Cja 394 - Criminal Justice Workplace

Criminal Justice Workplace

CJA/394

William McCauley

Abstract

The criminal justice system incorporates a broad spectrum of private and public agencies and setting. The most important objective of law enforcement is the organizational behavior of police officers. There are various aspects for different criminal justice workplaces that influence how objectives are met. This paper will do an in-depth evaluation focusing on the organizational behavioral factors that have the most significant influence.

Criminal Justice Workplace

A career in the criminal justice system can be challenging it also can be satisfying and rewarding. In the criminal justice workplace job performance determines whether a police officer is promoted, given additional responsibilities, or fired from the job. It is the responsibility of the criminal justice system commander to create an environment in which employees can function at his or her highest job performance, grow, and mature. In law enforcement there is a behavioral climate that characterizes police officers.

As a result of this climate, law enforcement is shaped toward a given form that uniquely identifies it. Law enforcement has four different positions: management, inspector or detective, police officer, and private security. Although there are different elements each has a unique implication for running the police department and the knowledge of these influences is essential for implementing the policies that contribute to the effectiveness of crime control and fairness. In law enforcement management switches from law enforcement details to administrative duties.

Management

In law enforcement there are two styles of leadership transactional and transformational. A transactional leader is focused on the operation of the department to maintain the status quo, whereas a transformational leader is focused on creating a new and shared vision for the future of law enforcement. "These agencies consist of people who interact within the organization and with external organizations, and they exist to serve the public" (Peak, 2010, "Bureaucratic Management"). The managerial rank in law enforcement is similar to the ranks and titles of the military using such terms commander, captain, lieutenant, and sergeant.

The commander/chief of police serves as the managerial head of the police department. As the head of the police department the chief of police has the ultimately responsible for the effective delivery of public services to the community. Typical duties include supervising lower-level management, developing policies, implementing programs, evaluating, and monitoring service and ensuring other local officials are involved in relevant decision-making process. The management in law enforcement is a chain of command. Police officers make complaints to lower management first when a problem or situation needs to be taken care of if he or she is cannot resolve the problem or issues it is passed on to middle management. If middle management cannot resolve the issue or problem, the matter is taken to upper management to get the matter handled.

One problem facing management in law enforcement today is the economic decline causing various factors that make the economic situation more challenging. For example the economic decline has caused a change in law enforcement. Change is always hard, and it is more difficult in economic times. These changes include reducing collective bargaining, police morale, strategic cutbacks, and the concern of public safety. Wiseman (2011), "Management should not set the goals in a vacuum but should involve collective bargaining units and other key stakeholders such as clergy, community leaders, academics, business leaders and other justice system players" (Strategic Cutback Management).

Although the situation may look bleak management still have the options that allow him or her to manage well and possible improve operations. The organizational communication and structure between the management heads of the police department influence positive decisions from the chief of police throughout the entire department. Moreover, working as a unit is not difficult given that most of the goals are met and