The bureaucratic model is an organizational structure

The Bureaucratic Model is an organizational structure and style within law enforcement. Max
Weber believed the best way of structuring, managing, and operation an organization was
through bureaucracies (The Characteristics and Structure of Police Organizations.). He saw
bureaucracies as a solution to issues within an organization. Weber outlines five principles to
manage and structure an organization. These principles are Division of Labor, Hierarchy of
Authority, Rules, Impersonal Relationships, and Selection and Promotion Based on Competence
(The Characteristics and Structure of Police Organizations.). This model, similar to that of the
military, derived from the military. Police Departments, like the military, feel the need to
command and control an organization by instilling discipline, a chain of command structure, and
a rank structure. The way that an organization is run is similar to the way that police conduct

their training.
Police training follows the bureaucratic model used by police departments. Police training
mimics the training that the military gets. Seeing how the military was organized and able to
command and control their troops was something that police departments saw as beneficial. As a
result, police departments starting using para-military style training. The para-military style
training was implemented to prepare recruits for the stress they would encounter while
conducting their duties. Like the bureaucracy model, para-military training style involves high
stress, discipline, a chain of command, and rank structure. The para-military training style also
is similar in that if minor violations occur recruits are punished in the form of physical activities.
According to Rahr and Rice (2015), this para-military “boot camp” model was more
predominant before 2012 (p. 8). While the para-military training model is still present, the move
towards an academic style of training has been more of the focus.
The academic style of training, as seen in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), is centered
around training new recruits in an adult learner style similar to college. With the changes in
policing, critical thinking and decision-making is more of a top priority rather than just
following orders (Rahr & Rice, 2015). The para-military style is no longer conducive as it gave
new officers the mentality of “us” versus “them” creating a division between the community and
officers. As a result, more police departments are moving away from a para-military training
style. The FBI does not follow a para-training training style. There focus is on an academic style
of training. The academic style of training is focused more on academics, which is intended to
assist the newly trained in dealing on situations in a diverse community.

References
Rahr, S., & Rice, S. K. (2015). New Perspectives in Policing: From Warriors to Guardians:
Recommitting American Police Culture to Democratic Ideals (Executive Session on
Policing and Public Safety). Cambridge, MA. Retrieved from
The Characteristics and Structure of Police Organizations. (n.d.). Retrieved from
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binaries/80717_Brandl_Police_in_America_Chapter_3.pdf
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