Criminal Justice Workplace Observation

Criminal Justice Workplace Observation
Cynthia Willison
CJA 444
April 23, 2012
Mike Raneses

Criminal Justice Workplace Observation
Each agency that takes part in criminal justice in any form has a climate, which has set ways with concerns within the criminal justice agencies. For instance, the organizational climate in a military facility is a high structure, organized, and formal in its procedures and processes. The military police are the law enforcement of the military. Similar to a civilian law enforcement officer, the role of the military police officer is to uphold the law, provide security, and maintain law, and order. There are many factors that key into the way that each organization behaves and each of them is very significant. In every workplace there is an organizational culture and behavior that factors into the studies and actions of individuals and groups within an organization. Taking a system approach examining the relationships of individuals and groups as well as organizations are key concepts of organizational behavior are organizational culture, diversity, communication, ethics, and the attempt to explain why these factors have the influenced they do. If the influence is positive or negative the management needs to adjust improvement accordingly in the organizational climate.
Leadership plays a very important role in the organizational behavior; if a leader is not committed there may not be a good relationship among the individuals and groups within the organization. Leadership inspires team members in the organization, for example when management, middle management, and lower-level management involve themselves in the development of organizational behavior and building good relationship among the members the team results are beneficial. There should be teamwork in the organizations because without teamwork achieving the desired goals and objectives is impossible. In fact, a good example of teamwork and leadership is the military police; Military Police adheres to the chain of command established by the military but function also as a criminal justice agency.
The military police are military units responsible for maintaining law and order, investigating crimes, and arresting criminal offenders. The Military Police consists of a pyramidal hierarchal command structure where individuals in a position of power make ultimate decisions, distribute assets, and disseminate information whereas the police staff or soldiers requirement is to follow orders without question (Myers, 2010). These types of agencies are less adaptable and flexible as well as being intolerant to internal errors.
The criminal justice agency as with any other organization has a culture that exists among the staff members. The organizational culture refers to the shared values, belief, and attitudes of the members of the organization. The structure of the military and the police are on a hierarchal structure with order, depending on the rank of the individual to determine the leadership. The President of the United States, Commander in Chief of the military would be at the top of the hierarchy with the soldier at the bottom. The military and law enforcement use formalized ranks to determine the leadership and personal, which are to follow orders. The only difference of civilian law enforcement and military police officers, civilian law enforcement is afforded more discretion and the military police are to follow strict orders.
The culture of the military police focuses on law enforcement aspects as well as military aspects. In both agencies there is a high level of accountability for mistakes and a high level of comradely among staff members. The organizational value of both agencies involves the assumptions or perceptions among organization members concerning the goals and values of the agency because there is a high level of danger involved in the job the cultures that emerge are similar (Organizational Culture, 2000). The formal structure of the military and the formal structure of a poling unit influence the climate in the Military Police unit.
The Military police are subject to following military law within the jurisdiction of a military facility of when a crime occurs or involves a victim of an active member of the military. The military police are to protect the safety of military personnel and civilians on a military facility as well as to enforce military law. Military police officers operate under a strict chain of command. They have orders they are to follow and when a military police officer disobeys a direct order they are subject to military law and punishments (Global Security, 2012). Because of this rigid and formally structured environment the organizational climate is one of discipline and subservience. Most organizations employees have instructions to accomplish some type of input or creative thinking, whereas the military organization main goal is to focus on military procedures and processes to ensure the safety and the lives of military soldiers and civilians.
The military police agency structure on military law has jurisdiction if a crime occurs on the military base but if a crime occurs off the base; however, outside gates on federal land the military police will follow the suspect and contact local authorities. The personnel are to obey the constitutional law and protect the rights of the military citizens they come into contact. The Military Police also has the power to obtain a search warrant before conducting a search. If there is an arrest the Miranda Rights must be read and allow the suspect to retain an attorney, which this procedure applies to civilians that may commit a crime on base as well (Global Security, 2012). Similar to the law enforcement agency the Military Police focus on the safety of fellow officers and ensuring the safety and security of community members but the Military Police could take the policing skills to war. The culture set forth by the leadership is one of formal command and the subservient soldier but the culture set forth by the staff becomes one of unquestioning loyalty and a strict code of silence. The leadership, systems, law, and motivation involving the military police are neither negative nor positive because the military has one role is to protect Americans citizens and the soil against attack. The necessity of more formal structure employees are afforded very little opportunity to insert their opinion or voice and must instead follow orders. In the Military Police Unit the officers are not afforded the same level of discretion as the police officer because they are to obey both military and constitutional law. Organizational influences on culture can be negative if the code of silence results in the cover-up of illegal activity but also can be positive because of the level of supervision received by the law enforcement agent. Good leaders and their ability to get the best from their units will remain the key combat multiplier (Murray, 2003). This climate is a necessity of a military facility and the only change that would occur is in improving the effectiveness of the unit to follow orders and improve productivity.

References
Global Security. (2012). Military-Jurisdiction. Retrieved from http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/19-10/Ch5.htm#s1p5
Murray, J. (2003, March 16). The Key to Unit Effectiveness-A Supportive Organizational Climate. Retrieved from http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA414172&Location
Myers, R. (2007). From Pyramids to Network: Police Structure and Leadership in 2020. Retrieved from http://policefutureists.org/pdf/FromPyramidstoNetworkCALEANov2007.pdf
Organizational Culture. (2000). Retrieved from http://managementconsultingcourses.com/Lesson35OrganisationalCulture.pdf

References: Global Security. (2012). Military-Jurisdiction. Retrieved from http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/army/fm/19-10/Ch5.htm#s1p5 Murray, J. (2003, March 16). The Key to Unit Effectiveness-A Supportive Organizational Climate. Retrieved from http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA414172&Location Myers, R. (2007). From Pyramids to Network: Police Structure and Leadership in 2020. Retrieved from http://policefutureists.org/pdf/FromPyramidstoNetworkCALEANov2007.pdf Organizational Culture. (2000). Retrieved from http://managementconsultingcourses.com/Lesson35OrganisationalCulture.pdf