Organizational or Victim Needs: The Implications for a Policing by Objectives Strategy

The research was undertaken by the Management Project Group of the 51st Intermediate Command Course, Police Staff College, Bramshill. The authors gratefully acknowledge the invaluable contribution of Mr. M. Le Moigan, the Deputy Chief Officer of the Guernsey Police and Superintendents D. Lenton (South Yorkshire), D. Olley, B.A. (Cleveland), C. J. Phillips (City of London), S. Power (Hertfordshire), T. A. Stainsby (Metropolitan), and D. L. Wells (Metropolitan) without whose unfailing efforts the fieldwork and subsequent analysis would not have been possible. The author also acknowledges the advice and assistance of Chief Superintendent D.D.P. Ladd, B. A. (Kent); Mr. M. Davies, both currently members of the College Directing Staff and Mr. A. J. Burns-Howell, B.A.(Econ.), Ph.D. of the Metropolitan Police. Also acknowledged is the stimulus given as a result of reading Burglary in a Dwelling by Maguire Mike (Centre for Criminological Research, Oxford) Heinemann, 1982.

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Jones (1978) defines the front line “… as that section (of the police organization) which interacts with the community in the routine, normal and practical work context. In the police service the uniformed patrol constable is the front-line worker operating on foot or in a car, delivering fundamental police services on a regular basis…” In the context of this research the above definition is extended to include detectives who attend the scenes of crime as ititial attending officers and those uniformed officers who service police station inquiry office counters.

There are certain methodological problems associated with using “insiders” to undertake interviews of this kind; for example, the respondents may well exaggerate or express opinions which they believe that the interviewer — in this instance, a senior police officer — would want to hear. In structuring the questions certain precautions were taken. Nevertheless we recognize that structured interviews and questionnaires cannot be made into faultless instruments and the reader is advised accordingly.

Those readers interested in the methodology adopted for this research are advised to consult “Policing Strategy: Organizational or Victim Needs?” Unpublished Police Staff College paper prepared by the Management Specialism of the 51st Intermediate Command Course. (1982).

Whilst sufficient time has elapsed for all victims to be re-visited in accordance with the force policy and informed of the outcome, in our study we found that in only 28% of cases had this taken place.

Jones (1980) noted … “Another aspect of police organization which supports the law enforcement orientation of many police officers is that police activity, which is reported on paper and passes through the organization's communication channels, is the principal activity seen by the hierarchy … However, day-to-day prevention and order maintenance by efficient uniformed patrol, exercise of discretion and positive communication with public, are activities, which because they go unreported, are taken for granted …” (pp. 74/75).

Selznick (1943) called goal displacement… “The organizational paradox and noted that because of this phenomenon organizational frustration is a persistent characteristic of our times …” (p. 49). We would define goal displacement as the process by which an organization subverts one or more of its original goals and replaces them with one or more other goals which are likely to reflect more appropriately the needs of the organization rather than those of the original intended audience or client in contact.

A recent study undertaken by the Home Office Research and Planning Unit concluded by saying “… if the quality of police performance is to be maintained or improved … it will be necessary to think carefully about the way demand for police services is matched to supply.” ( Exblom Heal , 1982).

Part of the Havant policing scheme operated in the Hampshire Constabulary has attempted to manage and grade the police response to calls from the public to varying degrees of success. See “The Havant Policing Scheme”. Hampshire Constabulary. (1982).

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