 Police Unions- What are the four areas that need to be examined in order to fully understand the impact of unions on a community. How do they impact the community?
A union is an entity formed by people sharing a common ideology of improving their well being through collective bargaining. Before the formation of such an organization, union members usually outline issues that form part of the mission of the organization. The objective is to create a platform for reforms in the areas that need improvement in any given profession. In the case of the police force, the common factors that influence the formation of unions are the need to strengthen the relationship between police officers and people in communities, and the desire by officers to influence the implementation of policies on security matters (Marks & Sklansky, 2012, p. 48). Their desire of the officers to improve their work environment also influences the formation of unions.
In order to understand the significance of the union in detail, the paper identifies the four areas that should be examined when assessing the impacts of the entity on the community. First, it is important to acknowledge the role of officers in maintaining order in communities in order to understand the significance of police unions in communities. Secondly, understanding the relationship the relationship between the officers and the public is helpful in identifying the challenges that officers face in duty. The security concerns of the people in a country is also an area that should be looked into in the assessment of the impacts of police unions of societies. Lastly, understanding the implications of legislative amendments on the efficiency of the workforce in terms of service delivery.
In places where unions have succeeded in improving the working conditions for officers, people witness few cases of disorder due to the motivation of the officers in serving people. Secondly, the unions improves community policing through advocating for implementation of policies that encourage coordination amidst the members of the force and the public (Marks & Sklansky, 2012, p. 49). In addition to encouraging officers to air their grievances to the state, the unions creates a platform for officers to coordinate with state agencies in enhancing security in different localities. Lastly, equipping the officers with the best equipment and offering incentives such as medical cover is helpful in communities since some of the officers take care of their households in communities.
Reference
Marks, M., & Sklansky, D. A. (Eds.). (2012). Police reform from the bottom up: officers and their unions as agents of change. Routledge.