Discussion Post
Police Organizational Charts 1.pdf Policing has been described as being similar to a hospital, with an emergency department (patrol), surgeons (detectives) and specialists (investigative functions). Support functions in policing (aviation, K9, SWAT, etc.) are similar to support functions in a hospital (Xray, phlebotomy, anasthesia, etc.). How a police agency is structured affects service delivery, but it is not without problems. Larger agencies tend to be taller and have communications problems, smaller agencies tend to be flatter and may have better communication but they lack the diversity in service delivery.
For this discussion review the organizational charts of the following police agencies.
a) Compare the differences as they relate to service delivery and communications issues among employees.
b) How can they be improved? (such as should the LAPD be flattened and should the Nutley PD be expanded).
c) Should a police department organize itself along the lines of the quasi-military model? What alternative models exist?