ISU MODULE

LEA 111- POLICE HISTORY AND ORGANIZATION

1. Title of the Module Chapter III. Basic Concepts in Police Organization

2. Introduction
This chapter presents the basic concepts in Police Organization. It covers the nature of police organization,
organizational titles and terminologies, types of police Organizational Structures, Functions, Elements and
Principles of Police Organization

3. Learning outcome
At the end of the topic, the students are expected to:
• Explain the meaning of police, organization, police organization and its nature
• Discuss the Organizational Titles and Terminologies
• List down and explain the Types of Police Organizational Structures, Functions, Organic units, Primal
conditions, Elements and the Principles of Police Organization

4. Learning content

CHAPTER III. Basic Concepts in Police Organization

POLICE - a branch of the criminal justice system that has the specific responsibility of maintaining law and order and
combating crime within the society

Organization is a form of human association for the attainment of a goal or objective. It is the process of identifying
and grouping the work to be performed, defining and delegating a responsibility and authority establishing
relationships for the purpose of enabling people work effectively.

Police Organization – A group of trained personnel in the field of public safety administration engaged in the
achievement of goals and objectives that promotes the maintenance of peace and order, protection of life and
property, enforcement of the laws and the prevention of crime.

THE NATURE OF POLICE ORGANIZATION

The police department is truly a complex bureaucracy. It is most frequently a multi-level organization, organized in
the form of a pyramid with the top-level administrator being the chief of police. At the bottom level of the
organization, one finds the patrolman or line officer.
The patrol officer is the backbone of the police department. The lowest level worker found in many, if not most,
complex organizations who usually performs the routine, repetitive kind of work necessary to keep the organization
functioning. The police department by its very nature places the line officer in a position where he is a decision maker
and manager of his area or responsibility from the first time, he is given a beat to patrol.
There are indeed few agencies in which the efficiency and parameter of the law enforcement functions are vested in
those individuals quiet likely have the least amount of experience and expertise in the organization.

Organizational Titles and Terminologies

1. Functional Units
a. Bureau – the largest organic functional unit within a large department. It comprises a number of divisions.
b. Division – a primary subdivision of a bureau
c. Section – functional unit within a division that is necessary for specialization
d. Unit – functional group within a section, or the smallest functional group within an organization.
2. Territorial Units
a. Post – a fixed point or location to which an officer is assigned for duty, such as a
designated desk or office or an intersection or crosswalk from traffic duty. It is a spot location for general guard
duty.
b. Route – a length of streets designated for patrol purposes. It also called LINE BEAT.
c. Beat – An area assigned for patrol purposes, whether foot or motorized
d. Sector – An area containing two or more beats, routes or posts.
e. District – a geographical subdivision of a city for patrol purposes, usually with its own station.
f. Area – a section or territorial division of a large city each comprised of designated districts.

3. Other Terminologies
a. Sworn Officer – all personnel of the police department who have oath and who possess the power to arrest.
b. Superior Officer – one having supervisory responsibilities, either temporarily or permanently, over officers
of lower rank.
c. Commanding Officer – an officer who is in command of the department, a bureau, a division, an area or a
district
d. Ranking Officer – the officer who has the more senior rank / higher rank in a team or group.
e. Length of Service – the period of time that has elapsed since the oath of office was administered. Previous
active services may be included or added.
f. On duty – the period when an officer is actively engaged in the performance of his duty.
g. Off Duty – the nature of which the police officer is free from specific routine duty.
h. Special Duty – the police service, its nature, which requires that the officer be excused from the performance
of his active regular duty.
i. Leave of Absence – period, which an officer is excused from active duty by any valid / acceptable reason,
approved by higher authorities.
j. Sick Leave – period which an officer is excused from active duty by reason of illness or injury.
k. Suspension – a consequence of an act which temporarily deprives an officer from privilege of performing his
duties as result of violating directives or other department regulations.
l. Department Rules - rules established by department directors/supervisors to control the conduct of the
members of the police force.
m. Duty Manual – describes the procedures and defines the duties of officers assigned to specified post or
position
n. Order – an instruction given by ranking officer to a subordinate
o. General Orders – permanent orders issued by the police officers not relating to specific
circumstances or situation but affecting the whole department.
p. Special order – issued by police officers relating to some specific circumstances or situation,
usually temporary in nature and does not affect the entire department.
q. Report – usually written communication unless otherwise specifies to be verbal reports; verbal reports should
be confirmed by written communications.

Types of Police Organizational Structures:

An organizational structure is a mechanical means of depicting, by an arrangement of symbols, the relationships

that exist between individuals, groups, and functional relationships between groups and individuals clearly defined to
ensure accountability and compliance.

a. Line Organization – The straight-line organization, often called the individual, military or departmental type
of organization, is the simplest and perhaps the oldest type; but it is seldom encountered in its channels of
authority and responsibility extends in a direct line from top to bottom within the structures, authority is
definite and absolute.
 b. Functional Organization – The functional organization in its pure form is rarely found in present day
organization, except at or near the top of the very large organization. Unlike the line type of structure, those
establishments organized on a functional basis violate the prime rule that men perform best when they have
but one superior. The functional responsibility of each “functional manager” is limited to the particular
activity over which he has control, regardless of who performs the function.

c. Line and Staff Organization – Is a combination of the line and functional types. It combines staff
specialists such as the criminalist, the training officer, the research and development specialist etc. Channels
of responsibility is to “think and provide expertise” for the line units. The line supervisor must remember that
he obtains advice from the staff specialists.

FUNCTIONS IN A POLICE ORGANIZATION

1. Primary or Line functions – are the backbone of the police department which include patrol, investigation and
traffic control which is performed by “line members” including patrol officer, sergeant and the chief of police.

2. Staff/Administrative functions – are those operations assigned to support the line functions, staff members are
necessarily advisors who are typically assigned to planning, research, legal advice and budgeting. Staff members
are often civilians with specialized training. The main function is to study police policies and practices and to
offer proposals to the chief executive of the department.

3. Auxiliary functions – involve the logistical operations of the department including training, communications,
jailing, maintenance, record keeping and similar operations.

ORGANIC UNITS IN A POLICE ORGANIZATION

1) OPERATIONAL UNITS
- those that perform primary or line functions
- examples are patrol, traffic, investigation and vice control,

2) ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS
- those that perform the administrative functions
- examples are personnel, finance, planning and training

3) SERVICE UNITS
- those that perform auxiliary functions
- examples are communication, records management, supplies

PRIMAL CONDITIONS OF AN ORGANIZATION

1) AUTHORITY
- the supreme source of government for any particular organization
- the right to exercise, to decide and to command by virtue of rank and position

2) MUTUAL COOPERATION
- an organization exists because it serves a purpose

3) DOCTRINE
- provides for the organization’s objectives
- provides the various actions, hence, policies, procedures, rules and regulations of the organization are based
on the statement of doctrines

4) DISCIPLINE
- comprising behavioral regulations

ELEMENTS OF POLICE ORGANIZATION

1. SPECIALIZATION - The assignment of particular workers to particular tasks. Thus, it can be thought of in terms
of either jobs or people.

SPECIALIZATION OF JOBS (AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION)

- the designation of certain activities or tasks as ones that must be performed in a highly technological, scientific
or precise manner
- areas of police specialization include undercover works, crime scene operations, legal advising, computer work,
SWAT operations and others

SPECIALIZATION OF PEOPLE (SPECIALISTS)

- the designation of particular persons as having expertise in a specific area of work
- signifies the adaptation of an individual to the requirements through extensive training

2. HIERARCHY OF AUTHORITY - Hierarchy represents the formal relationship among superiors and
subordinates in any given organization. It can be visualized as a ladder with each rung representing a higher or
lower level of authority. Authority is the right to command or control the behavior of employees in lower
positions within an organizational hierarchy

3. SPAN OF CONTROL - Span of control is the maximum number of subordinates at a given position that superior
can supervise effectively.
Factors affecting the span of control:
a) Leadership qualities of the supervisors
b) Nature of the job and work conditions
c) Complexity of task
d) Education and skill of the employees

4. DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY - Delegation is the conferring o an amount of authority by a superior

position onto a lower-level position. The person to whom authority is delegated becomes responsible to the
superior for doing the assigned job.

5. UNITY OF COMMAND - It means that each employee should have only one supervisor or “boss”.

6) CHAIN OF COMMAND
- the arrangement of officers from top to bottom on the basis of rank or position and
authority

7) COMMAND RESPONSIBILITY
- dictates that immediate commanders shall be responsible for the effective supervision and control of their personnel
and unit

PRINCIPLES OF POLICE ORGANIZATION

1. Principle of Unity of Objectives – an organization is effective if it enables the individuals to contribute to the
organization’s objectives.
2. Principle of Organizational Efficiency – Organization efficiency is effective if it is structured in such a way to
aid the accomplishment of the organization’s objectives with a minimum cost.
3. Scalar Principle – shows the vertical hierarchy of the organization which defines an unbroken chain of units from
top to bottom describing explicitly the flow of authority.
4. Functional Principle – refers to division of work according to type, place, time and specialization
5. Line and Staff – implies that a system of varied functions arrange into a workable pattern. The line organization
is responsible for the direct accomplishment of the objectives while the staff is responsible for support, advisory
and facilitates capacity.
6. Principle of Balance – states the application of principles must be balanced to ensure the effectiveness of the
structure in meeting organization’s objectives.
7. Principle of Delegation by result – states that authority delegated should be adequate to ensure the ability to
accomplish expected results.
8. Principle of absoluteness of responsibility – explains that the responsibility of the subordinates to their superior
for performance is absolute and the superior cannot escape responsibility for the organization on activities
performed by their subordinates.
9. Principle of Parity and Responsibility – explains that responsibility for action cannot be greater than that
implied by the authority delegated nor should it be less.
10. Authority Level Principle – implies that decisions within the authority of the individual commander should be
made by them and not be returned upward in the organizational structure.
11. Principle of Flexibility – means that more flexible the organization, the more it can fulfill its purpose