Structure & Management: Law Enforcement Department
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Your election to the post of Sheriff has convinced you that the county expects you to re-organize a dysfunctional department. You plan to start with the very basics and will reconsider the way that the department is structured and managed. You have agreed to create a report for the county commissioners, to earn their support for your reform plans.
Your report should be in a 4- to 5-page Microsoft Word document which covers the following points:
First, reprint your mission statement at the top of the report, then:
Part 1-Structure
•Explain what is meant by formal and informal organizational structure.
•Show how this concept relates to a law enforcement agency in particular. For instance, does a formal structure create any problems in a criminal justice agency? Are there areas within the department that need to be formal?
•Describe how the structure of the department will impact communication (Manager-to-staff, staff-to-manager, communication among officers, communication between the department and outside organizations, etc.).
Part 2-Management
•Discuss the pros and cons of participatory management in a law enforcement department. Include a mention of how participatory management might affect staff morale.
•Explain the goals you intend to set for your deputies as well as the overall department. (Hint-Increased arrests may not be as important as community satisfaction and lower crime rate). Ideally, your goals should be consistent with your mission statement.
My mission statement - The mission of the Shorter County Sheriff's Office is to provide a "safe and secure environment, professional, high-quality services for the residents and visitors of Shorter County at through department programs and community policing efforts. This goal will be achieved through a mutually cooperative relationship between the Sheriff's Office, the other Shorter County law enforcement agencies, and the community it serves.
My mission statement reflects the open system theory because it receives input from the outside and release information to the environment. Not only does it make the department organized but it serves different people in the communities.
Support your responses with examples.
Cite any sources in APA format.
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Solution Summary
This solution explains the organizational structure and management of a law enforcement department. The sources used are also included in the solution.
Solution Preview
In accordance to BrainMass standards this is not a hand in ready assignment but is only background help.
Step 1
Structure:
Formal organizational structure occurs when there are one or more than one persons coming together with a common objective or goal. Formal organizational structure has its own rules and regulation. These rules are followed by the employees and managers. The method of coordination in a formal structure is the system of authority. In a formal organization there is clear superior-subordinate relationship. For example, in law enforcement police officers report to first line supervisors. The formal organization is the literal structure of the organization including its organizational chart, hierarchical reporting relationships, and work processes.
An informal structure is based on relationships that develop in organizations and contribute strongly to the work culture. These develop around social groups or around groups of projects. The informal structure saves people time and effort and makes it easy to work with. It is a network of personal relationships. People who work in the formal organization meet and interact regularly (b). This leads to friendship and companionships. These are informal groups within a formal organization. For example, in the law enforcement there may be friendships amongst patrol officers, jail officers, and recruitment personnel. These informal structures do not have any specific and clearly defined objectives. These relationships are also not governed by rules, regulation, and authority relationships. In informal structures there is no system of authority or co-ordination.
Step 1
The concept of a formal organization directly applies to a law enforcement department. The chief administrators are at the top of the hierarchy, midlevel managers such as captains and lieutenants are next, in the next level are first line supervisors, and in the last level are the police officers. The primary line operation in law enforcement is the patrol officers. Other operations such as youth supervision or ...
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