Deck 12: Control and Productivity in the Police Setting

Question 1

The chief is ultimately responsible for what occurs in the department.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Nearly all police departments grasp the potential of quantitative research.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

What type of uncertainty arises during the course of attempting to coordinate the activities of various units and ensure that they have adequate resources to get the job done?

A) technical uncertainty
B) managerial uncertainty
C) institutional uncertainty
D) none of these choices

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Output control goes hand-in-hand with the notion of organizational culture.

Question 5

It is extremely difficult to measure the productivity of a particular police department.

Question 6

Control affords administrators an opportunity to decentralize command.

Question 7

Capital investment is unrelated to productivity.

Question 8

Audits and research are the most neglected areas of information collection available to police managers.

Question 9

What term describes reserving top executive attention for those few instances involving significant deviations from anticipated performance?

A) management by exception
B) delegation
C) indirect leadership
D) chain of command

Question 10

Public organizations have a tendency to produce intangible services, which makes it difficult to measure productivity.

Question 11

Thompson identified what sources of uncertainty for organizations?

A) technical
B) managerial
C) institutional
D) all of these choices

Question 12

One productivity measure for officers is complaints received.

Question 13

The control system should be as automatic as possible.

Question 14

Many traditional measures of police productivity are similar to "bean counting."

Question 15

The lowest level of control is tactical control.

Question 16

One high-risk area of law enforcement where clearly defined policies and procedures are of paramount importance is the use of deadly force.

Question 17

Formal constraints that influence the control function include:

A) laws
B) budgets
C) unions
D) all of these choices

Question 18

Productivity is the relationship between the resources used and the results obtained.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT an administrative challenge that can be dealt with by appropriate control mechanisms?

A) coping with uncertainty
B) detecting irregularities
C) handling complex situations
D) preserving the status quo

Question 20

Expectations and requirements for police behavior should be left to external devices.

Question 21

__________ control involves monitoring critical environmental factors to ensure that strategic plans are implemented as intended.

Question 22

What type of control involves monitoring critical environmental factors to ensure that strategic plans are implemented as intended?

A) strategic
B) tactical
C) operational
D) organizational

Question 23

The lowest level of control is:

A) strategic
B) tactical
C) operational
D) organizational

Question 24

__________ control first involves choosing a performance standard.

Question 25

Which of the following is NOT a traditional measure of productivity?

A) arrests made
B) citations issued
C) officer complaints
D) community quality of life

Question 26

__________ control is unwritten and informal, whereas output and behavioral control are somewhat more concrete, codified, and quantifiable.

Question 27

The __________ unit is normally situated structurally independent of line command either inside the chief's officer, as in the case of a small or medium police agency, or as a major unit that reports directly to the chief.

Question 28

What term refers to the targeted level of activity?

A) objectives
B) success
C) control
D) productivity

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT a method for improving productivity?

A) management audit
B) capital investment
C) awareness of innovation
D) strategic insulation

Question 30

The technique of reserving top executive attention for those few instances involving significant deviations from anticipated performance is known as __________.

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT an element of the control process?

A) determining areas to be controlled
B) establishing standards and expectations
C) taking public opinion surveys
D) measuring performance

Question 32

__________ control can be defined as a control type that focuses on assessing the implementation of tactical plans at departmental levels, monitoring associated periodic results, and taking corrective action as necessary.

Question 33

Which of the following is NOT a tool administrators can use to measure performance and maintain control?

A) setting academy standards
B) line supervision
C) staff inspections
D) audits and research

Question 34

Mechanisms of behavioral control include:

A) direct supervision
B) management by objectives
C) rules and standard operating procedures
D) all of these choices

Question 35

Measures of productivity examine the police organization at the __________ level.

Question 36

__________ productivity is monitored using the officers' daily reports.

Question 37

Levels of control in organizations include:

A) strategic control
B) tactical control
C) operational control
D) all of these choices

Question 38

Clearly articulated standards and expectations are especially important in the areas of:

A) shootings
B) pursuits
C) high-risk activities
D) all of these choices

Question 39

__________ control is the lowest level of control.

Question 40

__________ can be defined as the targeted level of activity.

Question 41

What methods do police administrators use to develop formal policies and written guidelines?

Question 42

Organizational __________ and the management of police productivity are two of the most critical activities undertaken by administrators and supervisors.

Question 43

__________ refers to negotiating increased productivity with police employee unions or fraternal organizations.

Question 44

What types of administrative challenges can appropriate control mechanisms address?

Question 45

In conducting __________ negotiations, the negotiators attempt to remove personalities from the negotiations and focus on issues.

Question 46

Summarize the four elements of the control process.

Question 47

Provide four examples of traditional productivity measures.

Question 48

__________ surveys are often used as a contemporary measure of police productivity.

Question 49

A __________ audit differs from a financial audit in that it focuses on the efficiency and effectiveness of operations in terms of productivity.

Question 50

What are four measures used to measure the productivity of a whole police department?