Professional Resources and Organizations

Managers should be aware that in many cases they will not be dealing solely with their own police department when it comes to managing police operations. Rather, there are several bodies, both national and local, that can have an impact on how police departments act. They can serve as support groups to assist the department in implementing changes or, sometimes, help them resist changes they are against. These bodies include:

• The Fraternal Order of Police: The world’s largest police association, the FOP engages heavily in political activism and lobbying at all levels of government. Often has a conservative political mindset in terms of policing policies, but supports labor rights for police as well.
• The National Association of Police Organizations: Because this group was started by an association of labor unions, it focuses mainly on lobbying for pro-police labor issues. It also engages in political activism and educational activities and has similar political views as the FOP.
• Local Unions or Associations: Many, but not all, police forces will belong to a local union which will deal with city administration mainly in terms of collective bargaining and discipline. Unions also are involved in any labor disputes, so managers should be prepared to have another voice at the table when making decisions affecting police. Similarly, police departments and their unions often prefer to police themselves through an Internal Affairs Department, so in the event that something controversial happens involving a police officer, managers should not expect the city to be incredibly involved in the initial incident investigation.