NCJ Number
167593
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 65 Issue: 6 Dated: (June 1996) Pages: 6-10
Date Published
1996
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Community policing will change the way police agencies provide service to the community and requires police administrators to remain responsive to the evolution necessary in supervision strategies to ensure the effective implementation of this approach to policing.
Abstract
Police officers have served for the past 75 years under the classical centralized, bureaucratic organizational structure developed by Frederick Taylor. One of the most enduring problems of this model is law enforcement's inability to adapt to new policing strategies. However, the newer policing strategies require redefinition of the command and control structure and decentralization through substations, neighborhood stations, and satellite offices in storefronts. Commanders should allow these decentralized operations to become more participatory and to function with minimal interference from headquarters. Police officers should have ample discretion as they search for solutions to problems and should not be limited by the professional model's dependence on quantitative measurements. Supervisors in the future will spend less time commanding and controlling and more time helping police officers identify and find solutions to community problems. The supervisors of tomorrow will guide and coach line officers and encourage problemsolving, risk taking, and innovation. Evaluation will focus primarily on how well police officers assess and solve community problems. Reference notes