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Power and the Police Chief
An Institutional and Organizational Analysis
- Raymond G. Hunt - State University of New York, Buffalo, USA
- John M. Magenau - Pennsylvania State University, USA
Volume:
10
Other Titles in:
Criminology & Criminal Justice (General)
Criminology & Criminal Justice (General)
May 1993 | 176 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
This book discusses the role of American police chiefs in contemporary urban settings, using institutional theory as a framework for analysis. From this perspective, the authors review long-term tendencies toward the rationalist modernization of American police agencies. Ongoing `professionalization', unionization and bureaucratization of police work are major themes in the transformations occurring in the modern role of a police chief. The internal and external conflicts and power struggles of police organization are highlighted and the authors argue that the fundamental definition of police work is the root of this conflict. It is necessary for policing paradigms to move away from rule-based, law-enforcement models towards service alternatives that emphasize the situational imperatives and discretionary essence of police work.
PART ONE: INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE IN POLICING
Introduction
The Institutional Perspective
The Meaning of Modernity
Modernization of the American Police
Politics and the Police Chief
The Police Chief as Manager
The Institutional Context of Police Organization
The Institutional Position of the Police Administrator
Chiefs and the Rank and File
Shaping Police Roles
The American Culture of Policing
Summary and Conclusion
PART TWO: INTO THE POLITICAL ARENA: ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS
Introduction
The Nature of Power in Organizations
The Political Arena
Conflict, Management Styles, and the Dynamics of Power
Power and Leadership
The Police Chief and the Culture of Policing
Changing the Culture of Policing
Leadership in the New Paradigm of Problem-Oriented Policing
Modern Police Roles