Exercise: The Organization of Police

Imagine that you are a member of Congress. One of your staff assistants brings you a proposal to nationalize law enforcement throughout the United States. The proposal calls for abolishing state police agencies, county sheriffs, and local police departments. Instead, Congress would create a new U.S. Department of Law Enforcement. A Secretary of Law Enforcement would oversee a national police agency which would have units established in each state, county, city, and town. Your assistant argues that the new organization would save resources by coordinating the work of every law enforcement officer in the nation and creating a standard set of law enforcement policies and priorities. In addition, the plan would standardize training, salary, and benefits for police officers everywhere and thus raise the level of the professionalism of police, especially in small towns and rural areas.

Before you decide whether or not to present this proposal to Congress, respond to the following questions.

1. Are there any undesirable consequences that could develop from putting this plan into action?

2. As a politician, you are concerned about how others will react to the plan. How do you think each group would react and why?

a) Voters

b) State and local police

c) Police officers

3. Will you support the proposal? Why or why not?