Police Organization Essay

508 Words3 Pages
Police departments’ effectiveness depends on its organization. Local police are assigned to areas, also known as beats, with the responsibility of maintaining order, ensuring that the law is upheld, and providing needed assistance to citizens. If communities are going to be safe to live in, then the police department must be well organized. As we continue to experience an increase in crime, police organization becomes more and more important, as it determines the police department’s effectiveness. One of the advantages of patrolling is that it gives potential criminals the fear of being caught in the act and citizens the peace of knowing that they are being protected against crime. Organizing these patrols starts with answering calls, assigning police presence to any given area, and looking into any suspicious activities. The patrolmen and patrolwomen that are responsible for the patrolling are, without a doubt, the police department’s most important resource. Each officer or group of officers is responsible for a particular well-defined area. While patrolling on foot doesn’t necessarily reduce crime, it does give the community the feeling of being safe and secure. Organization is not just important when it comes to personnel and personnel placement, but the department must also be time organized as well. Policing is a twenty-four hour a day job that requires supervision that is organized. Typically, local police departments operate on three shifts. These shifts are usually similar to a civilian work day. However, there are some departments that may work longer shifts, which allows time for additional training. When it comes to policing on the state level, things can get a little more difficult because state patrol officers have a larger jurisdiction. Often times, they are called upon to assist the local police departments. Many crimes that take place in

More about Police Organization Essay

Open Document