Benefits of paramilitary organizational structure in law enforcement

¶ … Law Enforcement Agencies

I agree with the para-military style of organization of most law enforcement agencies. There are a number of facets of this type of organization that makes it beneficial to a governmental agency such as the police. The military has clear lines of designation between its various employees, with a chain of command that denotes authority and respect. As such, there is no ambiguity in the type of orders that must be followed -- the very structure of the organization supports ranking officers and those below them, who are compelled to adhere to the commands of the former. The type of danger that is paramount to situations that involve the military necessitate this type of unequivocal chain of command, which enables seamless action in times of danger. The types of dangers faced by the police department are no less hazardous, and therefore benefit from a similar chain of command so that uniform action can be taken to quell threats. Thus, "the police traditionally organize along military lines, with a rank structure that normally include patrol officer, sergeant, lieutenant, captain and chief" (Peak, 2012).

The effect of such a clear chain of command reverberates throughout other aspects of military and police work. The chain of command allows for ranking officers to not only command and designate authority, but also to report to their superiors to receive orders. Therefore, the dissemination of key organizational objectives disseminates in a structured fashion in order to minimize time to action and to emphasize cohesiveness. This boon applies to both the formal U.S. military as well as to paramilitary police departments, both of which require such seamless integration of thought and action.