NYPD vs. LAPD: Organizational Culture and Accountability
This paper examines and compares the organizational cultures of two major American law enforcement agencies: the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Drawing on each department's mission, core values, operational procedures, and accountability structures, the paper analyzes why the LAPD came under federal Department of Justice oversight through a consent decree while the NYPD did not. The paper also explores specialized subgroups—the LAPD Threat Management Unit and the NYPD Counterterrorism Bureau—as examples of inter-agency collaboration. Throughout, it argues that leadership attitudes and organizational culture are the key determinants of a department's adherence to constitutional policing standards.
- Introduction: Federal Oversight and Police Culture: Federal review of police agencies after Floyd and Taylor
- Leadership and Mission: NYPD and LAPD mission statements and core values compared
- Operations and Accountability: Standard procedures, discipline, and DOJ consent decree
- Specialized Subgroups: Counterterrorism and Threat Response: NYPD CT Bureau and LAPD Threat Management Unit roles
- Conclusion: Organizational culture as the key determinant of compliance
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What makes this paper effective
- Uses a consistent parallel structure throughout, comparing NYPD and LAPD across the same analytical categories—mission, operations, accountability, and subgroups—making contrasts easy to follow.
- Grounds its argument in concrete institutional evidence, such as the DOJ consent decree and the creation of the CDTF, rather than relying solely on abstract claims about culture.
- Connects macro-level outcomes (federal oversight) to micro-level causes (leadership attitudes, disciplinary practices), demonstrating cause-and-effect reasoning.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper employs comparative institutional analysis: it selects two agencies sharing broadly similar missions and values on paper, then uses the divergence in outcomes (DOJ oversight vs. no oversight) as evidence that organizational culture and leadership practice—rather than stated mission—determine real-world policing conduct. This technique is effective for arguing that policy implementation matters more than policy design.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with context about federal oversight of police agencies, then moves through four thematic sections: (1) leadership and mission statements of both departments, (2) standard operating procedures and accountability mechanisms, (3) specialized anti-terrorism subgroups, and (4) a brief conclusion. Each section applies the same comparative lens, reinforcing the paper's central thesis about how organizational culture drives compliance or misconduct.
Introduction: Federal Oversight and Police Culture
State policing agencies have come under harsh criticism in recent years, resulting in some coming under review by the federal government. After a four-year hiatus, the federal government resumed reviewing state police agencies for systemic constitutional violations. The 2020 Black Lives Matter movement, which followed the murders of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, prompted federal review of local police departments to examine the organizational cultures that may be enabling abuses of power ("U.S. V. City of Los Angeles - Consent Decree," 2021). Under federal review, a local police department must meet court-ordered benchmarks in training, accountability, and use-of-force policy reform. While concerns about its conduct have been raised, the New York Police Department (NYPD) has not been placed under federal government oversight—a testament to its relatively responsible policing policies and responsiveness to local communities.
Leadership and Mission
The mission of the NYPD is to "enhance the effectiveness of the police department; increase public safety; protect civil liberties and civil rights; and increase the public's confidence in the police force, thus building stronger police-community relations" ("Inspector General for NYPD," 2021). The values upheld by the NYPD include protecting the lives and property of citizens, enforcing the law impartially, preventing crime and diligently pursuing violators, maintaining a high standard of integrity, and upholding the dignity and value of human life by applying the law with courtesy and civility. An organization's mission and core values function as the default guiding principles in policy and its implementation, shaping the approach to use of force and the relationship between police and their communities.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) came under the scrutiny of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) following the discovery of rampant corruption within the agency, including excessive force, unreasonable searches and seizures, and false arrests. Consequently, the LAPD and the DOJ entered into a consent decree designed to promote police integrity and prevent misconduct that results in the denial of citizens' constitutional rights, immunities, and privileges (Bruneau, 2000). The decree emphasizes management and supervisory measures to uphold civil rights, adherence to due process, investigations, documentation, review, management of confidential informants, integrity audits, and community outreach and public information. While the LAPD denied these allegations, the DOJ presented compelling evidence that led the City Council and the mayor to form a Consent Decree Task Force (CDTF), which was required to plan, coordinate, track, monitor, and report on the LAPD's compliance with the decree's provisions.
The LAPD's leadership is guided by its mission "to safeguard the lives and property of the people we serve, to reduce the incidence and fear of crime, and to enhance public safety while working with the diverse communities to improve their quality of life" (Dunn, 2008). Its core values include service to Los Angeles communities, reverence for the law, commitment to leadership, upholding integrity in speech and actions, respect for people, and ensuring quality of service through continuous improvement.
The key difference between the leadership of the NYPD and the LAPD lies in their orientation and core objectives. The NYPD focuses on protecting the rights, privileges, and dignity accorded to citizens. The LAPD, by contrast, places greater emphasis on preventing crime and securing the lives of citizens ("Counterterrorism - NYPD," 2021). A notable similarity between the two departments lies in their core values: both the NYPD and the LAPD express an intent to uphold the dignity and value of human life through the application of the law. However, the degree to which those values are implemented and adhered to is reflected in their respective organizational cultures—as evidenced by the fact that the LAPD is under DOJ oversight while the NYPD is not.
Conclusion
The comparison of the NYPD and LAPD reveals that an agency's stated mission and core values alone do not guarantee constitutional policing. While both departments articulate a commitment to protecting civil rights, serving their communities, and upholding human dignity, the LAPD's failure to translate those values into consistent practice led to DOJ oversight and a binding consent decree. The NYPD's stronger accountability mechanisms and leadership culture have allowed it to avoid similar federal intervention. Organizational culture—shaped by leadership attitudes and disciplinary practices—ultimately determines whether a police department's stated values become operational realities or remain aspirational statements.
References
Bruneau, T. (2000). Revisiting who is guarding the guardians? A report on police practices and civil rights in America. U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
Counterterrorism - NYPD. Www1.nyc.gov. (2021). Retrieved 24 September 2021, from
Dunn, J. (2008). Operations of the LAPD Threat Management Unit [Ebook]. Retrieved 24 September 2021, from https://paladinservice.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/dunnchapter.pdf.
Elekes, E. (2014). An examination of the organizational culture at the policing. Applied Studies in Agribusiness and Commerce, 8(1), 43–50. https://doi.org/10.19041/apstract/2014/1/5
Farkas, J., Sallai, J., & Krauzer, E. (2020). The organisational culture of the police force. Internal Security, 12(1), 77–84. https://doi.org/10.5604/01.3001.0014.3189
Inspector General for NYPD. Www1.nyc.gov. (2021). Retrieved 24 September 2021, from
Mission - NYPD. Www1.nyc.gov. (2021). Retrieved 24 September 2021, from
More, H., Vito, G., & Walsh, W. (2012). Organizational behavior and management in law enforcement. Pearson Prentice Hall.
U.S. V. City of Los Angeles - Consent Decree. Justice.gov. (2021). Retrieved 24 September 2021, from
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