Steelhead Police Department Policy Statement
Kaplan University
CJ 444-01 Managing Criminal Justice Organizations
Unit 3 Essay
Professor: Patrick McDonald
Jody Price
11/27/12
Introduction
Officers of the Steelhead Police force raise many concerns about the soft body armor policy. Each of these concerns is valid and need to be addressed. The Steelhead Police force needs to comply with the union contract when enacting a new policy and procedure on soft body armor. It is helpful for the police organization to obtain officers input when enacting a new policy. The officers that supply input can help to set up the policy and procedure on wearing the soft body armor. Setting up new policy and procedure is hard on both management and the officers but with a little compromise it can be worked out.
Organizational Theories
The structural contingency theory that law enforcement uses alters there structure to adapt to their rational and technical environments ( (Davis, 2012). By altering their structure and adapting they are able to improve their organization efficiency and effectiveness. Police agencies must adapt properly to be more efficient and effective in the area they are policing. An agency fails to adapt it will become inefficient and ineffective. The area in which the agency is working can be constantly changing. In turn that means that the agency must have the capability to change with the ever changing area. There are agencies that have very little change and due to the stability of the area need to not change as often.
The organization institutional theory changes in response to the institutional environment (Maguire, 2003). They do not change due to their rational or technical environment. The institutional environment is composed of powerful external individuals such as politicians, media, and police agencies. These people create expectations on how police agencies should be structured...