In the USA, law enforcement agencies (LEA) and military departments entail the policing department to a large extent. The LEA operates on both local and federal levels, whereby the state agencies act as the state police in investigative sectors and patrolling in the highways within the states, as their creation was mainly to control the formation of labor unions organizations. On the other hand, the federal agencies consist of full-time personnel working at the departments of immigration, investigation, custom service and prisons, with the majority being bureaucratic (Potter, 2013). However, the military department constitutes the application of force and high-level discipline, thus exercising professionalism at dealing with corruption and other political matters. Although there are distinct characteristics of the two sectors, there is a significant correlation between them.
Incorporation of professionalism in law enforcement agencies such as the police has led to a significant correlation between the two sectors. During the mid-twentieth century, the art of professionalism was introduced to this department in order to control the increasing levels of corruption in the especially in the political sector. This act depicts a great step to incorporate military-based strategies since the level of discipline between the two sectors became similar. Moreover, professionalism in the police departments aided in management practices, and like in the military, a balance in the internal operations was enhanced as well as ensuring a favorable relationship with the external environment such as the citizens (Mummolo, 2018). The use of numerous tactics in solving existing problems thus coincided greatly with those in the military sector.
Besides, the adoption of strong firearms and weapons in the police sector portrays a vivid resemblance of this sector with the military. The rise of criminals with stronger firearms than those previously used by the police led to the replacement of weapons with the kind used by the military personnel towards the end of the twentieth century. Following this decision, several police officers had been attacked and killed by criminals due to owning more powerful weapons at the expense of those owned by the officers. As a result of such decisions, para-militarism rose with the progression of the police department in the use of military-like weapons (Mummolo, 2018). The use of such weapons aligns with the police adoption of coercion, a military technique, to ensure the total protection of the citizens.
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Consequently, the adoption of the quasi-military model by the police department is explicitly correspondent to military operations. This model entails the utilization of bureaucracy structured in a hierarchical pattern, whereby functionalities are imposed through adhering to strict rules and the following of command (Shane, 2010). In such models, all the goals aim at accomplishing a considerable workload other than the growth and the welfare of the employees. In the USA, the police department has primarily adopted the model, which has been used in substitution for para-militarism. This structure, therefore, operates towards the adoption of a similar structure to that of the military. Moreover, this model has necessitated the involvement of the police in fights against crimes such as drugs and terrorism, which are the main sectors engaged in by the military.
In a nutshell, although the law enforcement agencies are distinct categories with different roles in the USA policing sector, there is an evident correlation between the two departments. For instance, the incorporation of professionalism, use of strong fire-arms and the adoption of the quasi-military model by law enforcement agencies correspond with the operations of the military sector tremendously. In this regard, vivid comparisons can be drawn on the two sectors on the basis of organizational structure and operations management.
References
- Mummolo, J. (2018). Militarization Fails To Enhance Police Safety Or Reduce Crime But May Harm Police Reputation.
- Potter, G. (2013). The Organization of Policing | Police Studies Online. Retrieved 26 November 2019, from https://plsonline.eku.edu/insidelook/organization-policing
- Shane, J. (2010). Key Administrative and Operational Differences in the Police Quasi Military Model.
