Criminal Justice Organizations Administration and Management 5th Edition by Stan Stojkovic – Test Bank

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Criminal Justice Organizations Administration and Management 5th Edition by Stan Stojkovic – Test Bank

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TEST BANK

Chapter 2

 

 

MULTIPLE CHOICE

 

1. Formalization:
2. has a positive impact on correctional officers’ job satisfaction.
3. clearly defines authority, responsibility, and decision-making procedures.
4. has a positive impact on correctional officers’ commitment to the organization.
5. all of these

 

ANS: d                                    REF: p. 24                               OBJ: LO6

 

2. The management style of a bureaucracy is directed toward:
3. command and cooperation.
4. command and obedience.
5. persuasion and cooperation.
6. persuasion and obedience.

 

ANS: b                                    REF: p. 27                               OBJ: LO2

 

3. In the 1930s, __________ recognized the concurrent existence of formal and informal structures within organizations.
4. Paker
5. Bohm
6. Schmalleger
7. Barnard

 

ANS: d                                    REF: p. 25                               OBJ: LO1

 

4. Bureaucratic systems emphasize:
5. efficiency.
6. results.
7. means.
8. all of these

 

ANS: c                                                REF: p. 25                               OBJ: LO2

 

5. Professional or organic agencies:
6. are the opposite of bureaucracies.
7. emphasize ends over means.
8. are suited to unstable environments.
9. all of these

 

ANS: d                                    REF: p. 25                               OBJ: LO1

6. Decision making in organic agencies:
7. results from structured, informal interaction between personnel.
8. results from structured, formal interaction between personnel.
9. results from unstructured, formal interaction between personnel.
10. rests with top managers and executives.

 

ANS: a                                                REF: p. 27                               OBJ: LO5

 

7. Criminal justice agencies feature:
8. low task specialization.
9. high task specialization.
10. both low and high task specialization.
11. almost exclusive task specialization.

 

ANS: c                                                REF: p. 29                               OBJ: LO5

 

8. Of the 59 agencies within the U.S. Department of Justice, only _____ are law enforcement specific.
9. eight
10. eleven
11. fourteen
12. twenty-one

 

ANS: a                                                REF: p. 25                               OBJ: LO5

 

9. Organic organizations:
10. are also referred to as bureaucratic systems.
11. are ideally suited to function within unstable environments that demand outcomes

requiring nonroutine tasks.

1. involve vertical interactions.
2. all of these

 

ANS: b                                    REF: p. 25                               OBJ: LO1

 

10. The _______ _______ is the backbone of any agency that receives and allocates funds to operate.
11. policy review
12. legislative process
13. budget process
14. divisional meeting

 

ANS: c                                               REF: p. 40                                OBJ: LO4

 

11. Large organizations with a number of functions are:
12. vertically complex.
13. horizontally complex.
14. both vertically and horizontally complex.
15. identified as being either vertically or horizontally complex dependent on whether

decision making is centralized or decentralized.

 

ANS: c                                               REF: p. 32                                OBJ: LO2

 

12. An organization’s members’ understanding of the organization’s purpose and values:
13. is critical to their support of the agency’s mission.
14. forms the basis of their support of the agency’s mission.
15. may not necessarily be essential to their support of the agency’s mission.
16. may not necessarily be congruent with their agency’s mission.

 

ANS: d                                    REF: p. 34                               OBJ: LO3

 

13. Agencies often base their annual budget request upon last year’s budget after making incremental changes. This is known as ______ ______ _____.
14. Zero based budgeting
15. Line-item budgeting
16. Accounting principle budgeting
17. GAO based budgeting

 

ANS: b                                    REF: p. 40                              OBJ: LO4

 

14. An organization’s __________ may differ from what is officially prescribed or planned.
15. purpose
16. structure
17. activities
18. all of these

 

ANS: d                                    REF: p. 36                               OBJ: LO3

 

15. A well-written policy provides a statement of:
16. purpose.
17. action.
18. rationale for the purpose.
19. all of these

 

ANS: d                                    REF: p. 36                               OBJ: LO3

 

16. An agency’s policies should be directed by its:
17. mission.
18. goals.
19. procedures.
20. activities.

 

ANS: a                                               REF: pp. 36                              OBJ: LO3

17. An agency’s procedures should be directed by its:
18. mission.
19. goals.
20. policies.
21. activities.

 

ANS: c                                              REF: pp. 36                               OBJ: LO1

 

18. In organic agencies:
19. leadership relations tend to be superior–subordinate.
20. advice and coaching replace commands.
21. tasks are specialized.
22. all of these

 

ANS: b                                    REF: p. 25                               OBJ: LO1

 

19. An organization’s policies:
20. direct authority within the agency.
21. define authority within the agency.
22. subdivide the agency’s work into specialized areas from which specialized tasks can be derived.
23. all of these

 

ANS: d                                    REF: p. 36                               OBJ: LO3

 

20. In the ideal bureaucracy:
21. the actual practices of its members will conform to agency policy and procedures.
22. all staff will achieve a comprehensive understanding of policies and procedures

through some form of training or education.

1.  the chain of command provides levels of management and supervision to direct the activities of subordinates toward conformity with agency rules and regulations.
2. all of these

 

ANS: d                                    REF: p. 39                               OBJ: LO3

 

21. Mechanistic organizations:
22. are also referred to as professional systems.
23. are predicated on stable environmental conditions that create routine demands for

services.

1. involve horizontal interactions.
2. all of these

 

ANS: b                                    REF: p. 25                               OBJ: LO1

 

22. __________ refers to the elimination of discretion, simplification of the decision-making process, and emphasis on the means or process as the “McDonaldization” of the criminal justice system.
23. Paker
24. Bohm
25. Schmalleger
26. Barnard

 

ANS: b                                    REF: p. 26                               OBJ: LO5

 

23. The vast majority of criminal justice organizations in the United States:
24. are relatively small.
25. serve suburban communities.
26. serve rural communities.
27. all of these

 

ANS: d                                    REF: p. 24                               OBJ: LO5

 

24. Criminal justice agencies typically work diligently at controlling the informal structure of their organizations through:
25. formal socialization of members
26. enforcement of official policies and procedures.
27. internal investigation of critical deviations from mandated practices.
28. all of these

 

ANS: d                                    REF: p. 44                               OBJ: LO6

 

25. The text describes the informal structure of organizations as the:
26. single most disruptive element to efficient operations.
27. oil that keeps the organizational machine running smoothly.
28. bane of a manager’s existence.
29. key to gaining members’ support for the organizational mission.

 

ANS: b                                    REF: p. 41                               OBJ: LO6

 

TRUE/FALSE

 

1. The vertical complexity of an organization is the number of its existing divisions or subunits.

 

ANS: F                                    REF: p. 32                               OBJ: LO2

 

2. An organization’s culture may create a de facto mission that may differ substantially from the de jure, or official, mission of the organization.

 

ANS: T                                    REF: p. 36                               OBJ: LO3

 

3. Task specialization refers to the training that all officers obtain at a police academy.

 

ANS: F                                    REF: p. 28                               OBJ: LO2

 

4. A flat hierarchy is generally found in organizations that utilize a narrow span of control.

 

ANS: F                                    REF: p. 30                               OBJ: LO2

 

5. Informal structures within organizations are explained by the process of socialization within organizations.

 

ANS: T                                    REF: p. 36                               OBJ: LO5

 

6. Typically funds are allocated to agencies on a yearly basis.

 

ANS: F                                    REF: p. 25                               OBJ: LO4

 

7. The mission, policies, and procedures of organizations typically evolve and accumulate systematically.

 

ANS: F                                    REF: p. 41                               OBJ: LO3

 

8. Organizations can be conceptualized as being composed of structural, human resource, political, and symbolic frames.

 

ANS: T                                    REF: p. 43                               OBJ: LO7

 

9. Training and supervision are the most effective means for the formal structure to socialize an organization’s members with its values.

 

ANS: F                                    REF: p. 43                               OBJ: LO6

 

10. The symbolic frame assumes that the meaning attached to activity is more important than what actually happens, and events have multiple meaning.

 

ANS: T                                    REF: p. 43                               OBJ: LO7

 

FILL-IN

 

1. Despite claims of ________, law enforcement personnel often face a high degree of formalization.

 

ANS: professionalism             REF: p. 29                               OBJ: LO2

2. Those individuals directly responsible for production or the delivery of services are known as __________.

 

ANS: line personnel                REF: p. 32                               OBJ: LO5

 

3. Human resource issues focus on the __________ dynamics that underpin staff relations, formation of cliques, networks, and subcultures.

 

ANS: interpersonal                 REF: p. 44                               OBJ: LO7

 

4. Police agencies divide tasks by __________ function.

 

ANS: related                           REF: p. 29                               OBJ: LO2

 

5. Ideally, the __________ can provide organizational members and constituents a clear understanding of an agency’s purpose, goals, and objectives.

 

ANS: mission                          REF: p. 36                               OBJ: LO3

 

6. Every agency goes through a ______ ______ in which it prepares and submits to the appropriate government body.

 

ANS: budgeting cycle                        REF: p. 40                               OBJ: LO4

 

7. An organization’s informal structure is a product or manifestation of the organization’s actual __________.

 

ANS: culture                           REF: p. 36                               OBJ: LO5

 

8. The number of subordinates reporting to a supervisor is referred to as the __________.

 

ANS: span of control              REF: p. 30                               OBJ: LO5

 

9. Organizational support personnel are known as __________.

 

ANS: staff personnel              REF: p. 32                               OBJ: LO5

 

10. The _____ ______ frame assumes that organizations exist to serve human needs rather than organizational needs.

 

ANS: human resources           REF: p. 43                               OBJ: LO1

 

 

ESSAY

 

1. Discuss the inter-supportive relationship between an organization’s mission, policies, and procedures.

ANS:

• An ideal bureaucracy has a written mission that will be implemented by policies and procedures. The mission statement typically describes an organization’s common purpose or goals. The mission should provide both members and constituents a clear idea of the agency agenda or objectives
• It is possible for organizations to have no formal, written mission or mission statement, however, all organizations do indeed have a mission to accomplish. For example, sometimes an organization’s mission is to provide needed services to those outside of the organization.
• Policy and procedure should provide organizations with a blueprint to complete their mission. A policy is a clear statement that defines what action is to be taken and why. A well written policy provides a clear purpose, action, and rationale.
• Policy and procedure become operational rules and regulations that can further help organize task specialization. In an ideal bureaucracy, all staff will become familiar with the mission, policy and procedure through formal and informal training.

 

REF: pp. 36-37                       OBJ: L03

 

2. Differentiate mechanistic and organic organizations.

 

ANS:

• In mechanistic organizations, environmental conditions are stable and thus create routine demands for services. As such, tasks tend to be specialized and divided among the labor force. Communication, power and authority flow vertically from and between superiors and subordinates.
• Large metropolitan law enforcement agencies are an example of a mechanistic bureaucracy. There is routinely a rigid chain of command, although some decentralization occurs as the need for divisions (patrol, vice, property crimes) arise.
• An organic organization can be considered the opposite of a rigid bureaucracy. Unstable environmental conditions demand outcomes requiring non-routine tasks. Tasks in organic or professional organizations are often shared among groups or teams.
• Interactions within an organic organization tend to be horizontal as opposed to vertical. Leadership relationships tend to be peer-oriented rather than subordinate-superior. Research or planning departments are examples of organic organizations. It should also be noted that most organizations are not purely organic or mechanistic in nature.

 

REF: pp. 25-26                       OBJ: L01

 

3. Discuss task specialization.

 

ANS:

• Task specialization refers to the extent to which tasks are divided into smaller units. Work is divided among a number of groups and/or divisions.
• High task specialization means that employees perform a narrow range of duties, while low task specialization refers to employees performing a wide variety of work activities.
• An example of high task specialization is when a metropolitan police force utilizes officers who only enforce, or work on narcotic violation cases. While street or traffic patrol officers provide a wider range of tasks, i.e. writing tickets, helping stranded motors, providing traffic control, all indicative of low task specialization.

 

REF: pp. 38-39                       OBJ: L01

 

4. Describe the budgeting process in public organizations.

 

ANS:

• The budget process has been described as the backbone of any agency and is the process by which the agency receives and allocates funds in order to operate and achieve its mission.
• Public agencies, each year, go through what is known as a budget cycle. Typically called a fiscal year, the agency submits its request for appropriations to the appropriate legislative or governmental body.
• The chief executive officer, such as the police chief, sheriff or director, is responsible for preparing and submitting the budget each year. Usually, these executive officers rely on the previous year’s funding to guide them in their need for resources. This type of budgeting is known as “line item” budgeting.
• Following the budget approval, it must be executed by the chief executive officer. During this process the director allocates resources among the organizations divisions or departments. Typically funds are allocated on a quarterly basis.

 

REF: pp. 40-41                       OBJ: LO4

 

5. Explain span of control.

 

ANS:

• Span of control refers to the number of employees reporting to any one supervisor. The width of the span of control is dependent upon the agency size task and skill level of employees.
• An example of the size of span of control would be a police shift sergeant who may have 10 to 20 patrol officers underneath his control. However, if he were to supervise quite a number of younger, or inexperienced officers underneath him, the agency head may reduce his span of control.
• It would not be unusual for this span of control to widen or narrow depending upon divisional needs and/or experience level. In a hierarchy, the span of control would appear at all levels of the bureaucracy, with supervisors over line staff and directors over supervisors, etc…

 

TEST BANK

Chapter 4

 

 

MULTIPLE CHOICE

 

1. __________ communication gives organizational members job-related information, job performance review, and indoctrination in recognizing and implementing agency goals.
2. Informal
3. Horizontal
4. Upward
5. Downward

 

ANS: d                                    REF: p. 99                               OBJ: LO3

 

2. __________ communication can encourage employee participation.
3. Informal
4. Horizontal
5. Upward
6. Downward

 

ANS: c                                                REF: p. 99                               OBJ: LO3

 

3. __________ communication can isolate groups from the hierarchy.
4. Informal
5. Horizontal
6. Upward
7. Downward

 

ANS: b                                    REF: p. 99                               OBJ: LO3

 

4. __________ communication is referred to as the grapevine in the text.
5. Informal
6. Horizontal
7. Upward
8. Downward

 

ANS: a                                                REF: p. 99                               OBJ: LO3

 

5. The basic element of communication is a:
6. sender.
7. receiver.
8. dyad.
9. message.

 

ANS: c                                                REF: p. 94                               OBJ: LO1

6. Persons who serve as members of two or more groups or are part of the social system of two or more groups are referred to as:
7. key communicators.
8. interminglers.
9. linking pins.
10. grapes (because they are members of the so-called grapevine informal network).

 

ANS: c                                                REF: p. 100                             OBJ: LO8

 

7. Which communication barrier is best described by the phrase “people hear what they want to hear”?
8. denial of contrary information
9. use of personalized meanings
10. preconceived ideas
11. lack of motivation or interest

 

ANS: c                                    REF: p. 109                             OBJ: LO2

 

8. Messages about new ideas and concepts are shared on __________ networks.
9. kinship
10. innovation
11. maintenance
12. production

 

ANS: b                                    REF: p. 101                             OBJ: LO4

 

9. Members learn about social roles and power relationships and links between work groups on __________ networks.
10. kinship
11. innovation
12. maintenance
13. production

 

ANS: c                                    REF: p. 102                             OBJ: LO4

 

10. __________ networks may not have much to do with the goals of the organization.
11. Kinship
12. Innovation
13. Maintenance
14. Production

 

ANS: a                                    REF: p. 102                             OBJ: LO4

 

11. __________ networks form within the criminal justice system as a natural consequence of its differing structures and functions.
12. Kinship
13. Innovation
14. Maintenance
15. Production

 

ANS: a                                    REF: p. 102                             OBJ: LO4

 

12. __________ suggests that police departments form and utilize “citizens academies” to connect with key members of the community by offering them an abbreviated academy experience.
13. Selke and Bartoszek
14. O’Keefe and Mendelsohn
15. Brown
16. Carlson

 

ANS: d                                    REF: p. 115                             OBJ: LO7

 

13. __________ found that some police departments sought to improve contact between police and community members by improving procedures for citizens’ complaints against police.
14. Selke and Bartoszek
15. O’Keefe and Mendelsohn
16. Brown
17. Carlson

 

ANS: c                                    REF: p. 115                             OBJ: LO7

 

14. Studies by __________ showed that community members were motivated to take some anticrime steps by the “Take a Bite Out of Crime” crime prevention ads.
15. Selke and Bartoszek
16. O’Keefe and Mendelsohn
17. Brown
18. Carlson

 

ANS: b                                    REF: p. 114                             OBJ: LO7

 

15. The ____________________ recommended the need for greater interagency communication following their investigation.
16. Wickersham Commission
17. Volsteadt Commission
18. 9/11 Commission
19. Center for Better Government

 

ANS: c                                                REF: p. 117                             OBJ: LO9

 

16. Analysis of __________ research findings showed that many special police programs aimed at solving community problems were flawed because they were formulated by top administrators based upon information received via traditional communication channels.
17. Pindur and Lipiec’s
18. Hagan’s
19. Ryan’s
20. Capowich’s

 

ANS: d                                    REF: p. 115                             OBJ: LO4

 

17. Studies by __________ revealed that a system that required continual and immediate contact between arresting police officers and members of the prosecuting attorney’s staff improved the relationship between the two agencies.
18. Pindur and Lipiec
19. Hagan
20. Ryan
21. Capowich

 

ANS: a                                                REF: p. 116                             OBJ: LO6

 

18. A ______ ______ is a mechanism to exchange information and intelligence.
19. Think Tank
20. Fusion Center
21. Crisis Center
22. Government Depository

 

ANS: b                                    REF: p. 117                             OBJ: LO9

 

19. Studies by __________ suggests that victims need to be made active participants in their cases by being kept abreast of progress and having procedures explained to them.
20. Pindur and Lipiec
21. Hagan
22. Ryan
23. Capowich

 

ANS: b                                    REF: p. 115                             OBJ: LO6

 

20. Absolute information is:
21. the wealth of human knowledge on a specific topic.
22. an idea or piece of knowledge expressed in recognized symbolic terms.
23. all confirmed information on a specific topic.
24. all confirmed and conjectured information on a specific topic.

 

ANS: b                                    REF: p. 103                             OBJ: LO1

 

21. The text describes communication between two people as a __________ process.
22. private
23. sequential
24. natural
25. participatory

 

ANS: b                                    REF: p. 95                               OBJ: LO2

 

22. Concerning inmate rehabilitation, __________ recommends an eclectic approach for interacting with inmates called positive therapeutic intervention.
23. Archambeault and Wierman
24. Melancon
25. Lippert and O’Conner
26. Jacks

 

ANS: d                                    REF: p. 116                             OBJ: LO7

 

23. __________ argues that police agencies should institute quality circles, which are similar in concept to theory Z and facilitate the participation of line staff in management.
24. Archambeault and Wierman
25. Melancon
26. Lippert and O’Conner
27. Jacks

 

ANS: b                                    REF: p. 116                             OBJ: LO7

 

24. __________ suggest that public and private security agencies should share information across boundaries more readily.
25. Archambeault and Wierman
26. Melancon
27. Lippert and O’Conner
28. Jacks

 

ANS: c                                    REF: p. 116                             OBJ: LO7

 

25. __________ recommend that police bureaucracies move away from the traditional chain of command to the so-called theory Z approach, which encourages teamwork rather than adversarial and competitive relationships among agency staff.
26. Archambeault and Wierman
27. Melancon
28. Lippert and O’Conner
29. Jacks

 

ANS: a                                                REF: p. 116                             OBJ: LO7

 

 

TRUE/FALSE

 

1. The rate and complexity of communication inputs to an individual is referred to as information traffic.

 

ANS: F                                    REF: p. 104                             OBJ: LO1

 

2. Nonverbal symbols evoked by individuals may stand on their own but are usually integrated with verbal messages.

 

ANS: T                                    REF: p. 110                             OBJ: LO5

 

3. The environment, the individual’s or system’s reliance on the environment, and the individual’s or system’s desire for information are the three determinants of the communication load.

 

ANS: T                                    REF: p. 104                             OBJ: LO1

 

4. Distributed information is an idea or piece of knowledge expressed in recognized symbolic terms.

 

ANS: F                                    REF: p. 104                             OBJ: LO2

 

5. The motivation for, and interest in, communicating certain information from one criminal justice agency to another, does not vary greatly.

 

ANS: F                                    REF: p. 109                             OBJ: LO3

 

6. Comprehensive training in interpersonal communications is not a common part of training agendas.

 

ANS: T                                    REF: p. 120                             OBJ: LO4

 

7. Linking pins are persons who serve as members of two or more groups or are part of the social system of two or more groups.

 

ANS: T                                    REF: p. 100                             OBJ: LO8

 

8. The need for better inter agency communication became apparent after the terrorist attack on the world trade centers in 2001.

 

ANS: T                                    REF: p. 120                             OBJ: LO9

 

9. Within the criminal justice system, prison system custody and treatment personnel best exemplify the kind of intraorganizational cooperation and trust that can be fostered through effective communications.

ANS: F                                    REF: p. 116                             OBJ: LO6

 

10. The efficiency of communication has been dramatically increased with the development of information technology.

 

ANS: T                                    REF: p. 117                             OBJ: LO6

 

 

FILL-IN

 

1. The first step in the communication process is __________.

 

ANS: encoding                       REF: p. 95                               OBJ: LO1

 

2. The second step in the communication process is __________.

 

ANS: transmittal                     REF: p. 95                               OBJ: LO1

 

3. The third step in the communication process is selection of a __________.

 

ANS: medium                         REF: p. 96                               OBJ: LO1

 

4. The fourth step in the communication process is __________.

 

ANS: receipt                           REF: p. 96                               OBJ: LO1

 

5. The fifth step in the communication process is __________.

 

ANS: decoding                       REF: p. 96                               OBJ: LO1

 

6. There are eight __________ to effective communications identified in the text.

 

ANS: barriers                          REF: p. 96                               OBJ: LO2

 

7. Messages can be __________ intentionally or unintentionally.

 

ANS: filters                             REF: p. 98                               OBJ: LO3

 

8. __________ communication provides managers with their primary source of feedback.

ANS: Upward                         REF: p. 99                               OBJ: LO3

 

9. Informal communication is commonly called the __________.

 

ANS: grapevine                      REF: p. 99                               OBJ: LO3

 

10. _________________ relationships and communication within the criminal justice system are, by design, ineffective.

 

ANS: Intraorganizational        REF: p. 116                             OBJ: LO8

 

 

ESSAY

 

1. Discuss the five steps of the communication process.

 

ANS:

• Encoding, the first step is when the sender feels the need to convey a message to another individual, or group. Words are the most familiar symbolic form of message, however, non-verbal symbols may also be used.
• Transmitting is the second step. Here, the sender of the message conveys it through some medium. The medium may be spoken word, signs, or even a cellphone.
• The Medium, or channel, is the conduit through which the message travels. Again, this can be spoken word, email, or a phone line.
• The fourth step, Receiving, is how the person or persons intended to receive the message, actually receives it. This message may delayed or perceived differently dependent upon how it is received.
• Finally, decoding, the fifth step occurs. This can actually be a complex step, as the intended receiver of the message interprets and determines the meaning of the message.

 

REF: p. 95                               OBJ: L01

 

2. Explain the eight barriers to communications and provide examples using criminal justice organizational settings.

 

ANS:

• The first barrier, preconceived ideas actually derives from the age old adage: “people hear what they want to hear.” If the receiver has a preconceived notion about a particular sender or message, they may receive the message under that prior notion. An example would be inmates who hear the same commands, even though different guards may be sending it. The next barrier, denial of contrary information involves rejecting a message that conflicts with our personal beliefs. A classic is example is the drug addicted inmate listening to a drug counselor and denying that a problem even exists.
• Use of personalized meanings is the next barrier and occurs when the words chosen by the sender have a different meaning for the receiver. This often occurs in the criminal justice system when legal terms or jargon is used to explain messages to offenders just entering the system. Another barrier is lack of motivation or interest from the receiver. Occasionally in criminal justice agencies, workers become bombarded with bureaucratic memoranda, and, as a result, they lose some of intended meaning.
• The fifth barrier to communication is non-credibility of the source. This may occur when supervisors or other officials have given out information in the past that simply was not accurate. Poor communication skills are yet another barrier with which agencies must deal. A good example would be criminal justice workers who do not speak the native language of those entering the criminal justice system.
• A poor organizational climate can be a barrier to communication when criminal justice agencies rely solely on messages from the upper echelons of management. Finally, the use of complex channels can also prevent effective communication by sending the message through too many “gates”. Large, metropolitan police forces sometimes experience this type of barrier, as message must travel along complex bureaucratic lines.

 

REF: pp. 96-98                                   OBJ: L02

 

3. Define and explain communication load.

 

ANS:

• Load is the rate and complexity of communication inputs to an individual, while rate is the number of pieces of information that are received and resolved per time period.
• Brodeur and Dupont posit that the amount of data that police deal with may be overwhelming, especially considering the advances of technology.
• There are three major determinants of load for an individual or system. The first being the environment. Working in an unstable environment produces a larger communication load. Secondly, the ability of an individual or system to assimilate messages can play a key role in determining overload. Finally, the individual’s or system’s desire for information can affect load. Police officers working a crime scene may not desire a multitude of information as they are processing information.

 

REF: pp. 101-102                               OBJ: LO3

 

4. Define and explain nonverbal communication.

 

ANS:

• Nonverbal communication can be a powerful part of the communication process. Nonverbal clues are actually older than verbal, or spoken word communication. Such clues include facial expressions and physical stances.
• Police investigators have long relied on nonverbal clues from suspects or citizens to determine their course of action. Investigators, for example, now typically receive training on reading nonverbal clues of suspects during questioning to determine if they are lying.
• Administrator of criminal justice agencies may sometimes project stances on policies and procedures by simply failing to issue verbal communication. Care must be taken by these agencies to determine how personnel are receiving and interpreting this type of nonverbal communication.

 

REF: pp. 102-103                               OBJ: LO2

5. Explain the issues facing inter-organizational communication in criminal justice agencies.

 

ANS:

• Historically, and, by design, inter-organizational communication within criminal justice tends to be ineffective. This is due to the adversarial nature of the system and its intent to protect the rights of the individual. Imagine the problems inherent in a defense attorney discussing defense strategy with a prosecutor.
• However, administrators and practitioners can and should strive to improve communication. A prime example of the need for greater communication evolved after the terrorist attack of 9/11. The 9/11 Commission argued strongly for the need to improve communication among and between security agencies.
• The Department of Homeland Security was indeed created to foster a more enhanced system or communication within the Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, the FBI, as well as local and state police agencies.

 

REF: pp. 117-119                               OBJ: LO9