POLICE MANDATE AND INSTITUTIONAL CONTRADICTIONS (FROM INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON POLICE RESEARCH - FINAL REPORT, OCTOBER 1976, BY LODE VAN OUTRIVE AND SAMIR RIZKALLA SEE NCJ-49588)

• NCJ Number: 49596
• Author(s): P K MANNING
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 34 pages
• Grant Number(s): 74-NI-99-0029
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Georgetown University; Universite de Montreal, Centre International de Criminologie Comparee
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: WORKING PAPER FOR DISCUSSION AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON POLICE RESEARCH, UNIVERSITY OF LOUVAIN, LOUVAIN, BELGIUM, JUNE 1976

Annotation

THE RECEIVED MANDATE, THE STRUCTURAL, FUNCTIONAL, AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF POLICING IN ANGLO-AMERICAN SOCIETIES, AND THE INSTITUTIONAL CONTRADICTIONS OF POLICING ARE DISCUSSED.

Abstract

IT IS NOTED THAT POLICE FUNCTIONS AND LEGITIMACY HAVE PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE IN COMPLEX, PLURALISTIC URBAN SOCIETIES THAT LACK THE NORMATIVE CONSTRAINTS PROVIDED IN SIMPLER SOCIETIES BY SANCTION AND TRADITION. POLICING IS VIEWED AS A REPRESENTATION OF COERCIVE POTENTIAL, BACKED BY LAW AND CONVENTIONAL INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND REFLECTING THE INTERESTS OF THOSE WHO CONTROL AND DEFINE SITUATIONS REQUIRING THE APPLICATION OF AUTHORITY. IN DISCUSSING THE STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF POLICING IN ANGLO-AMERICAN SOCIETIES, IT IS INDICATED THAT THE POLICE WHICH REPRESENT, IN SYMBOLIC TERMS, THE MOST STRONGLY VISIBLE REPRESENTATION OF THE STATE, ARE ORGANIZATIONALLY AND LEGALLY BOUND TO APPLY SANCTIONS AGAINST PERSONS IN POPULATIONS OF A DEFINED POLITICAL AREA, ARE EXPECTED TO ACT IN ASYMMETRICAL RELATION TO THE ARMY, AND ACT TO MEDIATE BETWEEN PRIVATE BOUNDED ASSOCIATIONS AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THEIR FUNCTIONS ARE INDICATED TO BE CRIME-RELATED, ORIENTED TOWARD PUBLIC ORDER MAINTENANCE, AND INVOLVING MISCELLANEOUS PUBLIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES NOT ENTRUSTED TO OTHER CITIZENS. THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POLICE ARE SYMBOLIZED EXTERNALLY AS A PARAMILITARY BUREAUCRACY, WITH QUASI-LEGAL INTERNAL STRUCTURING. ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS ARE BELIEVED TO BE MADE SITUATIONALLY AND CONTEXTUALLY, WITH WORK AT LEVELS BELOW AND INCLUDING SERGEANT BEING DISCRETIONARY AND CONCEALED FROM CLOSE SUPERVISION. EIGHT STRUCTURAL CONTRADICTIONS OF ANGLO-AMERICAN POLICING, SEEMINGLY INHERENT IN THE PRESENT MANDATE, ARE ALSO DISCUSSED. CROSS-CULTURAL RESEARCH ON THE POLICE MANDATE IS URGED. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS ALSO PROVIDED. (RCB)