The Structure and Organization of Public Safety Departments

• In Event: Counting Cops: Measuring and Defining Law Enforcement "Officer" and "Agency"

Abstract

Although the model has long existed, the down turned economy has resulted in many U.S. communities consolidating police, fire and EMS services into public safety departments. Despite their long existence and growth, little is known about how these agencies are structured and organized to deliver public safety services. With support from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, we administered a survey to a national census of public service agencies. In this presentation we share the results of this survey, which illustrate the nature and variation of how this specific type of agency is organized and structured in the United States.

Authors

• Jeremy M. Wilson, Michigan State University

• Meghan Elizabeth Hollis, Michigan State University