Key Organization Principles In Police Departments

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There is several Key Organization Principles design especially for law enforcement procedures that make up the organization layout and daily functions: chain of command; unity of command; the span of control; grouping like functions; concepts of authority, responsibility, and accountability.

Most of the police departments in modern day society are a draft from a hierarchical military organization. (May, 2014) This form is referred to as the scalar principle formulated as a body of a mechanism based line of communication called the chain of command. The chain of command is important because it establishes a smooth flow of information, directives, and orders downward and upward channels of an organization line of communication. (Cordner, 2016) The chain of command identifies everyone in a police department setting from upper management on the down to patrol officers. The chain of command is a
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Organization Procedures are more accurate than policies; nevertheless, “Organization Procedures describes a method of operation while still allowing some flexibility within limits” (Cordner, 2016, p.130). The Organization Procedures are important because they are the responsibilities of a police officer. Police officers are responsible for investigations, patrol, booking, arrest, radio feedback, roll-call, sick leave, promotional, evidence handling, reporting, and other procedures within the agencies. Police departments need organization procedures to control, instruct, reduce, and apply discretion to accomplish a routine task. (Cordner, 2016) However, you can’t have procedures without policies to serve as rules to the operation because procedures are a detailed description of how policy is to be accomplished. (Orrick, 2002) Organization Policy and Procedures is a valuable guide to make sure officers are in compliance acting in a consistent, professional and legal

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