NCJ Number
73185
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 47 Issue: 11 Dated: (November 1980) Pages: 48-50,69
Date Published
1980
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Police departments have to resolve the ideological conflict between law enforcement and service functions if they are to be responsive to growing community demands for service.
Abstract
In responding to citizen calls for non-law-enforcement activities, police have found public expectations to be inconsistent. Police constantly observe and are involved in social conflict resolution without a well-defined notion of what their roles actually are. However, service work is and will remain and integral part of police activities. Therefore, it is necessary to train police to perceive service responsibilities as being equal in importance to combatting criminal activities. Perhaps police should be socialized during training to the importance of community service as well as be taught the behavioral difference between individuals and groups. In addition, changes in police perception will have to occur within the entire organizational structure. Evaluation methods of police performance are needed that count service activities equally with law enforcement duties. Finally, if officers conduct non-law-enforcement activities in a sensitive and serious manner, the public will be more likely to offer help in criminal investigations. Footnotes are included.