Police Department Roles and Functions
Police services are delivered to the public through organizations. The quality of policing depends on how well a department is organized and managed. Some critics argue that the nature of police organizations is a major problem in policing: that the departments are isolated from the public, resist change, and do not make good use of their personnel. This paper will identify the principal roles and functions of police organizations and their role as it applies to the law. Next describe various types of police agencies at the local, state, and federal level and the roles and functions of each. Then explain the role and function of patrol work.
Police are one of the most ubiquitous organizations of the society. The policemen, therefore, happen to be the most visible representatives of the government. In an hour of need, danger, crisis and difficulty, when a citizen does not know, what to do and whom to approach, the police station and a policeman happen to be the most appropriate and approachable unit and person for him. The police are expected to be the most accessible, interactive and dynamic organization of any society. Their roles, functions and duties in the society are natural to be varied and multifarious on the one hand; and complicated, knotty and complex on the other. Broadly speaking the twin roles, which the police are expected to play in a society are maintenance of law and maintenance of order. However, the ramifications of these two duties are numerous, which result in making a large inventory of duties, functions, powers, roles and responsibilities of the police organization.
Most of the roles and functions of the police in general are: to uphold and enforce the law impartially, and to protect life, liberty, property, human rights, and dignity of the members of the public. To promote and preserve public order, and