Police administration practices and organizational structures

Decision Making Process

Discuss the persons/organizations that would/could place pressure on a police administrator in the decision making process of that administrator. For each of the influencing persons/organizations, discuss if their inputs should be used in the decision making process."

Police administration could face pressure or conflict from many different sources both internally and externally. One of the tasks that the administrative management team has to handle is the internal workings of the police force. They have to make decisions based on historical rates of crime and special events to staff the region in which they patrol. They must deal with salaries, expenses, training, repairs and a host of other necessary functions to keep the operations moving and the public safe.

Another organization would be the public in general. The police force is ultimately accountable to the public and therefore must constantly justify its actions with a level of transparency that is needed in public service. They will have to explain progress on unsolved crimes as well as during high periods of crimes or extreme events. During such events they may have to prepare and release public statements to keep the public informed. They will also have to deal with a host of questions from family and friends of cases about individuals that they are dealing with.

The attorneys are another collective organization that the police force must interact with constantly. This includes both the prosecutor's office as well as private attorneys representing the accused persons. The prosecutors will need things such as details, information, and all the relevant documents and material that they will need to bring a case to trial. The private attorneys or the public defenders will also need information as well as time to speak with their clients.

The police will also have to interact with the media in one form or another. Usually arrest information is published in print or online on a daily or weekly manner as well as general information. The administrative team will generally designate a public relations person or team that handle external communications. This allows for the entire force to speak in a collaborative manner so that they deliver the correct information to the media or the public.