Deck 3: Organizing the Police Department

Question 1

What are the managerial concepts used in organizing police departments?

Answer 1

The managerial concepts used in organizing policing emphasize division of labor, managerial definitions, leadership, organizational models, chain of command, span of control, delegation of responsibility and authority, unity of command, rules, regulations, and discipline. Police departments are organized as quasi-military organizations. There are specific rules and regulations that deal with almost every aspect of the job. There is a distinct line of authority. Leadership has generally been seen as top-down; however, new alternatives to include shared leadership have been presented and reviewed as being very successful.

Question 2

What complexities do modern police agencies face?

Answer 2

Police departments are open for business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This inherently creates complexities for police administrators. Police departments are organized by personnel, area, time, and function. There is certainly more than one way to organize a police agency so that the needs of the citizens are met. Many different combinations of organization are used throughout the United States.

Question 3

What are the common ranks and their responsibilities within a police department?

Answer 3

Police departments have a highly organized rank structure. Not all police departments have the same rank structure, but generally they all follow military ranks. Police cadets are at the bottom, and upon graduating from the police academy they are placed into a field training program with field training officers. Generally, the first-line supervisors are called sergeants. Their duties are varied, depending on the size of the department. They operate with hands-on supervision. Lieutenants generally serve as shift or tour supervisors. They normally are considered mid-level managers. Lieutenants supervise the sergeants and the entire shift. Captains also serve as midlevel managers. The captains are generally accountable for all personnel and all activities in a particular area. In police departments that employ around 40 officers, one may find the rank of deputy chief. This position is generally responsible for major units such as patrol, investigations, or personnel. The chief or commissioner is the top official.

Question 4

What major operational units are contained within a police department and what are their responsibilities?

Question 5

There are two types of employees in a police department: sworn personnel and nonsworn-otherwise known as civilian-personnel. Sworn personnel such as police officers have traditional police powers, such as the power to arrest. Civilian police personnel do not have this authority. Furthermore, sworn personnel have a standardized rank structure or chain of command. Nonsworn personnel have a less vertical rank structure. Community service officers, or CSOs, are an example of nonsworn personnel. CSOs are typically in their late teens who have a good understanding of inner-city problems and function as police-community relations representatives. They often work with other youth, investigate minor thefts, and provide community assistance.
This scenario focuses on the responsibilities of CSOs.
Last Tuesday evening, Tampa Community Service Officer Donrae Hunsicker was off duty, hanging out with friends at Epps Park. Hunsicker, a 19-year-old who broke away from his neighborhood gang after spending a year in juvenile detention for his part in a carjacking at age 15, had been a CSO for six months and was looking forward to applying to the police academy soon. As he sat with his friends, he noticed two other boys, one who looked approximately age 12 and one who looked to be age 16 or 17. The boys had been playing basketball but had sat down on a nearby bench. From where he was sitting, Donrae observed the older boy reach into his pocket, pull out a baggie with white pills in it, and hand a pill to the younger boy. He then saw both boys look around in a manner he would call "furtively" and each take a pill with a swallow of water. The younger boy then reached into his own pocket and withdrew some cash, which he handed to the older boy. Believing he had just witnessed the illegal sale of drugs, Donrae told his two friends what he had seen, and they rushed over, telling the boys they were making a citizen's arrest. Although the boys protested that he was wrong, Donrae and his friends made it clear that if the boys didn't accompany them on the half-mile walk to the station house, they would regret it.

-Which of the following police personnel positions was identified by the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice as most likely to be a good police-community relations representative?

A) community service officer
B) 911 operator
C) police officer
D) police agent

Question 6

There are two types of employees in a police department: sworn personnel and nonsworn-otherwise known as civilian-personnel. Sworn personnel such as police officers have traditional police powers, such as the power to arrest. Civilian police personnel do not have this authority. Furthermore, sworn personnel have a standardized rank structure or chain of command. Nonsworn personnel have a less vertical rank structure. Community service officers, or CSOs, are an example of nonsworn personnel. CSOs are typically in their late teens who have a good understanding of inner-city problems and function as police-community relations representatives. They often work with other youth, investigate minor thefts, and provide community assistance.
This scenario focuses on the responsibilities of CSOs.
Last Tuesday evening, Tampa Community Service Officer Donrae Hunsicker was off duty, hanging out with friends at Epps Park. Hunsicker, a 19-year-old who broke away from his neighborhood gang after spending a year in juvenile detention for his part in a carjacking at age 15, had been a CSO for six months and was looking forward to applying to the police academy soon. As he sat with his friends, he noticed two other boys, one who looked approximately age 12 and one who looked to be age 16 or 17. The boys had been playing basketball but had sat down on a nearby bench. From where he was sitting, Donrae observed the older boy reach into his pocket, pull out a baggie with white pills in it, and hand a pill to the younger boy. He then saw both boys look around in a manner he would call "furtively" and each take a pill with a swallow of water. The younger boy then reached into his own pocket and withdrew some cash, which he handed to the older boy. Believing he had just witnessed the illegal sale of drugs, Donrae told his two friends what he had seen, and they rushed over, telling the boys they were making a citizen's arrest. Although the boys protested that he was wrong, Donrae and his friends made it clear that if the boys didn't accompany them on the half-mile walk to the station house, they would regret it.

-What is the name of the process where sworn officers are replaced by individuals who are NOT sworn officers in noncritical or nonenforcement tasks?

A) civilianization
B) lateral transfer
C) bureaucracy
D) span of control

Question 7

What Would You Do?
You are the sergeant on duty when Donrae brings the boys into the station. The evening tour this Tuesday had been filled with a higher-than-average number of accidents, home invasions, and domestic disputes, and when they arrived, you were busy with making sure your staff handled each incident according to legal guidelines. Donrae explained what he had witnessed and that he'd made a citizen's arrest for the purpose of keeping drugs out of his neighborhood. You know Donrae's history and that he has served your precinct for the last six months diligently. However, you also know that, as a CSO, he does not have the power to arrest, nor can a citizen's arrest be made on a felony. You are tempted to just release the boys and discuss the limits of power for his position with Donrae.
Alternatively, you know that Donrae made a decision based on the skills he's learning as a CSO, as well as those he gained from his background. You know that another way to handle this is to talk to the boys and delve more deeply into the situation to see whether Donrae's instincts were correct, and then figure out how to support the arrest if it is needed.
-What would you do?

Question 8

What Would You Do?
You are the sergeant on duty when Donrae brings the boys into the station. The evening tour this Tuesday had been filled with a higher-than-average number of accidents, home invasions, and domestic disputes, and when they arrived, you were busy with making sure your staff handled each incident according to legal guidelines. Donrae explained what he had witnessed and that he'd made a citizen's arrest for the purpose of keeping drugs out of his neighborhood. You know Donrae's history and that he has served your precinct for the last six months diligently. However, you also know that, as a CSO, he does not have the power to arrest, nor can a citizen's arrest be made on a felony. You are tempted to just release the boys and discuss the limits of power for his position with Donrae.
Alternatively, you know that Donrae made a decision based on the skills he's learning as a CSO, as well as those he gained from his background. You know that another way to handle this is to talk to the boys and delve more deeply into the situation to see whether Donrae's instincts were correct, and then figure out how to support the arrest if it is needed.

-What is the name of the group of police officers a sergeant is responsible for?

A) squad
B) platoon
C) district
D) precinct

Question 9

What Would You Do?
You are the sergeant on duty. Privately, you explain to Donrae that you understand he made a decision based on his gut instincts, the most important tool officers of the law wield. You also outline the responsibilities and limits of power for a community service officer, which do not include general law enforcement powers like that of arrest. You explain that his instincts appeared to be sound but that the capacity of his duties and the nature of the crime did not allow him to make an arrest of any kind. You help him understand that if he sees something like that in the future, he should call for an officer to come to the scene to make the arrest.
The other pills in the bag are identified as seizure medication, but the presence of the Adderall made it more likely that a drug deal had taken place. A call to the boys' parents confirmed that they were brothers diagnosed with the same seizure disorder, and neither had a prescription for Adderall. After continued discussion, the older boy admitted that he bought the Adderall from a friend and that, at the park, he had sold his younger brother one so they could stay up late playing video games.
-You follow through on your decision to release the boys, though first you give them a serious warning on what they did wrong and how this arrest could have easily been the real thing. Did you make the right decision?

Question 10

What Would You Do?
You are the sergeant on duty. Privately, you explain to Donrae that you understand he made a decision based on his gut instincts, the most important tool officers of the law wield. You also outline the responsibilities and limits of power for a community service officer, which do not include general law enforcement powers like that of arrest. You explain that his instincts appeared to be sound but that the capacity of his duties and the nature of the crime did not allow him to make an arrest of any kind. You help him understand that if he sees something like that in the future, he should call for an officer to come to the scene to make the arrest.
The other pills in the bag are identified as seizure medication, but the presence of the Adderall made it more likely that a drug deal had taken place. A call to the boys' parents confirmed that they were brothers diagnosed with the same seizure disorder, and neither had a prescription for Adderall. After continued discussion, the older boy admitted that he bought the Adderall from a friend and that, at the park, he had sold his younger brother one so they could stay up late playing video games.

-What is the name of the group of police officers a sergeant is responsible for?

A) squad
B) platoon
C) district
D) precinct

Question 11

What Would You Do?
You are the sergeant on duty. With this confession and with Donrae as an eyewitness, you believe that if you arrest the older boy for felony drug possession and sales, the arrest might stand. Because it is questionable whether the arrest is within the scope of law, however, you aren't sure. You want to make the best decision from a legal standpoint, and you also want to show support for Donrae's gut instincts, as those are so important to solid police work.
-Faced with the uncertainty of the legalities of the situation, what do you do?

Question 12

The management concepts important to organizing a police department are __________.

A) division of labor, leadership, and delegation of responsibility
B) division of leadership, labor schedules, and span of control
C) logical planning, lateral transfers, and communication channels
D) division of labor, labor schedules, and communication channels

Question 13

In police departments, the tasks of the organization are divided according to ________.

A) personnel, credentials, time, and function or purpose
B) personnel, space, credentials, and work shift
C) leadership, space, credentials, and work shift
D) personnel, area, time, and function or purpose

Question 14

Who was known as "the father of sociology" and described the features of the bureaucracy?

A) Nicolas Henry
B) Max Weber
C) William Arthur Ward
D) Lao Tzu

Question 15

Which statement notes the difference between managing a staff and being a leader?

A) Leaders provide orders and discipline.
B) Leaders provide motivation and perspective.
C) Leaders provide inspiration and minimal opportunities.
D) Managers provide inspiration and minimal opportunities.

Question 16

PODSCORB (planning, organizing, directing, staffing, coordinating, reporting, and budgeting) is useful for _________.

A) running an organization
B) setting up a bureaucracy
C) assigning blame
D) demonstrating rank

Question 17

The chain of command is also known as ________.

A) PODSCORB (planning, organizing, directing, staffing, coordinating, reporting, and budgeting)
B) quasi-military organization
C) hierarchy of authority
D) ethical

Question 18

Shared or participative leadership can result in ________.

A) an increase in the authority of the police hierarchy
B) increased job satisfaction and improved productivity
C) code termination
D) creation of top-down administration

Question 19

Some studies show that female officers prefer leaders who allow subordinates freedom of action. This indicates a preference for _________.

A) shared leadership
B) hierarchical command
C) bureaucracy
D) authority

Question 20

Police departments have been ________.

A) required to surrender leadership
B) reluctant to accept shared leadership
C) eager to adopt shared leadership
D) flexible in their forms of leadership

Question 21

Shared leadership ________.

A) came from the military world
B) is known as participative management
C) is restricted by law from police departments
D) is ineffective in police departments

Question 22

The civil service system helps protect from ________.

A) political influence in hiring
B) false arrests on the street
C) poor organizational management
D) a reduction in nepotism

Question 23

The federal civil service act is named the ________.

A) Weber Act
B) Democratic Action Act
C) Pendleton Act
D) POSSE Act

Question 24

Civil service has reduced political interference and allowed for the development of ________.

A) merit employment
B) stagnant wages
C) protection for the chain of command
D) corruption

Question 25

Unsworn employees may participate in ________.

A) arrests and investigations
B) public searches and vehicle stops
C) physical force and investigative research
D) nonenforcement duties and supportive responsibilities

Question 26

Which of the following statements is correct about a "beat"?

A) It is the smallest geographic area that a single unit patrols.
B) It is larger than a precinct.
C) It is not the responsibility of sworn officers.
D) It is available for exchange among units.

Question 27

Which of the following statements is correct about precincts?

A) It is a beat for two units.
B) It may insist on differing police practices across beats.
C) It is the collection of all the beats in a geographic area.
D) It is immune to civil service requirements.

Question 28

Which of the following is NOT a geographic area around which policing patrols are organized?

A) district
B) post
C) station
D) region

Question 29

The traditional work shift for police officer is ________

A) 8 hours long
B) 10 hours long
C) 12 hours long
D) split: 12 hours on, 12 hours off, 12 hours on

Question 30

Overlapping shifts allows for ________.

A) greater scheduling flexibility
B) frequent training time
C) unifying personnel
D) reduced overtime pay

Question 31

What is a benefit of the 8-hour shift?

A) It restricts officers from more time with their families.
B) It allows officers to work a schedule opposite that of their civilian associates.
C) It is generally easier to schedule.
D) It creates inequities in pay.

Question 32

Twelve-hour shifts have the advantage of ________.

A) reduced effectiveness
B) creating fatigue
C) improving overtime
D) increased morale

Question 33

The best way to organize a police department is ________.

A) by setting up quality assurance teams
B) by encouraging officers to choose their shifts and duties
C) according to region
D) according to function

Question 34

Support staff functions include ________.

A) tasks that supplement line units
B) tasks that directly facilitate the accomplishment of organizational goals
C) street patrol
D) clerical work and street patrol

Question 35

Operational units in a police department are responsible for ________.

A) choosing their own shifts and partners
B) crime fighting, crime detection, and providing services to citizens
C) responding to calls for assistance and dispatching officers to 911 calls
D) monitoring supervisors to ensure compliance with precinct policies

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT an auxiliary service?

A) patrol
B) communications
C) records
D) laboratory