LEAORG1-ADDITIONAL REFERENCE NO.

Dear class,

Kindly read this additional reference to enrich your knowledge about our topics
under Module II.

God bless!

(LEAORG1 - MODULE II)

INTRODUCTION OF POLICE ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION

I. INTRODUCTION:
1. The act of organizing is indispensable to proper management, and without some
form of organizational structure, most police operations could not be carried out.
2. An agency can often operate adequately, in some cases with a deficient structure,
but an agency with seemingly good structure can very seldom operate with
efficiency if a basic principle of administrative organization, such as the need to
communicate through channels is consistently ignored (O.W. Wilson, et.al, Police
Administration,1972).
3. Organizational structure must be supportive of the process involved in the
attainment of the agency’s objectives.
4. Sound decisions must be made on all matters of program emphasis before an
organization can be structured that will most effectively serve management
(George D Eastman, et.al, Municipal Police Administration, 1971).

II. DEFINITION OF TERMS:

➢ 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 crimes.
(https://criminologyboardexamreviewer.weebly.com/administration-of-police-
organization.html)
Police administration - refers to the organization and management of policing.
➢ It can refer to how the policing function is organized at the national or societal level
or more specifically to how individual police agencies and units are organized and
managed.
(https://www.google.com/search?q=police+organization+and+administration&rlz=1C1G
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 ➢ Police management - refers to the administrative activities of coordinating,
controlling and directing police resources, activities and personnel.
(https://www.google.com/search?q=definition+of+police+management&rlz=1C1GCEA_
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III. ELEMENTS OF POLICE ORGANIZATION:
1. Unity of Command
➢ dictates that there should only be ONE MAN commanding the unit to ensure
uniformity in the execution of orders

2. Span of Control
➢ the maximum number of subordinates that a superior can effectively supervise
➢ 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

3. Delegation of Authority
➢ conferring of an amount of authority by a superior position to a lower-level
position.
➢ The responsibility cannot be delegated under any circumstances.

4. Hierarchy of Authority
➢ the relationship between superiors and subordinates.
➢ serves as the framework for the flow of authority downward and obedience upward
through the department.
➢ Hierarchy - represents the formal relationship among superiors and subordinates
in any given organization
5. Specialization
➢ the assignment of particular personnel to particular tasks
➢ 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.
 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.

IV. FUNCTIONS IN A POLICE ORGANIZATION:

1.LINE FUNCTIONS
➢ refers to police task performance.
➢ the police agency is goal-oriented.
➢ those components of a police agency that directly confront and attempt to eliminate
the impediments to goal achievement are line in nature.
➢ all line activities are sometimes placed in the category of operations.

➢ LINE ELEMENTS CAN BE CLASSIFIED INTO TWO (2):

A. The Primary Line Elements

- the patrol force of any department cannot be denied its role as the primary
line element.
- patrol as the backbone of municipal police service.
- most small departments can be described only as patrol agencies and, within
the limits of their capabilities, the patrol forces are responsible for all line
activities.
- in such departments, the patrolman, by and large a generalist.
- activities: routine patrol, conduct premise inspections, criminal and traffic
investigations, arrests, and in many other ways provide community security.

B. Secondary Line Elements

- there would be no need for secondary or supportive line units if the patrol
force for any department could be 100% successful in its crime preventive
and controlling efforts – an obviously impossible goal.
- time and area restrictions normally imposed on patrol field units,
developing needs for specialized training and experience, and other factors
combine in such force.
- such as: creation of special elements to handle aspects of traffic, criminal
and other investigations, and other field-related responsibilities.

2. NON-LINE FUNCTIONS
➢ refers to other activities supportive of successful task accomplishment.
➢ many functions for which a police force must assume responsibility - in one way
another supportive of departmental administration and operations - departmental
goals.
➢ cannot be construed as police tasks – except as they are performed directly and
arranged for, by the police.

TWO (2) BROAD CATEGORIES OF NON-LINE FUNCTIONS/ACTIVITIES OF

THE POLICE:

A. Staff Services/Administrative Services

- staff services are essentially oriented to people and management and include
matters of recruitment, selection, training, promotion, planning and research,
community relations and public information services, budget development and
control, and inspectional services.

B. Auxiliary Services/Technical Services

- they provide technical, special and other supportive and facilitative services for
administration, and for line and other non-line elements of the department.
- they basically include records and identification, communications, detention,
property and evidence, and crime laboratory services.

3. MIXED FUNCTIONS
- some elements of a police department do not fall easily into either a line or a
non-line classification; their organizational placement, thus may seem awkward or
arbitrary.

4. NON-POLICE FUNCTIONS
- such as tow, and ambulance services, building, fleet, and equipment
maintenance, and others.
- if these and related functions and activities are present and continuing
responsibilities in fact, consideration must be given to them when the organization
is being planned.

V. ORGANIZATIONAL UNITS IN THE POLICE ORGANIZATION:

1. Functional Units
• Bureau - the largest organic functional unit within a large department;
comprised of several divisions.
• Division - a primary subdivision of a bureau.
• Section - functional unit within a division that is necessary for specialization.
• Unit - functional group within a section or the smallest functional group
within an organization.

2. Territorial Units
• Post - a fixed point or location to which an officer is assigned for duty.
 • Route - a length of streets designated for patrol purpose, also called line
beat.
• Beat - an area designed for patrol purposes whether foot or motorized.
• Sector - an area containing two or more beat, route or post.
• District - a geographical subdivision of a city for patrol purposes, usually
with its own station.
• Area - a section or territorial division of a large city each comprised of
designated districts.

VI. SAMPLES OF POLICE ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS & FUNCTIONAL CHARTS

No. 1

No. 2
 No. 3

No. 4

No. 5
References:
1. O.W. Wilson, et.al, Police Administration, 3rd Ed., 1972.
2. Eastman, D.G., et.al, Municipal Police Administration, 1971.
3. Nolledo, J.N, The Police Manual of the Philippines with Police Act of 1966.

Prepared by:
Laureano Alexis R. Mariñas, Ph.D.Crim.
Faculty
SCJPS, University of Baguio
Baguio City