Organizational Structure In American Police Agencies

Although most large police organizations perform the same tasks, there is tremendous variation in how individual organizations are structured. To account for this variation, author Edward R. Maguire develops a new theory that attributes the formal structures of large municipal police agencies to the contexts in which they are embedded. This theory finds that the relevant features of an organization's context are its size, age, technology, and environment. Using a database representing nearly four hundred of the nation's largest municipal police agencies, Maguire develops empirical measures of police organizations and their contexts and then uses these measures in a series of structural equation models designed to test the theory. Ultimately, police organizations are shown to be like other types of organizations in many ways but are also shown to be unique in a number of respects.

Built on a foundation of nearly 1,200 references, Leadership and Management in Police Organizations is a highly readable text that shows how organizational theory and behavior can be applied to improve the operations, leadership, and management of law enforcement. Author Matthew J. Giblin emphasizes leadership and management as separate skills in successful police supervisors and executives, illustrating to students how the two skills combine to improve individual and organizational efficacy in policing. Readers will come away with a stronger understanding of why organizational decisions matter and the impact research can have on police departments.

Using data from 42 sizable American cities on their environments and police organizational structures, the book documents the importance of organizational structure on police action by predicting arrest rates for 2 types of serious criminal offenses. It applies this research perspective to neighborhoods in analyses of policing styles in three cities: Elyria, Ohio; Columbia, S.C.; and Newark, N.J. The study examines the kinds of data on police action available from a police dispatch log, as well as particular information recording processes used in the three sites. Two key indicators of police style are the rate of police aggressiveness and the degree to which local police work is legalistic, watchmanlike, or service-oriented. These measures are used to analyze variations in policing styles across both neighborhoods and cities, providing support to the theory that organization rather than environment determines local policing styles. This view receives additional support from indepth analyses of social, demographic, and economic characteristics of the three sites. Tables, references, and index.

First published in 1996, this work covers all the major sectors of policing in the United States. Political events such as the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, have created new policing needs while affecting public opinion about law enforcement. This third edition of the "Encyclopedia" examines the theoretical and practical aspects of law enforcement, discussing past and present practices.

Police Organization & Management is a text & reference, which presents tested principles & procedures in the organization & management of the police enterprise. This classic work describes the basic tenets of organization theory & applies them to the police setting. It describes the problems of integrating the individual into the organization, responding to change through community policing, motivation concerns, leadership & productivity. It covers such police functions as patrol, support services, traffic, investigation, information management, human resources & administrative concerns.

"An Introduction to American Policing, Second Edition" connects the US criminal justice system, criminology, and law enforcement knowledge to the progress of the police community. It is the perfect resource for a Police Science course.

Offering a brief, accessible, and timely introduction, Policing: The Essentials, hones in on core concepts and provides strong coverage on the foundations of policing. Authors Carol A. Archbold, Carol M. Huynh, and Thomas Mrozla use contemporary scholarship to focus on the current climate of policing and criminal justice, crafting one of the most diverse and inclusive books for the policing course. With a unique chapter on police effectiveness and community policing, plus ample opportunities for critical thinking and application by the reader, Policing: The Essentials offers a close examination of what matters in policing today and provides students with the key information they need to understand modern policing practices in our society.

Although law enforcement officials have long recognized the need to cooperate with the communities they serve, recent efforts to enhance performance and maximize resources have resulted in a more strategic approach to collaboration among police, local governments, and community members. The goal of these so-called "community policing" initiatives is to prevent neighborhood crime, reduce the fear of crime, and enhance the quality of life in communities. Despite the growing national interest in and support for community policing, the factors that influence an effective implementation have been largely unexplored. Drawing on data from nearly every major U.S. municipal police force, Community Policing in America is the first comprehensive study to examine how the organizational context and structure of police organizations impact the implementation of community policing. Jeremy Wilson’s book offers a unique theoretical framework within which to consider community policing, and identifies key internal and external factors that can facilitate or impede this process, including community characteristics, geographical region, police chief turnover, and structural complexity and control. It also provides a simple tool that practitioners, policymakers, and researchers can use to measure community policing in specific police organizations.