NCJ Number
169702
Journal
Telemasp Bulletin Volume: 2 Issue: 5 Dated: (August 1995) Pages: complete issue
Date Published
1995
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This bulletin examines operational elements of decentralization in 41 Texas law enforcement agencies, with one section on decentralization in the El Paso Police Department.
Abstract
Decentralization in police departments occurs through the implementation of substations, neighborhood storefronts, and mobile storefronts. A department may choose to implement one or more of these facilities, depending on geographic size and population of its jurisdiction, human resources, budget, and types of services administrators wish to provide. Forty-one Texas police departments responded to questionnaires concerning decentralization and its effect on staffing levels, budgets, functions, and chains-of-command. Of the 41 agencies responding, 34 percent used storefronts, 24 percent used substations, and 17 percent used mobile storefronts. As expected, decentralization correlated with size. The top three rank-ordered advantages of substations were reported to be improved community relations, increased officer attachment to the community, and an increase in overall operational efficiency and effectiveness of the department. The top three rank-ordered disadvantages of substations were a decrease in unity of command, conflicting operational guidelines between substations, and fractured chain- of-command. Similar advantages and disadvantages were reported for storefronts and mobile storefronts, with a higher rank accorded budgetary issues among their disadvantages. The decentralized structure of the El Paso Police Department is examined in detail. 10 references