TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT & COMMUNITY POLICING.   Term Paper ID:24560 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Definitions, application of TQM to law enforcement, client needs, types of quality (product, user, value), success factors.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Definitions, application of TQM to law enforcement, client needs, types of quality (product, user, value), success factors. Paper Introduction: Introduction Community policing has become a significant area of focus in police work in recent years as urban and suburban departments have fought increasing levels of crime. The effect of community policing has largely been positive, with crime rates reduced substantially in some areas (New York City, for example) and with positive reactions from both law enforcement agencies and the public at large. Despite the progress that has been made, critics charge the community policing is a vague concept that can encompass everything from merely hiring additional officers to having officers take a proactive role in preventing crime rather than simply reacting to it. Some have proposed that total quality management (TQM), a tool used in industry, can be applied to law enforcement in general, and to community policing in particular. This research Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Instead of imposing their will and ideas on employees,managers need to listen to the suggestions of their employees on how andwhere improvements can be made. If the reports are not filled out clearly,there can be discrepancies and perhaps miscarriages of justice as a result. Remedial action is then taken based on the check, and the cyclebegins again. (1997, April). In each ofthese situations, it is critical that the processes and tasks that areperformed are of high quality in order to serve the "customer" well. User-Based Definitions User-based definitions of quality are based on the idea that eachindividual has a different approach to quality, and what one individualperceives as quality is not what another perceives. 5. Here, citizens maydistrust the officers who are supposed to protect them, and may be wary ofparticipating in community police activities that bring them in closecontact with police officers (Price, 1995, p. Quality also needs to be incorporated in the strategic planningprocess, and explicitly rather than implicitly. Employees needto be instructed in the complex planning that accompanies a strongcommitment to quality, and in ways to monitor the effectiveness of thatplan and how to take action to correct it. Resistance from community members is likely to be found in thosecommunities where there are high crime rates and where the police are notviewed as providing positive services to the community. Once a design or specification has been established,deviation from that design or specification implies a reduction in quality. The move to community policing itself is one way that cities andcounties are seeking to improve the level of policing that is providedwithin their environs. In fact, thesetechniques are often incorporated into TQM programs. Seattle matches citizeneffort with city dollars. Introduction Community policing has become a significant area of focus in policework in recent years as urban and suburban departments have foughtincreasing levels of crime. Nation's Cities Weekly, p. Because those who were involved withits development have a keen understanding of the goals and how they weredeveloped, the implementation of the plan should be easier than if it wereimposed from above. Without a plan outlining what each individual is expected todo and how that will contribute to the overall success of the group,division and agency, it is unlikely that any program will have a long-termchance for success. Suchvariations may cause some confusion across the organization as a whole,which is why the entire organization needs to be committed to TQM in thefirst place. A plan that might workfor one group of people may not work for another simply because thepersonalities are different and the group dynamics have different effects.At the same time, a group which is particularly effective should share itsideas with similar groups in order that they can take advantage of itssuccess, if appropriate. But where qualityassurance programs focused on correctly problems, TQM takes a broaderapproach and anticipates problems before they occur. The transcendentapproach can lead adherents to reject mass production in favor of finecraftsmanship, but more often, those who follow this definition of qualityfind it to be simple and something that cannot be precisely defined, butrecognized only through experience (Snyder, 1994, p. This does not mean that there will not be problems; noplan can take into account all of the contingencies or unusual events thatmay occur once the plan is put into place. Approaches to TQM Since a law enforcement agency must manage all of these types ofquality, it cannot expect a single approach to TQM to be effective.Instead, each department and division must focus on the types of qualitythat they provide, and determine the best way to manage the delivery ofthat quality. 3. Agency-Wide Training Once the mission statement has been developed, the law enforcementagency needs to implement an organization-wide training program which wouldinclude all employees, regardless of their rank or job function andregardless of whether they are sworn personnel, non-sworn personnel orvolunteers (Lamparter, 1997, p. Within thedepartment, there is likely to be resistance to the concept of communitypolicing, particularly among older and senior police officers who are usedto a traditional reactive role. The cycle begins with theaction currently in process, moves to the planning of the next area to beimproved through the quality process, continues with the implementation(doing) of that plan, and concludes with the checking or evaluation of theresults. 36-38. The process has been adapted to companies that provideservices rather than products, and the principles of TQM should be able tobe applied to community policing, as well. 3). This is because personnel get transferred from onedivision to another, and there maybe changes in the personnel within thecommunity policing effort. Such a model could be implemented community policing programs. Overcoming Resistance Resistance to community policing is likely to come from two factions:within the department, and from the community as a whole. In small organizations, getting all employees to be involved inthe process can be accomplished through internal communications andtraining programs. Success Factors for a TQM Program Chief among the principles of quality management is the creation of anorganization-wide commitment to quality. Manufacturing-Based Definitions Manufacturing-based definitions of quality focus on supply as opposedto demand. (1997, March). 64. This research examineshow TQM might be implemented in a community policing situation. Aside from being a philosophy, which is abstract anddifficult to implement, such a commitment from the highest levels of anagency means that the agency will be willing to commit the necessaryresources to ensure that a quality program can be effectively implemented.In some cases, law enforcement agencies have actively sought funding forcommunity policing; in other instances, communities have funded communitypolicing efforts in order to improve the standard of living for theircitizens. Theaction is what personnel currently use to complete their tasks. Each individual should receivetraining in TQM, and learn how to apply its principles to accomplishing thetasks at hand. Since most community policing efforts are new programsrather than existing programs, TQM can be built into the program from thebeginning. Top management participation isone way to achieve this goal; another is to use team-building and extensivetraining. Initially, the planmight be to determine a statistical control method for measuring thequality of the work that the group is producing. 41). C. 41). The Quality Plan Quality plans are essential to establishing a quality program in anyenvironment. Products which are overpriced, or productswhose costs are too high, would be considered lacking in quality under thisdefinition. The Journal for Quality and Participation, pp.72-74. Value-Based Definitions Value-based definitions of quality move the manufacturing-baseddefinition a step further. Developing a plan thatis workable, challenging and attainable is not an easy task, and somespecial training might be needed in the early stages in order to helpofficers and civilians alike develop the skills that will lead tosuccessfully planning. The "customer" can also includeothers in the judicial process, including other officers, dispatchers andsupport personnel, district attorneys and even those arrested. This is particularly important, and difficult, in a law enforcementenvironment, which operates on a para-military style culture. The effect of community policing has largelybeen positive, with crime rates reduced substantially in some areas (NewYork City, for example) and with positive reactions from both lawenforcement agencies and the public at large. Under thetranscendent view, there is an enduring and timeless aspect to quality, anessence that rises above changes in tastes or style. 43). Snyder, N. Total Quality Management in Law Enforcement In the case of law enforcement, a TQM program should not be initiatedonly in one segment of the department. Staffed and funded by city monies in conjunction with thematching funds, the police station provides local residents with policeofficers who build relationships with the community; analysts acknowledgethat these relationships are at the heart of community policing's successor failure (Morrow & Cheek, 1997, p. At the heart of this model is its iterative nature. Learning and applying qualitymanagement is elementary. Goals should take intoaccount the "consumer" and other environmental factors that influence theperformance of the agency and individual areas within the law enforcementarena. Quality is an ongoing processthat does not disappear after a few iterations. Crosby, P. Lamparter, W. Defining Quality When companies address the issue of TQM, it is assumed that everyoneagrees on what quality is for that organization. A police officer who fills out a report promptly and accuratelyprovides a record of events which can be followed up by others or which canbe used in legal proceedings. Developing such a plan requires input from a variety of sources. Product-Based Quality Product-based quality is precise and measurable. This is why the last aspect of the model, checking, is so important.If the plan is simply put into place and no attempt is made to monitor itssuccess or failure, its long-term prospects are not positive, nor willthere be any movement toward continuing to improve the process. Officers and support personnel as well as volunteers wouldbe encouraged to become more active in their job design so that they areable to make recommendations on how to improve the ways in which theyperform their jobs. (1997, October 6). For some agencies, this has meant addingadditional police officers to the payroll using funds available fromfederal community policing program, such as the Community Oriented PolicingService program. (1997, April 21). 44-49. 4-5. B. Total Quality Management in Industry TQM has gained much attention in recent years as Americanmanufacturers seek to improve their productivity and their profitability.At the heart of successful TQM programs is the requirement that allemployees at all levels of the organization be committed to the TQMprocess. Not only do managers need to understand theprinciples behind TQM, but they also need to rethink their relationshipwith employees. If employee involvement groups (sometimescalled quality circles) are established but not responded to, theorganization will not only not accomplish its quality goals, but it will dodamage to the morale of the organization as a whole. Nation's Cities Weekly, p. Some special interest groups would argue against thismeasure of quality as it may unfairly target specific individuals (Snyder,1994, p. (1996, August). Since community policing emphasizes prevention rather than reaction, anofficer who responds to a domestic dispute may forward a copy of his reportto a social service agency for possible intervention, or at least toprovide additional resources to the family before more significant problemsoccur (McCune, 1995, p. It is both absolute and universally recognizable, amark of uncompromising standards and high achievement. Transcendent Approach According to the transcendent approach, quality can be associated withinnate excellence. Morrow, T., & Cheek, D. Ingeneral, community policing refers to law enforcement agencies taking aproactive role in preventing crime rather than their traditional reactiverole of responding to crime. Inthe case of community policing, "product-based" quality might beinterpreted as the number of convictions that are associated with anofficer's arrests, or it might be measured as a reduction in the amount ofcrime in a given community (Snyder, 1994, p. Manymanagers in law enforcement are not used to soliciting suggestions fromtheir officers, but this is one of the cornerstones of community policing.Since officers are encouraged to interact more with the community, they arein a unique position to bring back ideas to their managers about how toperform their jobs and the police function more effectively and efficiently("COPS," 1996, p. Community Policing Community policing is a general term used to describe a variety ofactivities and strategies which vary from community to community. Nation's Cities Weekly, pp. In addition, having a different culture forcommunity policing as opposed to the rest of the agency is likely toconfuse citizens and officers alike, and may result in a failed programrather than a successful one. Within the service sector, definingquality can be even more difficult. House okays $4.8 billion bump for locallaw enforcement help. In Seattle, matching funds were used to open aneighborhood police station after the residents collected funds to beginthe project. One of the models that has been proposed for quality management isthat of Action-Plan-Do-Check (APDC). TQM is not a one-time issue, but a way of changing the long-term operation of a agency.Plans are put into place in order to solve specific problems; they areimplemented and refined and action taken to ensure the best performance.But in the meantime, new changes in the environment or in other operatingfactors will have arisen which change the situation and which require newplans and new approaches in order to maintain quality. Notonly should supervisors be involved, but also line officers and civilians;this is where the establishment of quality circles can come into play.While the goal of the group is to develop a plan, it is necessary that theyunderstand what that plan is supposed to accomplish, and also understandthe current situation and how it might be improved. Planscould be developed to improve a specific area (perhaps seeking to reducethe amount of graffiti in a particular neighborhood). Management Review, pp. This involvement requires that managers receive training in TQM, aswell (Snyder, 1994, p. These communities are seeking to remake the waythat the police department functions, changing it from a reactiveorganization to a proactive organization that enjoys a close relationshipwith communities that is not necessarily adversarial. Instead ofsimply letting the plan drift, it is necessary to review the plan and itsimplementation and determine where improvements or changes are needed.Action can then be taken to correct these situations, and the processbegins again. TQM even expands thefocus of the agency outward from problems to where the agency as a wholeseeks strategic opportunities and uses its quality program to meet thechallenges that these opportunities present. AmericanPrinter, pp. Here, quality can be defined as conformance torequirements. But the understanding ofquality varies from company to company, and even from department todepartment within the same company. 36). In the law enforcementenvironment, traffic tickets are generally considered low quality whilearrests for more serious offenses are considered high quality when theylead to convictions. These definitions are concerned with engineering andmanufacturing practices. Tragedy pushes Spokane community torethink local public safety. Effective TQM programs will havea long-term effect on the way that the organization works on a day-to-daybasis. McCune, J. By positioningcommunity policing as a way to rebuild communities and improve the qualityof life within communities, neighborhoods and cities are able to overcomesome of the natural distrust which can occur between police and those theyserve. Price, E. (1995, July 31). Goods can be ranked according to the amount of the desiredattribute they possess. Despite the progress thathas been made, critics charge the community policing is a vague conceptthat can encompass everything from merely hiring additional officers tohaving officers take a proactive role in preventing crime rather thansimply reacting to it. Principles of earlier methods of quality management, includingstatistical quality control and interfunctional teams have not disappearedas total quality management has become more widespread. Since TQM represents a majorshift in the way that most organizations operate, it is not an inexpensiveprocess, nor is it a short-term program. 42). C. 73). 44). Some cities, such as Seattle, have combined community policing effortswith public matching funds to bring together members of the community withpolice officers. Without this commitment,the organization cannot put the necessary resources into the TQM program,and the program will be destined for failure. These officers are used to an adversarialrole in the community and may be suspicious of a new role of being anadvocate and a positive participant within the community (McCune, 1995, p.48). So long as the organization is committed to quality,individuals should be trusted and empowered to seek out the best way toachieve that quality within their own environments. Product-based and user-based definitions ofquality have internal as well as external effects since there are internaland external customers, and the agency should strive to find ways todetermine whether or not quality is being achieved in these areas. Conclusion Quality within an organization begins at the topmost levels of theorganization. 45). Any TQM program requires the commitment of the highest levels of theorganization at the outset (Crosby, 1997, p. Instead, TQM should be made anagency-wide operation. In the case of communitypolicing, the "customer" is the public at large, including those who seekpolice services for a variety of reasons. From the planning standpoint, the model moves to the implementation,or doing, of the plan. 42). 5). Quality also comes about from creating quality professionals; that is,individuals within the organization who are committed to and responsiblefor the quality of the organization and its products as a whole.Professional expertise is important to develop in these individuals, but itis also important that they understand the agency's strategic goals. This resistance is bestovercome through repeated contacts with the public, and particularly withthose involved, and through publicizing community policing successes in thelocal community as well as in other communities throughout the nation. (1994). Product-based definitions of quality sometimeslead to the implication that durability can be equated with quality. In agencies as complex as urban police departments, no one plan isgoing to be sufficient for the entire operation. This cycle (which is also constructedPDCA and known as the Deming cycle) recognizes that quality management isan iterative process that is never complete. Understanding "Customer" Needs One of the key aspects of TQM suggests that each employee learn toconsider the needs of the customer, anticipate those needs, and providesolutions to those needs every time and on time. H. From the standpoint of law enforcement, officers who areunable to conform to community policing standards, or who have repeatedcomplaints filed against them by citizens or their fellow officers, wouldbe subject to value-based quality decisions regarding their future sincethey put the community and the department at risk (Snyder, 1994, p. American City & County, p. Five principal approaches to the issueof quality itself have been defined: transcendent, product-based, user-based, manufacturing-based and value-based (Snyder, 1994, pp. Officers who have complaints filed against them by citizens may be subjectto counseling in order to improve the "quality" of the services they offer,or at least the quality of the way they perform their jobs (Snyder, 1994,p. In some cases, the agency will be able to establish quantitativemeasurements which can be used to measure whether or not the department ordivision is meeting its quality goals. Some have proposed that total quality management(TQM), a tool used in industry, can be applied to law enforcement ingeneral, and to community policing in particular. Instead, implementing aquality program within an organization can result in changes throughout theorganization with regard to how business is conducted. 4 -41). (1995, September). If an agency putsinto place a quality plan and does not review it, there is a very goodpossibility that the greatest benefits of the plan will not be realized.If the plan is reviewed but ignored once it has been fine-tuned, the agencyis likely to miss out on opportunities that present themselves after theplan was initially developed. It is this aspect of TQM which is criticalto the success of the program. A quality product is one that provides performance or conformanceat an acceptable price or cost. A day in the life: New Orleans'top cop. Here, quality is defined in terms of cost andprice. This works for manufacturing-basedand value-based definitions of quality, but is less effective for theremaining types of quality. Vision, Values and Courage: Leadership forQuality Management. New York: The Free Press. Goods that satisfyeach individual's preference are held to be of high quality for that user.This definition of quality renders the subject ambiguous and subjective.In economics, this definition is used to suggest that quality differencesare reflected by shifts in a specific product's demand curve. Quist, J. 64). Whatever happened to TQM? Here, it is up to the same individuals whodeveloped the plan to implement it. Each department,division, even work group may have its own plans based on the Deming cycle,and they may vary significantly from one location to the next. Productswhich meet the needs of most consumers are considered high quality, whilegoods which do not are considered of lower quality. Organization mission statements are, by their nature vague, butsuch a mission statement would set the tone for the agency as a whole, andwould encourage other divisions and departments to develop their ownmission statements in support of the agency-wide mission. References COPS fight crime with badge, bike and cellular phone. The Mission Statement In any community policing situation, the implementation of TQM wouldbegin with a new mission statement from the highest levels of theorganization. Generally, when these techniques are used in combination,organizations achieve the maximum benefit. 4). Differences inquality therefore reflect differences in the quantity of some ingredient orattribute. Quality programs require that employees at all levels receive trainingin how to effectively implement a quality philosophy, and learn how to workproductively in groups and in solving their own problems. In addition to hiring more sworn personnel, funds fromthis program can also be used to purchase additional equipment, hire andtrain civilian personnel, or used to pay overtime to existing personnel inorder to enable departments to have a higher profile on the streets (Quist,1997, p. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.