Creating Policy -Steelhead Police Department

Question

Complete the Learning Activity.

Complete the Unit 6 Assignment: Creating Policy

Read the following scenario:

The Steelhead Police Department, a medium-sized agency of 40 sworn officers, has relatively recently hired a new police chief from outside the department after a nationwide search. He is bringing in many new ideas and innovations to the department. The new chief wrote a grant proposal and was awarded grant funding for new state-of-the-art soft body armor vests for all officers. Previous attempts to purchase and implement wearing of soft body armor by officers in this department had been unsuccessful.

You are assigned as a patrol lieutenant, one of the shift supervisors and watch commanders, supervising about ten officers. All patrol shifts rotate every 4 months. Because of your expertise as a firearms instructor the new chief selected you to research and draft a policy for mandatory wear of soft body armor by officers in the department. Obstacles you will, or may, encounter include opposition from the department’s unionized line officers, complaints of medical issues to include rashes that prevent the wearing of the vests, heat-related factors, freedom of movement, freedom of choice, and about everything in between.

The links below provide resources to get you started on your work.

Ballistic Body Armor

Zakhary, Y. (2007, Dec.) Ballistic body armor: A chief’s refresher course. The Police Chief. 74(12). Retrieved from http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&article_id=1340&issue_id=122007

Provides IACP (International Association of Chiefs of Police) guidance on body armor wear policy for officers in uniform and other specifications.

Delaware Administration Labor Relations Hearing

State of Delaware. Public Employment Relations Board.. Retrieved from from http://perb.delaware.gov/pdfs/decisions/1999/DPDFOP15.pdf

The Delaware administrative labor relations hearing shows a case where a city lost attempting to implement mandatory wear without collective bargaining.

Write a 700–1,050 word analysis of the actions you would take to create and implement this soft body armor mandatory wear policy. Consider the following in your analysis:

Discuss the organizational theories that apply to law enforcement and criminal justice agencies.

Address arguments that can be raised against the policy to illustrate typical organizational behavior.

Suggest solutions to the arguments against the mandatory wear policy that take into account and describe law enforcement culture and this agency’s unionized law enforcement culture.

Sample paper

Creating Policy -Steelhead Police Department

The security and safeness of the citizens of each county and country are paramount to the country, and that is the main reason as to why different states have various police force so that they can maintain law and order in their areas of jurisdiction. However, despite the duty to keep the entire population safe and protecting them from internal attacks, the police force should also take caution of their health and lives given the violent nature of their job and the police force sector. As a result, all police forces are required to procure and purchase the soft body armor which is one of the greatest of modern marvels. Despite saving thousands of soldiers and cops from death or severe wounds, most of them still resist to wear soft body armor in their line of duty while to others donning soft body armor has just become part of the job (Prat, 2012). This essay will provide an analysis of the actions and steps that can be taken to create and implement this soft body armor mandatory wear policy.

Question 1

Discuss the organizational theories that apply to law enforcement and criminal justice agencies

Law enforcement and criminal agencies are known to have different organization theories and structures that are related to the nature of their work. Below are some of the theories and structures widely adopted by these agencies:

Structural contingency theory – this theory states Law enforcement and criminal organizations alter their structures to adapt best to their rational and technical environments and thus improve organization efficiency and effectiveness. However, the environments of police organization differ from one police to another, and it is widely composed of the population the agency serves, the demand inflicted on the agency by the population and the political system that governs the force. Contingency theory states that the organization must fully adapt to its population to work effectively.
Organizational institutional theory – this theory states that organizations and agencies change in response to their institutional environment but not due to their rational/technical environment. The institutional environment comprises of powerful external constituents and forces such as politicians, the media and community groups(Fridell, 2009).
Appropriate organization structure – this theory states that police agencies and organization are neither driven by the urge to achieve efficiency and effectiveness nor institutional environment but rather what the agency deems appropriate for the organization in that particular time and moment.

Question 2

Address arguments that can be raised against the policy to illustrate typical organizational behavior

Procurement of soft body armor is a relatively new responsibility for law enforcement organization and as an abrupt change in the organization change; it is poised to face challenges and resistance from the police forces. Some of the arguments that are posed to be put forth by these forces include the high cost of purchasing these body armors. When the safety jackets were first introduced in the market, they were going for high prices that made it almost impossible for various forces to fully equip their officers with the same. However, to some, it was generally uncomfortable because they were not used to wear in their daily operations. On the same note, there are those who felt that they were too hot to be worn in a warm climate and those who felt that the armor limited their flexibility. The armor may have caused all these discomforts only because the officers had not worn them ever again and they were using them for the first time. Consistency in wearing and using them can develop into a habit, and with time, they can develop a liking to these soft body armors.

Question 3

Suggest solutions to the arguments against the mandatory wear policy that take into account and describe law enforcement culture and this agency’s unionized law enforcement culture?

There are various ways that the administration of the force can use and implement to ensure that it faces the minimum resistance in trying to introduce a policy for the use of these soft body armors. Some of the best and viable solutions to this policy include:

Training – some of the officers complained of not being comfortable and limited flexibility, it is upon the leadership of the forces to organize training sessions where the officers can be trained and taught in the best way to use the soft body armors. Training can ensure they are comfortable as well as flexible enough to work effectively and efficiently.
Provision of information in advance – the police administration and senior officers should provide information on the impending policy to the entire police force particularly to those that will be affected by the new policy. Information in advance concerning the reasons for the police, its nature, its planned timing and its possible effects on individuals will prepare the officers psychologically for what is coming(Wagner, 2009).
Providing counseling – not all the employees that my get it right for the first time and the senior employees should formulate a way to help such officers through discussion and counseling as well as further training on how to adopt the policy as well as finding the appropriate and right way to make the policy work. Nondirective counseling and negotiation have been used effectively in the past, and there is a high chance if implemented in this scenario, it can produce desirable results.

References

Fridell, L. F. (2009). The impact of agency context, policies, and practices on violence against police. . Journal of Criminal Justice, 37(6), , 542-552.

Prat, N. R. (2012). Contemporary body armor: technical data, injuries, and limits. European journal of trauma and emergency surgery, 38(2), , 95-105.

Wagner, N. &. (2009). U.S. Patent No. 7,498,276. . Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.