NCJ Number
68608
Date Published
1980
Length
26 pages
Annotation
THIS PAPER REVIEWS TWO OPPOSING POSITIONS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE ENVIRONMENT, PRESENTS SOME DATA ON POLICE RESPONSES TO CITIZEN DEMAND, AND ASSESSES INTERPRETATIONS OF POLICE RESPONSIBILITY.
Abstract
TWO DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE ENVIRONMENT ARE PRESENTED. ONE INTERPRETATION EMPHSIZES THE CAPACITY OF THE POLICE, THROUGH THE PARAMILITARY STRUCTURE OF COMMAND AND CONTROL, TO SHAPE, PATTERN, AND RESPOND TO CITIZEN DEMAND IN A FASHION THAT MEDIATES OR AT LEAST MAINTAINS THE AUTONOMY OF THE ORGANIZATION. ANOTHER INTERPRETATION SEES FAR GREATER CITIZEN CONTROL OVER THE POLICE AND ARGUES THAT THE ESSENTIAL DETERMINING FORCES ARE PATTERNS OF CITIZEN DEMAND. AN ARGUMENT PLACING MORE EMPHASIS ON CITIZEN DEMAND IN SHAPING POLICING IS BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE POLICE ARE TIGHTLY COUPLED TO THE ENVIRONMENT. THE QUESTION TO WHAT EXTENT CITIZEN DEMAND IS DETERMINANT OF POLICING PROCEDURES IS ADDRESSED. A REVIEW OF RECENT RESEARCH FOCUSES ON THE DEMAND FOR POLICE SERVICE AND THE INFORMATION PROCESSING STRUCTURES OF THE POLICE. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE SYSTEM OF INFORMATION GATHERING CREATES AND SHAPES WHAT IT ACCEPTS FROM THE ENVIRONMENT, AND IT IS LIKELY THAT THE NEAT DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE ENVIRONMENT AND ORGANIZATION DOES NOT EXIST. POLICING APPEARS TO HAVE ENORMOUS CAPACITY FOR PRODUCING ITS OWN CODING SYSTEM WHICH IS, IN EFFECT, A CRUDE SEMIOLOGICAL SYSTEM. THEREFORE, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEPARATE AND MEASURE THE ORGANIZATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE THE PERCEPTIONS, UNDERSTANDINGS, BELIEFS, MYTHS, AND ENACTMENTS OF MEMBERS AS MUCH CONSTITUTES THE ENVIRONMENT AS IT IS A REACTION TO THE ENVIRONMENT. AN APPENDIX LISTS POLICE CODES. TABLES AND APPROXIMATELY 55 REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.