U2L2

• What is the primary role of a police organization?


  • A group of trained personnel in public safety administration
  • To preserve peace and order, protect lives and properties, enforce laws, and prevent crimes
• Who is at the top level of a police department's organizational structure?

  The police chief
• What is the role of a patrol officer in a police department?


  The patrol officer is the backbone of the police department
• What does an organizational structure depict?

  • mechanical means of depicting, arrangement of symbols, relationships between individuals, groups, and functional relationships
  • defined to ensure accountability
• What is a line organization in police org. structure?

  • A type where authority extends in a direct line from top to bottom
  • simplest and oldest
  • definite and absolute
  • military type
• What is a characteristic of a functional organization?


  • It violates the rule that men perform best with one superior
  • limited to the particular activity
  • there may be conflict among functional admin, resulting in confusion of line personnel
• What does a line and staff organization combine?

  • combination of the line and functional type
  • blends staff specialists with line units
  • It introduces flexibility into hierarchical control lines
• What does the Continental Theory state about police?


  Police are servants of higher authorities with little public connection
• What does the Home Rule Theory emphasize?

  • Police officers depend on the community's expressed wishes
  • police officers are servants of the community
• What does the old concept of police service focus on?

  • Throwing more people in jail than keeping them out
  • efficiency of police is measured through numbers of arrest
• How has the modern concept of police service changed?

  • It includes aspects of social service for people's welfare
  • efficiency of police is based on the absence of crime
• What are primary or line functions in police work?

  • Functions that carry out the major purposes of the organization
  • deals directly with the public
  • Patrol operation is considered the backbone of police service
• What are non-line functions in police work?

  • Services that support the line functions
  • technical
• What are the categories of non-line functions in police work?


  • Staff Services: Activities concerning personnel development and management
  • Auxiliary Services: Support technical and non-technical services to line and non-line activities
• Police Department

  • multi-level organization, pyramid like