Strategic Task Force in a Virtual Police Department to Combat Crime
PROJECT 1 Departmental Project: Strategic Plan Project Assignment: The project is centered on the creation of an eight (8) unit, task force and a strategic action plan to address an increase in violent crime (homicide, sexual assault and robbery). There have been some indications of gang and drug related connections to the violence which has been the subject of public, political and community demand for action. 1. Identifying 6 and only 6 departmental units that will be included in some manner on the task force from the Virtual Police Department Table of Organization chart. (See Virtual Police Table of Organization.) NOTE, There are 2 organization charts in Course Content. You are to use the one labeled Virtual Police Table of Organization.) Note: All of Patrol (Commanders A, B and C, Captains, Lieutenants, Sergeants, COPs and Patrol Officers) is 1 single unit. ALSO: Selection of a "Commander" (e.g., Special Operations Commander) as a Unit includes the official and their immediate office staff. It does not include each of the subordinate units. 2. For each of the 6 units selected from within the Virtual PD the student will be asked to Identify the unit and briefly describe its typical operational/administrative role and regular duties in a law enforcement agency Explain why the unit was chosen for this task force, what role it will play on the task force Explain how it will interact with other selected task force units. If more than 6 units in the Virtual Police Department have a potential role on this task force, the student must select the 6 units having the most impact and/or being most useful in achieving the reduction in violent crime goal. 3. Additionally, the student will identify 4 units in the Virtual Police Departmental units that will NOT be part of the task force. For each of these units not selected, the student will be asked to Identify the unit and briefly describe its typical operational/administrative role and regular duties in a law enforcement agency Explain why it was NOT chosen for this task force. 4. To complete the 8 unit task force, the student will also identify 2 non-departmental units from the criminal justice system that should be included in some manner on the task force Identify the unit and briefly describe its typical operational/administrative role and regular duties in the criminal justice system Explain why the unit was chosen for this task force, what role it will play on the task force Explain how it will interact with other selected task force units. Again, the goal of this project is to give the student an opportunity to determine, analyze and assess the role of various police department units and their relationship to other units. Format: Four (4) FULL narrative pages, not including cover page and references page. The cover page should include the name and number of the course, the name of the student, title of the project and the date of submission. The composition may be a combination of outline and narrative with outline statements separated by no more than double spacing. The description of the function and relationship of each unit should be presented as narrative. Resources, including course materials, must be cited both in the narrative where appropriate and on a separate references page, using APA citation rules. Projects should be submitted using the WebTycho Assignment Folder unless instructed otherwise. At the instructor’s discretion, this project may be submitted to Turnitin or other service for verification of originality.
Strategic Task Force in a Virtual Police Department to Combat Crime
Name
University
Strategic Task Force in a Virtual Police Department to Combat Crime
The six departmental units that will be included in the special task force include;
Chief of police
Investigations Division (Narcotics and Vice and Homicide Departments)
Patrols,
Special Operations Division (Resources Officers)
Support Services Division (Communications, Records, and evidence locker personnel)
Civilian Staff
In a typical police department organization, the Chief of Police (COP) is the highest ranking officer and the general manager of the police department. His or her responsibilities include directing, planning, and coordinating the duties of the various departments under him or her. The chief of police may also propose new or amend existing legislations that have a direct effect on law enforcement (Los Angeles Police Department, 2013). The Chief of Police was chosen because he or she is responsible for all law enforcement activities undertaken by all officers and departments under him or her. As the head of the police department, it would be impossible to operate without their supervision as they provide the direction that the department takes in combating crime and maintaining law and order. The chief of police’s role in the task force will be managing all the other units to ensure that each performs its duties effectively and providing all the required resources. He or she will cooperate with the unit commanders in devising response strategies and deciding the duties of each unit. The COP will also be responsible in dealing with any contingencies that may arise by planning and implementing alternative strategies as the need may arise. As the most senior officer, the commanders of the involved units will be reporting directly to him or her. In addition, the chief will be the link between the police department and other stakeholders in law enforcement, the FBI.
The investigations division is responsible for carrying out investigations of serious and violent crimes. The narcotics and vice department is charged with curbing violent street gangs and the activities that support their lifestyle (The U.S. Dept of the Interior, 2014). These activities include the manufacturing, transporting, distribution, and use of illegal drugs, use and sale of illegal firearms, and other social activities like illegal gambling. The homicide department engages in investigating murder cases, kidnappings, rape, and other forms of violent crimes that result in the loss of life. The division’s narcotics & vice and homicide units are necessary for carrying out investigative work that will provide evidence for making arrests and prosecutions. They will be charged with reporting to crime scenes, collecting evidence, and analyzing it to determine the culpability of suspects. In addition, the units will be responsible for carrying out background investigations on suspects to determine their likelihood of being involved in criminal activities. The officers from the two units will report directly to the investigations division commander, who in turn will report to the Chief of Police. In addition, the officer from the homicide section will cooperate with psychological profilers and pathologists in the civilian division to determine the criminal tendencies of suspects and cause of death respectively.
The patrols division’s officers are the first crime intervention and alarm response units in most law enforcement activities (Scalisi, 2009). The patrol officers are responsible for patrolling designated areas deemed to be prone to criminal activities, responding to calls for service from the public and reporting offenses witnesses on the field. This division is included in the task force as it provides crucial presence on the ground. Through their patrol duties, the officers will be instrumental in deterring criminal activities in crime-prone areas. Additionally, they will report criminal activities to the police station, or make arrests as the circumstances may warrant. They will also cooperate with narcotics and vice officers to detect street criminal activities and make arrests. They will report to the Patrol Commander, who will in turn report to the Chief of Police.
The support services division carries out activities that facilitate the effective and efficient performance of the police department’s law enforcement duties. The relevant departments in this task force include communications, records, and locker evidence personnel. The inclusion of this division in the task force is intended to facilitate the other units in carrying out their activities. The communications department will receive alarm calls or reports of suspicious activities or persons from the public and alert patrol officers nearest to the location ion question. The records and evidence units will keep up-to-date...