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¶ … local police agencies at the local, agencies, local, state, and federal level organized to identify principal roles and functions of the police organization in the application of law.
Various Types of Police Agencies See the discussion of the employment projections table in the Handbook introduct
Various levels and types of policing agencies exist including local, state, and federal policing agencies. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in its Occupational Outlook Handbook: Police and Detectives (2010-11 Ed.) individuals who are qualified are those most likely to have favorable job option. Competition for State and Federal agency jobs in State and Federal agencies is great. (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010-11)
Uniformed police officers are reported to be those with responsibility for enforcement of general law through maintaining regular patrols and providing response to calls and spending a great deal of time completing paperwork and responding to calls for assistance. Urban police are active in what 'community policing' stated to be a practice "in which an officer builds relationships with the citizens of local neighborhoods and mobilizes the public to help fight crime." (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010-11)
Organization of police agencies is generally through geographic district designations with assignment being made to uniformed officers in patrol specific areas." (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010-11) In areas that are more populated the officer will have a partner with whom they work. Some police officers are specialized in chemical and microscopic analysis, training and firearms instruction and handwriting analysis as well as fingerprint identification." (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010-11) Some uniformed officers are employed in special units stated to include (1 horseback; (2) bicycle; (3) motorcycle; (4) harbor patrol; (5) Canine corps; (6) special weapons and tactics (SWAT); or emergency response teams." (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010-11) According to the Department of Labor the employment levels for police and detectives is determined by "the level of government spending" therefore, job opportunities numbers experience variations from year to year and as well from place to place. (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010-11, paraphrased) According to reports there are 26 agencies called Highway Patrol and another 23 State Police agencies. The following table lists the occupational title employment levels for 2008 and as projected for 2018 by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Figure 1 Projections data from the National Employment Matrix
Occupational Title
SOC Code
Employment, 2008
Projected
Employment, 2018
Source: U.S. Department of Labor (2008)
II. Principal roles and functions of Police Agency in Application of Law
The authority of highway patrols is generally limited to patrolling state and federal highways. The State Police generally function much in the same manner as local agencies but have statewide jurisdiction. A Sheriff's department in most U.S. counties handles county law enforcement however; some counties have County Police Departments. In larger areas, there are both a Sheriff and County Police Department. There are more municipal police departments in the United States than any other type of police agency. Included in the municipal police department numbers are transit, school, and housing police. LaFrance and Lee report that the U.S. Sheriffs in most states are"...elected officials, Sheriff's are directly involved in partisan politics unlike their police chief counterparts. The role of the Sheriff is unique in that they "serve all three components of the criminal justice system" which includes: (1) law enforcement; (2) courts; and (3) corrections. (LaFrance and Lee, 2010)
III. Major Organizational Theories
There are various approaches to management and organization of police departments. Johnson (1994) states that…
References
LaFrance, T.C. And Lee, SZ (2010) Sheriffs' and Police Chiefs' Differential Perceptions of the Residents They Serve: An Exploration and Preliminary Rationale. Retrieved from: http://wiu.academia.edu/CaseyLaFrance/Papers/333762/Sheriffs_and_Police_Chiefs_Differential_Perceptions_of_the_Residents_They_Serve_An_Exploration_and_Preliminary_Rationale
Johnson, R.A. (1994) Police Organizational Design and Structure. 1994 June, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. Retrieved from: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2194/is_n6_v63/ai_15704701/
Zimmer (nd) Police Agencies are Organizations. CSU Fresno. Retrieved from: http://zimmer.csufresno.edu/~haralds/LECTURENOTES/crim102/polorgoperchp3.htm
O'Connor, T. (2010) Police Structure and Organization. Megalinks in Criminal Justice. Retrieved from: http://www.drtomoconnor.com/megapolice.htm
Police Agencies: Policing in the United States has mainly been based and expanded on the ideas of English way of policing. The English way of policing has not only been used as the basis for American policing but it has also been used to commence an era of evolving police agencies. In its early years, policing in the United States was largely regarded as a civic duty or responsibility of
Agency Politics Within the Vbso Agency Politics Persons wishing to become police officers in the United States must first pass a battery of tests designed to eliminate those who fail to meet the minimum standards (Thomas & Barringer, 2012, p. 1600-1601). Thus begins the indoctrination process for those that enter the academy and survive long enough to be offered a position within a policing agency. One of the first value systems the
Police Department Organization: The local, state, and federal agencies are part of the criminal justice system that focuses on dealing with the problem of crime. The main components of the criminal justice system at all levels of government include police, courts, and corrections that deter or prevent criminal activities through arresting, trying and punishing criminals respectively. The local, state, and federal agencies have different functions that are geared towards the enforcement
In most cases, their duties revolve around statewide investigations, highway patrols, and enforcing other traffic laws. They usually work with the Bureau of criminal investigations in dealing with emergencies, training law enforcement official and social crime such sex offenders and illegal drug abuse and other investigations that go beyond the jurisdiction and resources of the local police (Dantzker, 1999). On the other hand, the federal agency deals with not only
This is when they will abide by these guidelines. The enforcement of these provisions will create a procedure for investigating offenses, protecting the rights of the accused and punishing those who violate the code of ethics. ("Police Officer Code of Ethics," 2004) (Berg, 1999) What makes this approach so unique is the department will function as an independent entity. This means that Internal Affairs will have the power to overrule
Police Function The Functions of Policing at the Local, State and Federal Levels The functions of police work are highly complex and filled with myriad unpredictable challenges. Officers must place their safety and their lives at risk every day in the interests of maintaining order, protecting the pubic and apprehending law-breakers. The result is an occupation that is filled with stressors, pressures and dangers. One way that the structure of modern police-work