
of the Police Organization, the three
ERAs in Policing are hereby presented

 The Political Era

 The Reform Era
 The Community Era
The Political Era (1840-1930)
The police forces were characterized by:
 Authority coming from politicians and

the law
 A broad social service function

 Decentralized organization

 An intimate relationship with the

community
 Extensive use of foot patrol
Main Issue (as an influence of this era)

On Corruption

“The system encouraged politicians to

reward their friends by giving them
key positions in police departments”
The Reform Era (1930-1980)
The police forces were characterized by:
 Authority coming from the law and
professionalism
 Crime control as their primary
function
 A centralized and efficient
organization
 Emphasis on preventive motorized
patrol and rapid response to crime
Main Issues (prominent in this era)

 Traditional Policing remained as a

practice (on corruption, etc.)
 Recruitment and Selection issues
 Issues on the enactment of laws for
policing
The Community Era
(1980’s-present)
Under this era of policing, police forces
are characterized by:
 Authority coming from community

support, law and professionalism

 Provision of broad range of police

services, including crime control

The Community Era
(1980’s-present)
Under this era of policing, police forces are
characterized by:
 Authority coming from community support,
law and professionalism
 Provision of broad range of police services,
including crime control
 Decentralized organization with more
authority given to patrol officers
 An intimate relationship with the
community
 Use of problem-solving approach
Main Issues (Community Era)

 Political Interference
 Negative Public Perception
 Lack of Community Support
Traditional vs Community Policing

Who are the Police?

Traditional Community

A government agency Police are the public

for law and the public are
enforcement the police
COMPARISON OF THE TRADITIONAL POLICING
AND THE COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

The Traditionalist The Community Oriented

Traditional vs Community Policing

What is the role of the Police?

Traditional Community

Focused on solving Focused on crime

crimes control – a broader
problem solving
approach
What, specifically, do police deal
with?
Traditional Community

Mostly incidents Citizen’s problems

and concern
Traditional vs Community Policing

What are the highest priorities?

Traditional Community

Crimes that are high Whatever problem

value and those that disturb the
involving violence community
Traditional vs Community Policing

How police efficiency measured?

Traditional Community

By detection and By the absence of

arrest rate crime and disorder
What determines effectiveness of
the Police?
Traditional Community

Response times Public Cooperation

As to system of police management
Traditional Community

A reactive system A pro active system

Authoritative Participative approach

approach
PART TWO of this Report
….The Great Seal
MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES

The shift of the old system

management to the community
policing brought about significant
changes in the history of Policing.
Consider the following shifts…

“The job of management is leadership,

not supervision”

“Police Managers should lead by

example…”
Leaders have qualities different from
managers..
Consider the following:
 Managers do things right, leaders do right
things.
 Managers inherit goals, leaders set them
 Managers are comforters, leaders are
reformers
 Managers control, leaders empower
 Managers are aggressive, leaders are
assertive
 Managers protects, leaders delegate
 Managers supervise, leaders coach
 Managers are efficient, leaders are
effective
 Managers are position-oriented,
leaders are people oriented
What is being needed today in the
Police Service?

Some one with both the managers

perspective and a strong leadership
capability.

….This is the most significant shift in

Police Administration…
POLICE MANAGEMENT PROCESS

The management process involves

Planning – Organizing – Leading –
Controlling the use of organizational
resources to achieve high
performance results.
 Planning – is the process of setting performance
objectives and identifying the actions needed to
accomplish them.
 Organizing – is the process of dividing the work to
be done and coordinating results to achieve a desired
purpose.
 Leading – is the process of directing and coordinating
the work efforts of other people to help them
accomplish important task.
 Controlling – is the process of monitoring
performance, comparing results to objectives and
taking corrective action as necessary.
In respect to planning, the COP need
for a new program for PCR in order to
stay competitive with other law
enforcement agencies. Once the top
management team has discussed the
issue, a decision is made to test the
new plan with in several weeks/
months.
In respect to organizing, the COP
convenes a special task force to
create the new program. Officers with
various skills are selected and
assigned to the task force. One officer
is appointed to head the task force. A
budget, clerical support, facilities and
equipment are made available.
In respect to leading, the COP states
the performance objective at a task
force meeting, answer questions that
arise, and explain the reasons why
the new program is so important to
the organization.
In respect to controlling, the COP
has frequent conversations with the
head of the task force and stays
informed about efforts in the making
of the new program.
MANAGEMENT PROCESS AND THE POLICE
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES

Line Type Organization

The straight line organization, often called the
individuals, military or departmental type of
organization, is the simplest and perhaps the oldest
type; but it is seldom encountered in its channels of
authority and responsibility extent in a direct line
from top to bottom within the structures, authority is
definite and absolute.

Quick decisions can be made in the line organization

because of the direct lines authority and, because of
these direct lines, each member in the chain of
command known to whom he is clearly fixed,
discipline is easily administered in this type of
organization, responsibility for making decisions is
well identified, and singleness of purpose is fostered.
Functional Type Organization
The functional organization in its pure form is rarely found in
present day organizations, except at or near the top of the very
large organizations. Unlike the line type of structure, those
establishments organized on a functional basis violate the prime
rule that men perform best when they have but one superior. 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
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 to several superiors
depending upon the function he happens to be performing.
Line and Staff Type Organization
The Line and Staff organization is a
combination of the line and functional
types. It combines staff specialist such as
the criminalists, the training officers, the
research and development specialists, etc.
Channels of responsibility is to “think and
provide expertise” for the line units. The
line supervisor must remember that he
obtains advice from the staff specialists.
In normal operations, the staff supervisor
has line commands but with recognized
limitations such as coordination between
line and staff personnel can be achieved
without undue friction. Failure to recognize
these line and staff relationship is the
greatest and most frequent source of
friction and a barrier to effective
coordination. The advantage of this kind
would be - it combines staff specialist or
units with line organization so that service
of knowledge can be provided line
personnel by specialist.
PRINCIPLES of Organization for Police
Managers

Specialization

The grouping of activities and

segregation if line, staff, and auxiliary
functions are large-scale examples of
specialization within a bureaucratic
organization.
 the assignment of particular workers to particular
tasks. It can thus be though of in terms of either jobs
or people.
 Specialization of jobs (“areas of specialization”) is the
designation of certain activities or tasks as ones that
must be performed in a highly technological,
scientific, or precise manner.
 Specialization of people (“specialists) is the
designation of a particular persons as having
expertise in a specific area of work. Here,
specialization signifies the adaptation of an individual
to the requirements go some technical tasks through
training, conditioning or extensive on-the-job
experience.
Hierarchy of Authority

The hierarchy represents the formal

relationship among supers and
subordinates in any given
organization. It can be visualized as a
ladder, with each rung (or rank)
representing a higher or lower level
of authority.
Span of Control
It is the maximum number of subordinates at a given
position that superior can supervise effectively.

Because a large police organization necessarily must have

more subordinates than superiors, subordinate positions
within a bureaucracy will outnumber supervisor ones. For
this reason, organization charts of police agencies look
more like pyramids, the chief controls from the top of the
pyramid, and the rankle and file obey from their varied
positions spread along the base. It between there is a
hierarchy of ranks that expands wider and wider as it
descends toward the bottom of the pyramid. The height of
an organizational pyramid is a product of the hierarchy of
supervisory positions or ranks that exists, while width of the
pyramids base is a product of the organization’s staggered
spans of control.
Delegation of Authority

 Delegation is the conferring of an amount of authority by a

superior position onto a lower-level position. The person to
whom authority is delegated becomes responsibilities to the
superior for doing the assigned job. However, the
delegators remain accountable for accomplishment of the
job within the guidelines and quality standards of the
agency.

 Maintaining control within the organization demands that

authority be delegated vertically throughout the
organization’s pyramid, from the chief at the top to the
patrol officers at the bottom. Excessive delegation within a
department produces a tall organizational pyramid, while
very limited delegation results in a short pyramid with fewer
levels of authority.
Unity of Command

Traditional theories of organization insisted that each

employee should have only one supervisor of “boss”,
and considered this principle of “unity of command”
the backbone of any organizational structure. Thus, a
patrol officer, for example, would always receive
orders from one sergeant and would always report to
that same sergeant. If the officer was instructed or
advised by a detective, garage sergeant, or any other
administrator (with the possible exception of the
chief), the officer was expected to check with his or
her sergeant before taking any action.
Formal Communication

Basically, communication is the process of

sharing understanding and information on
common subjects. More precisely, it is an
intercourse between through or more
people by means of words, letters symbols,
or gestures for the purpose of exchanging
information. Procedures, channels, and
standardized languages are essential to
effective communication within such large
organization.
Summary of Principles
Every formal police organization whether small or large
are governed by the following principles:

 Principle of Unity of Objectives - an organization

is effective if it enables the individuals to contribute
to the organization’s objectives.
 Principle of Organizational Efficiency –
organization structure is effective if it is structured in
such a way to aid the accomplishment of the
organization’s objectives with a minimum cost.
 Functional Principle – refers to division of work
according to type, place, time and specialization.
 Scalar Principle – shows the vertical hierarchy of the
organization which defines an unbroken chain of units from
top to bottom describing explicitly the flow of authority.
The scalar principles are:

a. Line of Authority and Chain of Command - This principle

of organization suggests that communications should ordinarily
go upward through established channels in the hierarchy.
Diverting orders, directives, or reports around a level of
command usually has disastrous effects on efficiency of the
organization.
b. The Span of Control of a supervisor over personnel or
units shall not mean more than what he can effectively direct
and coordinate. In span of control, levels of authority shall be
kept to a minimum.
c. The Delegation of authority shall carry with its
commensurate authority and the person to whom the
authority is delegated shall be held accountable therefore. It
implies that delegation must carry with it appropriate
responsibility.
d. The Unity of Command - explains that subordinates
should only be under the control of one superior.
 Line and Staff – implies that a system of varied functions
arrange into a workable pattern. The line organization is
responsible for the direct accomplishment of the objectives
while the staff is responsible for support, advisory or
facilitative capacity.
 Principle of Balance – states that the application of
principles must be balanced to ensure the effectiveness of
the structure in meeting organization’s objectives.
 Principle of Delegation by Results – states that
authority delegated should be adequate to ensure the ability
to accomplish expected results.
 Principles of Absoluteness of Responsibility – explains
that the responsibility of the subordinates to their superior
for performance is absolute and the superior cannot escape
responsibility for the organization on activities performed by
their subordinates.
 Principle of Parity and Responsibility –
explains that responsibility for action
cannot be greater than that implied by the
authority delegated nor should it be less.
 Authority Level Principle – implies that
decisions within the authority of the
individual commander should be made by
them and not be returned upward in the
organizational structure.
 Principle of Flexibility – which means
that the more flexible the organization, the
more it can fulfill its purpose.
THE END

….ITS ALL IN THE MIND

 CHAPTER THREE
 THE OPERATING PRINCIPLES

Administration – POSDCORB

Supervision

Operations
Administration
Refers to the processes used in
organization. It covers the broad areas of:
 PLANNING
 ORGANIZING
 STAFFING
 DIRECTING
 COORDINATING
 REPORTING
 BUDGETING
>
 Planning - is the process of setting
performance objectives and
identifying the actions needed to
accomplish them.

 Organizing - is the process of dividing

the work to be done and coordinating
results to achieve a desired purpose.
>
 Staffing -