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Command and Control in Policing: A Systems Assessment of the Gold, Silver and Bronze Structure
Author(s) -
Pearce Trevor,
Fortune Joyce
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of contingencies and crisis management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.007
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1468-5973
pISSN - 0966-0879
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-5973.1995.tb00068.x
Subject(s) - hierarchy , bureaucracy , context (archaeology) , interpretation (philosophy) , strengths and weaknesses , control (management) , corporate governance , perspective (graphical) , command and control , epistemology , engineering ethics , sociology , computer science , management science , political science , knowledge management , computer security , engineering , psychology , business , social psychology , law , artificial intelligence , history , politics , telecommunications , philosophy , archaeology , programming language , finance
A police force exhibits characteristics that are typical of those that can be found in many large, formal, bureaucratic organisations. It has a profound sense of hierarchy and shows a strong awareness of the power of procedure and the benefits to be gained from being systematic. It can be argued that such values and beliefs are entirely appropriate. Rules of evidence, for example, require a very strong discipline and offer very little opportunity for individual interpretation. In the context of such an orderly, systematic approach, the application of systems thinking, with its emphasis on Weltanschauung , viewpoint and perspective, may at first appear inappropriate to police activity. However, this paper argues that this is not the case. It uses systems thinking to examine one important aspect of policing where method and procedure are very important ‐the command and control of major incidents/operations ‐ and shows that its application enables important lessons to be drawn about the strengths and weaknesses of the mechanisms in place.