Organization of the Police Department

Police departments have tasks of organization that is divided according to purpose, area and time. Work Assignments are given to certain groups that are divided amongst the department and have a distinct purpose that is unique from the other groups. For example; a police detective performs certain duties that are distinct from that of a patrol officer and vice versa. Each division has their own purpose to achieve certain functions within the department, to maintain effective functions within the police department. As well, area and time are also distinct among the departments. Police detectives work in different areas or have specific duties at certain times or in a certain place, than that of a patrol officer who has a specific area and time to patrol each day. So, the question that should be asked concerning the organization of the police department is ‘who is going to do what, when, and where’ (Dempsey, & Forst, 2005)? In addition, why is organization important to the effectiveness of the police department? Purpose Why is purpose or function important to the effectiveness of the police department? First, there are two types of functions called line and staff as well, organization by police department units. The purpose of these functions is to place similar duties that are performed into similar units (Dempsey, & Forst, 2005). Line functions directly assist in the accomplishment of the organizations objectives, whereas staff functions are responsibilities that complement line units in performing their tasks. In addition, the police department units are established to perform duties with peak effectiveness (Dempsey, 2005). As well, the police functions can be diverse and complex. Additionally, the importance of responsibility lies in their duty to enforce laws, provide assistance to the populace, and maintain order (Dempsey, 2005). So, without function