Transcript Law Enforcement Organization and Administration

Law Enforcement Organization
and Administration
Chapter 9
BASIC LINE FUNCTIONS
• Police departments need both generalist and
specialists. The controversy is how many
specialists should a department have and how
much of the scarce resources need to be
devoted to specialized efforts such as cyber
crime.
Why Specialist?
1. Control – Organization into divisions is a
mechanism with which to direct the overall
activities of the agency. This is especially true
in large departments.
2. Priorities have to be set and work has to be
done in an organized manner.
3. Specialization leads to expertise and the
police agency receives the benefit of efficient
knowledgeable experts.
• Assignments for personnel should be based on
assumption that the job should prevent new
challenges and lead to development of
professional skills
• The best person should be selected based on
ability, credentials and track record.
• Agencies should keep the number of
specialists and areas of specialization within
reason
• Periodically each agency should review the
number of subgroups that exist and review
their need in the organization.
TRAFFIC UNITS
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Accident Investigations
Motorcycle Units
Radar Operations
Motor carrier safety
Proactive Traffic Management
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Elimination of accident causes and congestion
Identification of potential traffic problems
Regulation of parking
Investigation of accidents
Public Awareness on motor vehicle and bicycles use
Arrest of offenders
Addressing traffic issues: road rage, traffic
management, solving other crimes
• Police managers need to rethink and reorganize
police resources devoted to traffic
management. For limited access highways for
example, speeding can be taken care of
automatically with digitalized images of license
plates when a car exits.
• Police officers should not spend all their time
issuing traffic summons for minor violations.
• Police should be involved in driving related
crimes, highway safety, emergencies, and
helping citizens.
Racial Profiling
A Potentially Volatile Community
Relations Issue
How do you define it?
Racial Profiling Definition
The Practice Of Stopping, Detaining, Or
Searching A Person Based Solely On Factors
Such As Their Race, Color, Or Ethnicity.
The Rules
Racial Profiling Is Prohibited, And In Fact, It is
Illegal. A Person’s Race, Color, Ethnicity, Or
Other Non-criminal Traits Are Not, In And Of
Themselves, Sufficient To Constitute
Reasonable Suspicion Or Probable Cause To
Justify Stopping, Detaining, Or Searching A
Person.
Possible Legal Violations Involved
• Constitutional Violations With Lawsuit
Remedy Under 42USC Section 1983
– Equal Protection Violations
– Fourth Amendment Violations
• Intentional Discrimination By Any Agency
Receiving Federal Assistance (42USC Section
2000(d)
Possible Legal Violations Involved
• Federal Criminal Civil Rights Violation (18USC
Section 241-242)
• Pattern or Practice Lawsuits (42USC Section
14141)
– Justice Department Lawsuits Filed
– Agencies Usually Enter Into Consent Decrees
VICE UNITS
• Vice is generally considered to be crimes
against public morals.
– Pornography
– Prostitution
– Gambling
– Illegal Drugs
– Illegal sale and manufacture of alcohol
VICE UNITS
• As a general rule, assignments in Vice Units
should not be long term permanent
assignments.
• Should be inter-jurisdictional working
relationships
VICE ENFORCEMENT
• Vice crimes are a continual problem. These
crimes are often related other criminal
activity, global and organized crime, violence.
Many consider vice crimes to be “victimless
crimes.”
• Prostitution varies from community to
community and may not be organized
DRUGS
Enforcement without major public policy
revisions have not been successful
Drug of choice has varied over history
Enforcement needed to address quality of life
issues in communities and related major
crimes
YOUTH SERVICES AND JUVENILE UNITS
Juvenile Units were formed in the early part of
the 20th Century in response to urban crime
and related social problems involving
children, many of whom were new arriving
immigrants.
• Legal and social reforms gave certain
protections and services to children based in
part on two theories.
– Doli incapax – a child under a certain age is
incapable of wrongdoing
– Parens patriae – the state must assume the role of
parents if the parents cannot live up to their
responsibilites in the care of the child.
Juvenile Units
• Responsibilities
– Investigation of juvenile cases. Those cases
involving status offenses or child victims should be
handled juvenile unit personnel. These personnel
should have family intervention and counseling
skills.
• Example: Child abuse, juvenile sexual assault
• Juvenile Record Keeping – Files involving
youth crime and arrest records must be stored
in an area that is maintained separately from
adult files. Information must remain
confidential.
Example of Juvenile Bureau
Organization
Prince William County
Bureau Commander – Lieutenant Assigned to The Criminal Investigation Division
Crimes Against
Children
School Resource
Officers
First Sergeant
and Sergeant
First Sergeant
and Two
Sergeants
Detectives
Officers
DARE
• Although thousands of
police hours and
millions of dollars have
been devoted to DARE,
these programs have
never met their stated
goals. It is time to
relegate DARE to what it
is, a very good public
relations program.
SCHOOL VIOLENCE AND THE POLICE
• School violence has
been decreasing over
the years with two
exceptions, juvenile
gang violence and
random high profile
killing sprees.
• 90% of school districts
report no school
murders
SCHOOL VIOLENCE AND THE POLICE
• Police need to train staff
in disaster training for
extreme violence,
including active shooter
response.
Gangs
• Police should use gang
suppression tactics
– Target gang leaders, hangouts
and illegal activities
– Enforce school truancy
– Curfew checks
– Court mandated enforcement
against wearing gang “colors”
or apparel.
– Enforcement of alcohol
violations tied to revocation
of drivers license
INVESTIGATIONS
• Investigations are normally divided into two
major areas of activity
– Preliminary Investigation – Normally carried out
by the patrol officer
– Follow up Investigation – Normally conducted by a
detective trained in investigative techniques.
Investigative Issues and Concerns
• Career Criminals
– Individuals who actively pursue a crime lifestyle
• Informants
– a) offenders who have agreed to work off their
charges in lieu of prosecution
– b) offenders who are given cash for information
– c) citizens who are willing to work with the police
for no other reason other than to improve the
community
• Terrorism - Since 9/11,
police departments
have been reviewing
the concept of domestic
intelligence gathering
regarding information
that will help make
strategic and tactical
designs.