Bureaucracy

Bureaucracy in Policing
Student’s name
Institution of affiliation
Date
When Max Weber identified bureaucracies as the most appropriate way of structuring and running organizations, he envisaged bureaucracies operating in the ideal word. However, the globalized society of the 21st century is far from ideal and to remain relevant, there is a need to reduce the scientific bureaucracy and instead fuse it with the alternatives that have been developed to come up with a more flexible and contemporary organizational structure.
While police bureaucracy has a number of disadvantages such as a rigid system of rules which stifles creativity and impedes efficient responses to crime, it has proved to be the best organizational form in policing. A number of alternative organizational and structural forms have been developed but most have been supplemental and conceived to meet specific objectives (Palmiotto & Unnithan, 2011).
To counter the drawback of impersonality experienced in police bureaucracies, Palmiotto & Unnithan (2011) state that the Team Policing approach has been developed. It involves tasking small police units with serving distinct geographic areas within the jurisdiction of the police department. These local teams are free to choose how to deliver services based on the needs of the area they serve. Another supplemental approach is to form Task Forces which are specialized units formed to a certain serious problem. They may be inter or intra agency and are normally disbanded immediately the problem has been solved.

The last approach is the Quality Circles which seeks to flatten the existing hierarchies.
In Berry’s (2010) final report focusing on the ways to reduce bureaucracy in policing, she observes that the police service must be accountable and records must be kept. A little bureaucracy, just enough for an effective and efficient police service, is necessary. Nevertheless, the quality of investigation must override record keeping and the achievement of successful outcomes should be prioritized over the compliance with a set of rigid rules in the pursuit of quality assurance. If these changes are effected, police bureaucracy will still remain relevant in the 21st century.
References
Berry, J. (2010). Reducing Bureaucracy in Policing: Full Report. Central Office of Information.
Palmiotto, M., & Unnithan, N. P. (2011). Policing & society: A global approach. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning.