Criminal Justice

1. © 2014 by Pearson Higher Education, Inc
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
Chapter 4
Policing:
Purpose and
Organization
Scott Moller, JD
Introduction to Administration of Justice

2. © 2014 by Pearson Higher Education, Inc
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
Summarize the typical organizational structure of a police
department.
Describe the three major levels of public law enforcement in
the United States today.
Explain the police mission in democratic societies.
Summarize the historical development of US policing, and
describe the characteristics of each stage.
CHAPTEROBJECTIVES
4.5
Describe community policing, and explain how it differs
from traditional forms of policing.
4.6
4.7
Explain evidence-based policing, and demonstrate the
potential it holds in the area of police management.
Explain how police discretion affects law enforcement.

3. Learning Objectives
After this lecture, you should be able to complete the following Learning Outcomes
4.1 Explain the police mission in
democratic societies.

4. “The basic mission for which
the police exist is to reduce
crime and disorder.” Sir Robert
Peel, 1822
Principles of Policing – Sir Robert Peel4.1
POLICING IN A DEMOCRACY
Compare:
1. Nazi video (5:20)
2. Questioning police video
(2:09)
1. Police/public interdependence
2. Police duty to prevent crime &
disorder, not detect crime
3. Police power depends on earning
approval & respect of willing
public
4. Police to demonstrate absolute
impartial service to law
5. Police to maintain tradition that
police are the public, public are
the police
6. Test of efficiency is absence of
crime & disorder, not evidence of
police efforts

5. The Police Mission4.1
Preserving the
Peace
Preventing
Crime
Apprehending
Offenders
Enforcing the
Law
Providing Services

6. Enforcing the Law, Apprehending Offenders
6
• Enforcing the law
– Not the only job of the police; majority of time is spent
answering nonemergency public service calls
– Only about 10% to 20% of all calls involve situations that
actually require a law enforcement response/arrest
– Police cannot enforce all laws
– Police tend to tailor enforcement efforts to meet the
concerns of the populace they serve
4.1
• Apprehending offenders
– Many offenders are only caught as the result of extensive
police work involving investigation
– Timothy McVeigh captured within 90 minutes of Oklahoma
City bombing, via traffic stop, FBI profiler, communication
between police agencies

7. Preventing Crime
7
• Preventing crime
– Anticipating, recognizing, and appraising a crime risk and
acting to eliminate or reduce it
– Techniques and programs
• Techniques include access control, surveillance, theft-
deterrent devices, CPTED (Crime Prevention Through
Environmental Design)
– Prevention programs are organized efforts that focus
resources on reducing a specific form of criminal threat
• Target school-based crime, gang activity, drug abuse,
violence, domestic abuse
• Neighborhood Watch, Crime Stoppers USA
4.1

8. Predicting Crime
8
CompStat – A crime-analysis and police-management process built on
crime-mapping that was developed by the NYPD in the mid-1990s
1. 911 calls and officer reports are collected and analyzed
2. This information is then mapped
3. The resulting map sequences, generated over time, reveal the
time and place of crime patterns and identify hot spots of
ongoing criminal activity
LAPD CompStat video (4:55)
Chicago citywide crime stats
Monterey Area Crime Rates
CrimeStat – Provides statistical
tools for crime-mapping
4.1

9. Preserving the Peace
9
• Preserving the peace
– Fighting crime by combating quality-of-life offenses
• Minor offenses that demoralize communities, create
physical disorder or reflect social decay
– Restore a sense of order, reduce the fear of crime, and
lessen the number of serious crimes that occur
– Broken windows model of policing
4.1
• Study: Researchers abandoned
cars:
1. in the Bronx – stripped within
24 hours)
2. in Palo Alto – left untouched for
over a week – until it was
damaged, signaling lack of
accountability; then vandals
descended on it.

10. Providing Services
10
• Providing services
– Calls received by 911 operators are prioritized and then
relayed to patrol officers, specialized field units, or other
emergency personnel
– Crimereports.com – enter a location and see a current crime
map
4.1

11. Learning Objectives
After this lecture, you should be able to complete the following Learning Outcomes
4.2
Describe the three major levels of
public law enforcement in the
United States today: Federal, State
and Local

12. Federal Agencies4.2
1212
The federal
government
employs 137,929
agents authorized to
conduct criminal
investigations,
execute search
warrants, arrest, or
carry firearms
See Table 4-1, p. 97
of your text for an
extensive list.

13. Federal Bureau of Investigation4.2
13
– The FBI began in 1908 as the Bureau of Investigation. FBI history
– 13,000 special agents assigned to 56 field offices and 400 satellite
offices, plus legats – attaché offices in major cities around the world
– Since 9/11, counterterrorism is top priority at the FBI
– Operates the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a forensic
database of DNA profiles of offenders
– Provides free crime lab services, training for law enforcement
FBI career paths:
• Special Agent
• Professional Staff

14. State Law Enforcement Agencies4.2
Most state agencies were created to meet specific needs, e.g., the
Texas Rangers were formed in 1835 to patrol the borders of Texas
(not yet a state) and apprehend Mexican cattle rustlers.
Current state law enforcement agencies tend to fall into the
categories shown below:
• Alcohol law enforcement
• Fish and wildlife
• Highway patrol
• Port authorities
• State bureaus of investigation
• State park services
• State police
• State university police
• Weigh station operations

15. California State Agencies4.2
15
Office of the Attorney General
California Department of Justice
California Bureau of Firearms - Special Agents
California Bureau of Forensic Services
California Bureau of Gambling Control - Special Agents
Bureau of Investigation - Special Agents
California Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud & Elder Abuse - Special
Agents
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
California Office of Correctional Safety - State Fugitive Apprehension
Teams & Special Service Unit
California Department of State Hospitals
California State Hospital Police Officers
California Department of Fish and Game, Game Wardens
California Highway Patrol
California State Parks, California State Park Rangers
California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
Department of Insurance
California Department of Motor Vehicles
Franchise Tax Board
California Lottery Security and Law Enforcement Division
California Department of Consumer Affairs, Division of Investigation
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
California Department of Health Care Services

16. State Police Agencies: Centralized
16
4.2
• The tasks of major criminal investigations are
combined with state highway patrol
• Centralized state police agencies generally:
– Patrol state highways
– Assist local law enforcement in
investigations when asked
– Operate a centralized identification bureau,
criminal records repository
– Provide training for local police
– Used in DE, MI, NJ, NY, PN, VT

17. State Police Agencies: Decentralized
17
4.2
• Draws clear distinction between traffic
enforcement on state highways and other
state level law enforcement functions by
creating at least two separate agencies
– Usually have a number of other
adjunct state-level law enforcement
agencies
– Separate state agencies for:
– Highway patrol
– State bureau of investigation
– Sometimes additional
– Used in GA, NC, SC

18. 18
0
40,000
35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
Local Police Agencies4.2
While most local agencies employ less than 10 full-
time officers, major city police departments have a
dominant presence in law enforcement.
Local police agencies
include:
• Campus police
• City/county agencies
• Constables
• Coroners/medical
examiners
• Housing authority
• Marine patrol
• Municipal police
departments
• Sheriff’s departments
• Tribal police

19. Fusion Centers: JTTF, RTTF4.2
19
Fusion Centers – a new concept in policing
• Multiagency law enforcement facility designed to enhance
cooperative efforts through a coordinated process for
collecting, sharing, and analyzing information in order to
develop actionable intelligence
• Some fusion centers focus on specific issues, e.g.:
• National Counterterrorism Center
• National Gang Intelligence Center

20. Private Protective Services
20
4.2
Private Protective Services
- Independent or proprietary commercial
organizations that provide protective services to
employers on a contractual basis
(
Table 4-4)

21. International Police Agencies
21
4.2
International Police Agencies
• International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)
– International law enforcement organization that
began operations in 1946
– 182 member nations today
– No power to arrest, search/seize
• European Police Office (Europol)
– Integrated police intelligence-gathering and information
dissemination arm of the member nations of the European
Union
– Maastricht Treaty, 1992
– Started limited operation in 1994
– Works with Interpol on international terrorism, drug
trafficking, and human trafficking

22. Learning Objectives
After this lecture, you should be able to complete the following Learning Outcomes
4.3
Summarize the typical
organizational structure of a
police department.

23. Gangs
Drug Education
Child Abuse
Domestic Violence
Victims’ Services
Criminal Investigation
(Detective Services)
Crime Prevention
Patrol Division
(First Responders)
Specialty
Support Services
Support Services
Bomb Squad
Air Patrol Unit
Reserve Police
(Volunteers)
Police Training Academy
Narcotics/Vice
Juveniles
Major Crimes
(Homicide, Burglary, Assault,
Arson, Fraud)
Typical Organizational Structure of a Police Department
City Council, Mayor, or Police Commission
Chief of Police
Deputy Chief
23Sheriff Structure p. 109 Text
Police Administration: Command Structure4.3
Police management – The administrative activities of controlling, directing,
and coordinating police personnel, resources, and activities

24. Police Administration
24
4.3
• Line operations: Field or supervisory activities directly related
to daily police work, e.g., officers on the street
• Staff operations: Provide support for line operations, e.g.,
administrative office staff
• Most police agencies have both line and staff operations, but
some tiny departments have only line operations.
• Police departments employ a quasi-military chain of command
(line of authority that extends through all levels of an
organization, from the highest to the lowest)
• Unity of command – every person has only one supervisor to
whom s/he reports
• Span of control – number of personnel or units supervised
by a particular commander

25. Learning Objectives
After this lecture, you should be able to complete the following Learning Outcomes
4.4
Summarize the historical
development of policing in
America, and describe the
characteristics of each stage.

26. Builds on
relationship
with
community to
gather
actionable
intelligence
fight terrorism
Agencies
share
information,
joint efforts
Common in
policing today
Stresses
police service
role and a
partnership
between
police and
communities
Quality of life
offenses
Pride in
professional
crime-fighting,
led by August
Vollmer
Focused most
resources on
solving
“traditional”
crimes
Historical Developments in US Policing4.4
The
ILP/Homela
nd Security
Era
2001-Today
The
Community
Policing Era
1970s-
Today
The Reform
Era
1930-1970s
The Political
Era
1840s-1930
Close ties
between
police and
public officials
Police tended
to maintain
order, serve
the interests
of powerful
politicians

27. Styles of Modern Policing
Service
• Focus on meeting
community needs
• More likely to refer
citizens to
community
resources
• Officers see
themselves more
as helpers than
soldiers in a war on
crime
• Common today
27
Legalistic
• Enforce the letter of
the law
• Avoid disputes that
arise from
violations of social
norms but don’t
break the law,
behaviors that are
simply bothersome
• Characteristic of
the Reform Era
Watchman
• Primary concern is
order
maintenance
• Control illegal and
disruptive behavior
• Considerable use
of discretion
• Common in lower
class areas
• Characteristic of
the Political Era
4.4

28. Learning Objectives
After this lecture, you should be able to complete the following Learning Outcomes
4.5
Describe community policing,
and explain how it differs from
traditional forms of policing.

29. Transition to Community Policing
29
4.5
• Police Community Relations (PCR) – Reaction to poor
public/police relations stemming from 1960s altercations,
departments assigned public relations officers to increase
positive police/citizen interaction: storefronts, Neighborhood
Watch, Operation ID. Sometimes just PR.
• Team policing – 1960s-70s experiment, extending PCR and
reorganizing conventional patrol strategies into “an integrated
and versatile police team assigned to a fixed district,” with
officers given considerable authority in processing complaints,
from receipt through resolution, to deliver total police services
to a neighborhood
• Further extension of this idea led to community policing…
PCR Team Policing
Community
Policing

30. com·mun·i·ty po·lic·ing n
Philosophy that promotes organizational strategies, which support the
systematic use of partnerships & problem-solving techniques, to proactively
address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such
as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime.
Community Policing has three key components:
1. Community Partnerships – between the police, citizens, agencies,
community groups, businesses & the media
2. Organizational Transformation – including despecialization & geographic
assignment of officers
3. Problem-Solving – proactive, systematic examination of identified problems
to develop & rigorously evaluate effective responses
Community Policing4.5

31. Community Policing
31
4.5
• Community policing involves at least one of four elements:
1. Community-based crime prevention
2. Reorientation of patrol activities to emphasize the importance of
nonemergency services
3. Increased police accountability to the public
4. Decentralization of command, including greater use of civilians at all
levels of police decision-making
• Community Policing Act of 1994 provided funds to:
– Substantially increase the # of officers interacting with the public
– Provide additional training to enhance problem-solving skills
– Encourage innovative programs to permit community members to assist
law enforcement
– Encourage new technologies to assist law enforcement in preventing
crime
– Create Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)

32. Strategic Policing
Problem-
Solving
Policing
Community
Policing
Policing Strategies
32
4.5
• Strategic policing – Reform era crime-fighting that uses innovative
enforcement techniques to address broader array of crimes, e.g.,
gangs, drug networks, white collar/tech crimes.
• Problem-solving policing – Service style policing that seeks to
change social conditions and fight crime through use of community
resources, attempts to involve citizens in crime prevention through
education, negotiation, and conflict management
• Community policing – A philosophy
that promotes organizational strategies
which support the systematic use of
partnerships and problem-solving
techniques. Seeks to actively involve
the community in crime control; a two-
way street that goes beyond strategic
policing and problem-solving policing

33. Police-Community Relations
33
4.5
• Critiques of community policing
– Difficult to determine effectiveness
– Some police unwilling to accept non-traditional images of
police work; efforts to promote community policing can
demoralize the department
– Some public officials unwilling to accept community policing
that may conflict with performance criteria (e.g., arrests) –
NY Mayor Giuliani – “too much social work…too few arrests”
– Some citizens object to increased police interference
– Define community. Each department has a limited
geographical jurisdiction, but “community” is built around
common interests, which may not coincide, especially with
mass transit/communications/media.

34. Learning Objectives
After this lecture, you should be able to complete the following Learning Outcomes
4.6
Explain evidence-based policing,
and demonstrate the potential that
it holds in the area of police
management.

35. Evidence-Based Policing4.6
• Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) – A
now-defunct federal agency that funded state and local law
enforcement agencies from 1969 to 1982
• Established a tradition of program evaluation within police-
management circles
• Scientific police management – Applying social science
techniques to police administration to increase effectiveness,
reduce citizen complaints, and enhance efficient use of
resources. See NIJ, BJS, NCJRS
• Evidence-based policing (EBP) uses research on everyday
police procedures, outcomes of police work, to set guidelines
and evaluate agencies, units, and officers.
• This is a major determinant of funding; successful law
enforcement executives will have to use research in their
everyday work. See New Perspectives in Policing

36. Evidence-Based Policing4.6
The Kansas City Experiment
• The first large-scale scientific study of police practices
• Focused on preventive squad patrol
• Divided city patrol zones into:
1. Proactive: twice the patrols
2. Reactive: no patrols
3. Control: same patrols
• No significant differences in crime rate or citizen fear of crime.
Conventional wisdom appears to be unfounded.
• Directed patrol – A police-management strategy designed to
put the most officers on the street where and when crime is
most prevalent

37. Learning Objectives
After this lecture, you should be able to complete the following Learning Outcomes
4.7
Explain how police discretion
affects contemporary law
enforcement.

38. Discretion and the Individual Officer4.7
Officers at the street level have extremely broad discretion over
what laws to enforce, how, against whom, and on which
occasions; they often decide to handle matters informally, rather
than strictly enforce the law.
Officer discretion may be affected by:
• Officer’s beliefs, background, personal lifestyle choices
• Victim attitude: complaint made? Pressure to charge? Non-
compliant?
• Community interests and priorities
• Subject’s attitude, gender, appearance
• Department policy
• Law involved: “victimless,” outdated?
• Available alternatives, e.g., treatment programs, alternative
dispute resolution centers

39. © 2014 by Pearson Higher Education, Inc
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 • All Rights Reserved
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
Most police departments are organized in a paramilitary fashion.
The three major law enforcement levels are federal, state, and local.
The police mission is to maintain peace and enforce the law.
Four historical policing epochs are identified in this chapter: (1) the
political era, (2) the reform era, (3) the community policing era, and
(4) the new era
CHAPTERSUMMARY
Police discretion refers to the opportunity for police officers to
exercise choice in their enforcement activities.
Evidence-based policing involves the application of social science
techniques to study police administration.
4.5
Community policing encourages police to work with interest-holders
to identify and solve issues in the community.
4.6
4.7