Structural overlay and philosophy of the Houston Police Department
Chief of Police and his Command Staff administer the Houston Police
Department. The Command Staff is comprised of three Executive Assistant
Chiefs and fourteen Assistant Chiefs or Civilian Directors, each charged
with overseeing a specific Command of the department. According to the
Houston Police Department's organizational website, the overall philosophy
of the Houston Police Department is " to enhance the quality of life in the
City of Houston by working cooperatively with the public and within the
framework of the U.S. Constitution to enforce the laws, preserve the peace,
reduce fear and provide for a safe environment." (Houston Police Department
Website, 2003, http://www.ci.houston.tx.us/departme/police/mission.htm)
More than punitive punishments, the department desires to uphold
community values. This means that the department does not only acknowledge
that there is a value-structure particular to Houston that it must uphold.
Rather, every community within the diverse fabric of the city has a
particular value structure that must be recognized and considered by the
police. Also, according to the organization's stated aims, it must uphold
the overall democratic values of the United States. These values are
"embodied in the Constitution" Police officers dedicate themselves "to the
preservation of liberty and justice for all and "strive to uphold the
quality of life" in the city of Houston, as it exists as part of the United
States of America. (Houston Police Department Website, 2003,
http://www.ci.houston.tx.us/departme/police/mission.htm)
Thus, despite the law and order' public image of a police
department, there is far more to policing than apprehending offenders.
Unlike, for instance, a prosecutor's office, a police department is
primarily intended not to punish, but to preserve the peace ...