Dilemmas of Police Administration

James Q. Wilson

Objectives of PoliceOrder Maintenance

– Handling DisputesLaw Enforcement

– Applying legal sanctions

Order Maintenance Lack of agreement about police role Ambiguous laws “Victims” are often less than innocent Arrest is not the desired outcome

Law Enforcement Prevent crime Catch criminals

– How do you measure how much crime the police prevent?

– Very few “who-dunits” are solved by the police

– Reduction or Displacement?– Suppressing street crime is bad P.R.

Inherent Dilemmas Lack of agreement on what successful

order maintenance is in a heterogeneous society

Finding a strategy which permits the realization of effective law enforcement without alienating segments of the community

Criticisms Bad men… Police do the wrong things…

Solution Put the police under the control of the

public

Why This Wont Work: Police are timid about enforcing laws

against their “bosses” Involvement in conflict would still have

unhappy results Potential for abuse against “outsiders”

still exists Conflict due to heterogeneity would still

exist & police would be seen as choosing sides

The Nature of Policing The dilemmas of managing the police

arises less from the quality of the officers or the level at which authority is exercised and more from the nature of the police function.

Like mental health professionals, the police are given a task they cannot perform, yet they must try to perform it.

Why Does it Work in Some Places? Small communities Financially well-off High level of cooperation with police HOMOGENIETY

– Few incidents of public disorder– Few crimes against people (murder, rape,

mugging…)– Police & community share a common

definition of who is “suspicious”

Racial Complication The fundamental problem of policing is

one of socioeconomic status complicated by race– Are cops racist? Is this the problem?– Will a diverse force solve the problems

police face in the community?

Implications Substantial improvement in police-

community relations rely on changes in the structure of American society

What Should the Police Do?

Recognize order maintenance as their primary function

Benefits of Order Maintenance

Officers judged by ability to keep the peace, not arrests or tickets

More options for handling disorder The need for information will lead to

local control (decentralization) Strengthening of command Master patrol officers

Making the Change Police Officers as Craftsmen

– No written body of knowledge– Learning through apprenticeship– Respect earned (or not) from

coworkers– Special skills set the police apart

from civilians Organization & Leadership,

not policies will lead to change

What About Law Enforcement? Often exaggerated Should be organized differently than

order maintenance (centralized command)

Bad for community relations Shouldn’t expect much crime prevention Look to other agencies for solutions (i.e.

Corrections) . . .