Solomon Zhao, a leading police organizational theorist, contends that contingency theory, therefore, makes two primary assumptions about police organizations.
The first is that police organizations “must adapt themselves to the external environment when their existing goals are affected by changes in their operating conditions.” The second is that police organizations must be dynamic so that they maintain “fi t” between themselves and their environment over time. A good fi t between a police organization and its environment results in higher performance.
Zhao points out that these two underlying assumptions make contingency theory well suited for helping students of police organizations understand why law enforcement agencies change their organizational arrangements and operational strategies. 49
Contingency theory has often been used by researchers and policymakers to understand police innovation. For example, Inglewood, California, faced a growing gang problem in the early 1970s. In response to the proliferation of gangs and gang related problems, the police department established a police gang unit to enhance the success of departmental crime control efforts. Similarly, many researchers and policymakers