Chapter 5 The Police: Role and Function

Learning Objectives Understand the organization of police departments Articulate the complexities of the police role Explain the limitations of patrol and methods for improving it Summarize the investigation function

Learning objectives Explain what forensics is and what forensic experts do for police agencies Understand the concept of community policing Discuss the concept of problem-oriented policing Be familiar with the various police support functions

The Police Organization Local police agencies are independent agencies within the executive branch of government Often cooperate and participate in mutually beneficial enterprises such as joint task forces Most local police departments are organized in a hierarchical manner

The Police Organization

The Police Organization Police agencies are functionally independent organizations with unique set of: Rules Policies Procedures Norms Budgets Regardless of its size, the head of a police organization is the police chief

The Police Organization Pros and Cons of Police Organization Most police departments employ a time-in-rank system for determining promotion eligibility Those promoted must spend a designated period of time in the next lowest rank Pros: This system promotes stability, fairness and limits favoritism Cons: Limits administrative flexibility to promote talented people

The Police Role Crime fighting is a small part of overall police activities Significant portion of officers’ time is spent handling: Minor disturbances Calls for service Administrative duties The police role is both varied and complex

The Police Role About 1/3 of all sworn officers in the nation’s largest police departments are assigned to such units as: Communications Antiterrorism Administrations Personnel

The Patrol Function Uniform patrol officers are the backbone of policing Account for two-thirds of most departments’ personnel Major purposes of patrol are to: Deter crime by maintaining a visible presence Maintain order within a patrol area Respond quickly to law violations or other emergencies Identify and apprehend law violators Aids citizens in distress Facilitate movement of people and traffic Create a feeling of security in the community

Patrol Activities The bulk of patrol efforts are devoted to order maintenance Peacekeeping Officer discretion often defines the balance between orderly or disorderly conduct The primary role of police seems to be “handling the situation” The real police role may be as a community problem solver

Does Patrol Deter Crime? Kansas City Patrol Study: The most widely heralded attempt to measure patrol effectiveness Variations in patrol strategies had little effect on crime patterns No clear deterrent effects of preventive patrol efforts

Improving Patrol Police departments have initiated a number of programs and policies to improve patrol effectiveness: Proactive policing and directed patrol Making arrests Rapid response Broken Windows policing

Proactive Policing and Directed Patrol Use of aggressive, proactive patrol may help reduce crime Active enforcement of minor regulations More likely to experience lower felony crime Directed patrol Involves concentrating police resources in high crime areas

Making Arrests Some studies suggest that contact with the police may cause some offenders to forgo repeat criminal behavior If the number of arrests per capita increases, crime rates go down

Rapid Response Efforts to improve police efficiency with rapid response times have not been proven to be effective Studies showed that the rapid response by officers had little to no effect on crime

Broken Windows Model of Policing A term used to describe police as maintainers of community order and safety Neighborhood disorder creates fear Neighborhoods give out crime-promoting signals Police need citizen cooperation Community preservation, public safety, and order maintenance – not crime fighting – should be primary focus of patrol

Using Technology Police departments have relied upon technology to guide patrol efforts. One such program: ComStat: The best known program first used in New York City The system provided information about where and when crime was occurring Policing strategies were incorporated ComStat is credited as a major contributor to the drop in crime in NYC

The Investigation Function Modern criminal investigators: An experienced civil servant Trained in investigatory techniques Knowledgeable about legal rule of evidence and procedure Cautious about the legal and administrative consequences of his or her actions

The Investigation Function How Do Detectives Detect? Detectives investigate causes of crime and attempt to identify those responsible Police detective rely heavily upon interviews and forensic evidence In order to create a crime story detective use a three pronged approach: Specific focus General coverage Informative

The Investigation Function Sting Operations An investigatory approach using undercover officers who deceive criminals into openly committing illegal acts Common, and highly successful in investigation of prostitution, gambling, and narcotics Critics argue constitutes entrapment or may encourage commission of additional offenses

Evaluating Investigations Police have only a 5 percent chance of solving a crime if more than 15 minutes elapse from the time of occurrence to reporting Detectives generally lack sufficient resources to carry out lengthy probes unless crime is serious Most crimes are solved when the perpetrator is identified at scene of crime by patrol officers

Improving Investigation with Technology Technological breakthroughs have aided crime investigation Information technology has revolutionized police work in many areas: Communications Criminal Identification Record Storage CopLink

Improving Investigation with Technology DNA Profiling: Most important investigative technology since the adoption of fingerprint comparison Facebook and Twitter have also been added as tools

Improving Investigations with Forensic Science Forensic specialists can examine blood and other body fluids and tissues for the presence of: Alcohol Drugs Poisons Forensic scientists analyze trace physical evidence such as: Blood spatters Paint Soil Glass

Improving Investigations with Forensic Science Forensic scientists also provide testimony in a court of law when the case is brought to trial Some criminalists are generalists many focus on a particular area: Toxicology Blood pattern analysis Crime scene investigation Impression evidence Trace evidence Questioned documents

Community Policing Set of programs and strategies designed to bring police and the public closer together and create a more cooperative working environment First involved improving relationships with the public Designed to make citizens: More aware of police activities Alert them to methods of self-protection Improve general attitudes toward policing

Implementing Community Policing The community-oriented policing concept was implemented through a number of innovative demonstration projects: Foot Patrols Neighborhood based policing models

Changing the Police Role Neighborhood–Orientated Policing (NOP) Changing Management Styles Changing Recruitment and Training

Challenges of Community Policing Defining Community Defining Roles Changing Supervisor Attitudes Reorienting Police Values Revise Training Reorient Recruitment

Community Policing Effectiveness Some community policing efforts can reduce disorder and impact the crime rate Volunteers report higher confidence in the police force and its ability to create a secure environment No clear-cut evidence that community policing is highly successful at reducing all types of crime

Problem-Oriented Policing Requires police agencies to identify particular long-term community problems and develop solutions to eliminate problems Departments must rely on local residents and private resources in order to be problem solvers Police resources concentrate on “hot spots” Concentrating police resources on these areas could reduce crime

Support Functions Personnel Services Internal Affairs Budgeting Communications Training