Fragmented centralization and the organization of the police

Abstract

Drawing on literature on institutionalized organizations, this paper presents a set of propositions regarding municipal police in the United States. This paper looks at how fragmented authority and funding in the institutional environment of American police affects organizational structure and behavior. Fragmentation is associated with increases in organizational complexity and may contribute to loose coupling both among organizational units and between management and line personnel. Community policing is presented as a special case of fragmentation in institutional authority and funding.