San Diego Police Department †Management Research Paper

San Diego Police Department – Management Research Paper Free Online Research Papers San Diego Police Department Management Research Paper Police Departments of different cities are undergoing a transition. Police department and their operations, hierarchy design, and strategies are becoming increasingly similar to that of other commercial organizations. Police Departments today operate with a sense of direction, a mission that is broken down into objectives and achievable goals that must be met in order to rank the mission of the department as a success. Therefore, it will not be incorrect to compare police departments to business organizations functioning within the society. Strategic planning is a management tool that is used by organizations in order to effectively implement resource utilization towards future goals, growth, efficiency in operations and sustenance. Strategic planning is highly recommended for organizations in today ever-changing environment. There is no reason why strategic planning cannot be implemented within a police department as it is a significant establishment (or organization) in a society. Strategic planning is being used at various police departments across the United States. An instance of one is the San Diego Police Department. This paper tends to analyze police department and suggests a strategy plan for the future of the department than the one already implemented at the department. About San Diego Police Department The police department of San Diego is one of the most efficient police departments from across the country. The department is also amongst the pioneers in implementing strategies that have won the country the edge in the fight against crime. These strategies include implementation of an Information Technology infrastructure and programs such as ‘Community Oriented Policing’. The San Diego Police Department has a strength of over two-thousand-six-hundred personnel. This strength consists of officers that are sworn, as well as other that are civilians. These personnel function conjointly towards accomplishing the mission of the police department. These personnel are further divided into eight divisions: Field Operations, Special Operations, Neighborhood Policing, Training and Development, Office of Administration, Personnel Services, Professional Responsibility, and Support Services. All these departments function under the assistant chief, except for the Personnel Services which functions under a civilian personnel director. (Decker, Cordner, Ward, 1999) The department has been a leader in trying new strategies for implementing effective criminal justice routines. The department works closely with the community and encourages the society to participate and coordinate with the fight to make the city free of crime. The ‘Community Oriented Policing’ and ‘Problem Oriented Policing’ are two such programs that bring the community and the department together in the fight against crime. Further, the department has also implemented Information Technology as a strategy for efficient crime reporting and monitoring (details of this is mentioned during the course of discussion later in the paper). The aforementioned strategies have yield promising results for the San Diego Police Department. The crime rate has considerably declined in the city and is continues to drop. The crime statistics of the year 1997 show that fewer homicides, murders, violent crimes, property crimes and burglaries have taken place that year as compared to 1978 (Decker, Cordner, Ward, 1999). However, this existing crime rates are still quite high for the United States. The San Diego Police Department has therefore the responsibility to sustain the comparative low crime rates and try to reduce these statistics even further. This cannot be achieved without efficient strategy planning of department’s resources. Following is a study and analysis of the San Diego Police Department. The various aspects of the operations of the department are studied, analyzed, and based on these a strategy plan is devised for sustainability in operation of the department. San Diego Police Department’s Mission The department envisions cohesion of efforts of various entities in the society, aimed at improving the lives of the inhabitants of San Diego. The collaborative work is one of the most stresses attributes of the police department’s mission. This collaboration includes entities such as â€Å"communities, government agencies, private groups and individuals† (The City of San Diego Web Site, 2002) that share the same vision as the San Diego Police Department, i.e. fighting crime and improving the quality of life in San Diego. The attributes of the mission statement are the values that the San Diego Police Department tends to use to accomplish its mission. These values are representative of the spirit, and are the basis of the policies of the police department’s mission. San Diego’s Web Site (2002) lists some of the core values of their police department, rating protection of human beings as one of the highest priority values. This is significant for any police department as the primary reason for establishment of peace, law and order systems is protection of human life. The value deserves to be at top priority as a lack of value suggests taking for granted the objective of the department’s motif for existence. The implementation of ethical policing follows in the list of values. The reason for giving ethics a high importance is crucial for the acceptance of the police department by the people it is established for. There are many issues surrounding execution of duties of the police force and officers, ethics being one of them. It is not fiction but a fact that a police subculture has established itself within the officers which sometimes provides for officers to carry out unethical practices or misuse of authority. The public shows its concern for such unethical practices implemented by law enforcers themselves. Therefore, the implementation of ethics in particular and mention of it that high in the mission statement of the police department is strategically intended to ward off bad attention. Another high ranking value of the San Diego Police Department is the Partnership with the community. It is important for the success of any ‘business’ intended for the public to include the public as much as it can. The San Diego police department is one such activity that is intended to protect the public; therefore this motif must also include public participation. Hence, Partnership is mentioned as one of the key values at the particular key department and may also be pinnacle for the success of the San Diego police department. The overall mission of the San Diego police department will be analyzed by the discrepancy between the mission statement and actual operations strategy of the department. The San Diego police department has been recognized as one of the leading and most effective of the departments operating within the country. The department not only has shown its realization for its key values of protecting human life, but integrates all the other key values such as partnership and ethical policing. Evidence of this can be sought in the fact that there has been a sharp decline in the crime rate in San Diego since the police department has implemented its ‘community oriented policing’ measures. (Tos, 2000) Units in the San Diego Police Department The police department has been organized into several different units based on nature of function or crime. This helps organization of resources as well as represents the image of a well-organized/equipped police department. The different units operating in SDPD are: Air Support Unit, Armory – SWAT, Background Investigations, Canine Unit, Child Abuse, Communications, Crime Analysis, Criminal Intelligence, Crisis Intervention, Data Systems, Domestic Violence Unit, Elder Abuse, Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO), Field Training Officer Administration (FTO), Financial Crimes, Gang Detail, Harbor Patrol, Homicide, Internal Affairs, Juvenile Administration, Laboratory, Legal Advisors, Metro Arson Strike Team (MAST), Media Relations, Mounted Enforcement Unit, Narcotics, Neighborhood Policing, Permits Licensing (Vice Administration), Personnel, Psychological Services, Records, Recruitment, Robbery, School Task Force, Sex Crimes, Special Investigations, SWAT/SRT (Special Response Team) and Vice Operations. (The City of San Diego Web Site, 2003) Critical Success Factors of San Diego’s Department of Police The success of the Police Department in accomplishing and maintaining the mission objective in the community can be contributes to various factors. Some of these factors can be outline to be critical for the success of department, without which the SDPD could not have realized their mission objectives. These factors are summed up and briefly outlined here as the critical success factors for SDPD. Well-defined Strategy The reason why San Diego Police Department has been recognized as one of the leading police departments in controlling crime is that the department has well-defined strategic objectives. The objectives are responsible for focusing the resources of the organization in an organized manner, towards attaining the mission objectives of the department. Setting up a well-defined strategy for a criminal justice unit is rather a new concept in criminal justice administration as usually these departments just focus resources in an unpremeditated manner towards the customary objective of reducing crime. However, the strategy of the SDPD is different. The police department has laid down a definition of more than one goal and further strategically channelled their resources towards realizing these goals. An instance of such a strategy is the department’s awareness about different approaches towards criminal justice, such as the ‘problem-oriented policing’ strategy or integrati ng the community in the fight against crime in the neighborhood. Training of Human Resource The shift away from the conventional means of operations brings forth the need to train the human resource of any organization to accustom it to the new strategy. Not only would a new strategy introduce new processes for conducting conventional operations, but it may also introduce new tools (such as Information Technology tools, including software and hardware) that are intended to enhance the efficiency of the human resource. San Diego Police Department faced the same circumstances where the introduction of a strategy enticed the need for human resource training. Eventually, the proper and trained use of strategies and tools led to efficient operations and increased productivity of the police department which was unprecedented. Besides the consideration of training with a changing information technology infrastructure, officers at the police department have to undergo extensive training from the police academy before they can start performing their duties in SDPD. A focus of ethical grooming is also maintained during this course of training. This helps realize and implement the value of the San Diego police department to use ethical policing when serving the community. The officers undergo comprehensive training in the police academy which prepares them not only to ‘serve and protect’ but to efficiently implement policing according to the strategy that is implemented at SDPD. A significant aspect of the human resources that has acted as a critical success factor for San Diego Police Department is training of the community. The participation of community members and individuals in accomplishing the mission of SDPD is crucial for the success of the department; hence it is just as important to train the community on how to help the department achieve its objectives. The participants from the community are trained to help SDPD to implement its strategy, which also includes educating/informing individuals about procedures for making their lives more secure and protected. Not only have these measures ensured increased protection of these individuals, but has also have increased the acceptance of SDPD’s mission within the community. Use of Information Technology The introduction of Information technology tools is one important development for crediting the success of the mission at SDPD. Conventional policing shows less use of high tech tool for attaining criminal justice objectives, but with the advancement in technology the role information technology tools play has become a crucial success factor of policing. San Diego Police Department has been one police departments that accredits it success to the use of Information technology tools, including software, hardware and processes. The department has segregated the use of Information technology in various units and systems. The New Technology Unit (NTU) is one such unit which is headed by a sergeant and staffed by patrol officers. Each individual involved in the integration of technology in policing is thoroughly trained, committed and knowledgeable about the use of this technology. The information technology infrastructure is used for a range of operations. This includes activities from in stallation of software of laptop machines to the use of Automated Field Reporting (AFR) devices. (The City of San Diego Web Site, 2003; Decker, Cordner, Ward, 1999) Information Technology helps improve the efficiency of operations of the San Diego Police Department in various ways. For instance, the patrol officers can electronically transfer information from their remote locations to the central information system regarding criminal activity or general reports. This information can be processed in this database to provide the San Diego Police Department with useful information on crime, criminals and statistics. These may include felons that may be involved in various criminal activities, crimes that are mostly committed in a neighborhood or statistics on the effectiveness of the department in the specific neighborhood. Further the information technology infrastructure is also used to efficiently monitor the performance of police officers on duty. Besides efficiency enhancing policing, the Information technology infrastructure has also improved the integration of the community with SDPD. For instance, individuals can log on to the website of the police department and use various maps available online to conduct criminal analysis. This is just one of the facilities made available to the community and part of the Community-Oriented Policing objective at SDPD. The inclusion of community in criminal justice is complimented with various computerized processes based on the SARA (Scanning, Analysis, Response, Assessment) Model which cumulatively make the Problem-Oriented Policing strategy of the police department. Concisely, the various strategies implemented by the department promise community inclusion in criminal justice and analysis and end up contributing to the success of SDPD’s mission. Financial Situation Finances are the backbone of the any organization as refining the state of the community comes at a cost which must be met. Finances help any organization buy and employ resources towards a definite objective. Similarly San Diego Police Department has the primary objective of making the city a secure place by protecting them and further improving their quality of life. In order to realize these (and many other) objectives for the mission of the police department, the department needs finances. Once finances have been obtained, which is further required is the proper and efficient management of these finances in order to get the maximum out a limited finances. Budgeting is used by SDPD to plan its finances most effectively. The total annual departmental budge of SDPD is just under $300 million (the final budge allocation for the year 2004 is $287,972,689). This total budget is further allocated systematically for various activities. For instance, a major portion of this budget goes into the personnel expense account, which also includes the salaries and wages of employees. The remaining of the department’s budget goes into non-personnel expenses. This amount covers expenses for everything ranging from maintenance, acquirement of the existing infrastructure, to costs of implementing the technological infrastructure and training. (The City of San Diego Web Site, 2003; Decker, Cordner, Ward, 1999) The major part of the budget is used to cover personnel expenses. This shows the worth and its expected reliance on the human resource for the success of the mission of the department. Like any other organization, monetary benefits are used to keep the human resource motivated. When the major portion of the budgeted amount is spent on salaries, the remaining amount is still a hefty lot for the police department to plan investment in information technology and other infrastructure – efforts aimed at improving the efficiency of SDPD. (The City of San Diego Web Site, 2003; Decker, Cordner, Ward, 1999) The primary sources for the finances made available to the San Diego Police Department are five, namely: Property Tax, Sales Tax, Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), Motor Vehicle License Fee (MVLF) and Franchise Fee. As the financial resource of SDPD depends on the City’s General Fund, they are generally sensitive to political and economic stimuli coming from either local, state or national levels. Fluctuations in any of these sources tend to directly impact the funding of various other departments in San Diego, besides the Police Department. This suggests that adverse political or economic climate of San Diego, California or the United States may have adverse impact on the financial position of the San Diego Police Department. (The City of San Diego Web Site, 2003) Organizational Design Strategy The organizational hierarchy is clearly listed at the San Diego Police Department Web Site (2003). The organizational hierarchy shows the structure of the police department and the chain of command can be conveniently analyzed. An analysis of the organizational chart reveals that the department is arranged in a way of a business organization with the Chief of Police as the CEO, and the managers take places lower in the hierarchy. So much so that the organizational chart is also labeled as â€Å"San Diego Police Business Center†. These similarities do not stop here, where other similarities such as community involvement in attaining the mission of the organization is another front where SDPD conjoins with any other business organization. (The City of San Diego Web Site, 2003) The organizational hierarchy is top down, however possesses horizontal attributes, which make communication between individuals working at the same level (horizontal communication) and also across departments. Vertical communication however is not favorable in the top-down hierarchy. (The City of San Diego Web Site, 2003) Further analysis of the organizational chart of the San Diego Police Department reveals that the department intends to implement a central control over other departments / entities working lower in the hierarchy. This organizational design will be helpful in enforcing strict monitoring and accountability of entities lower in the hierarchy. Such an organizational design, therefore, is used to implement effective programs and reduce the relaxation/room for errors for entities as activities are reported to entities higher up in the hierarchy design. This is one strategy that is used to accomplish the mission of ethical policing at all levels within the department. It is safe to suggest that the organizational design of the San Diego Police Department compliments its ethical policing objective. Strategic Plan for San Diego Police Department The aforementioned analysis has laid the foundation to devise a strategic plan for the San Diego police department for the coming years. The analysis of the department’s mission, critical success factors, financial situation and organizational design strategy are the groundwork for a smart strategic plan for the department, which would otherwise not be feasible without these analyses. The following is a suggested strategic plan for the San Diego Police Department including justification for each strategy suggested. Strategic Design for SDPD The analysis of the organizational design reveals a hierarchy with strict and inflexible structure. This organizational design might be appropriate for implementation of ethical policing and complimenting strict measures of control within the department, however the organizational design conflicts with an important aspect within any organization, i.e. communication. The design strategy hinders communications within different departments at different levels of the hierarchy. The design strategy suggests to the community that officers and entities placed lower in the hierarchy will be the interface for dealing with the department, whereas entities higher in the hierarchy depict not much interaction with the public. It is important to mention here the expectancy of the public to have transparent execution of services as it is the public’s money which is the source for funding the police department. Therefore, what the San Diego Police Department needs is an organizational design that fosters communication with all the entities involved in policing, however one that also implements a strict control for implementing ethical policing without hindrance. This can be implemented with a new, lean organizational design. A horizontal organizational hierarchy will implement better communication between entities within the department, at all levels of the hierarchy. However, such a design cannot be implemented without compromising control and accountability of the entities within the department. Thus, to back the same level of control and accountability, SDPD must be backed by assigning leadership status to each entity within the department, along with delegation of responsibility and authority. This assignment of leadership, responsibility and authority offers the officers/entities the right mix for operating independently within the department. An entity responsible for accountability and gauging the execution of duties of each entity must be assigned in the department to conduct assessment of the operations of duties and delegated responsibilities. A new, lean organization design with provision for better communication and provision for entities to function independently and responsibly may be the m ost efficient organizational design for the San Diego Police Department. Such an organizational design will also help motivate and increase the efficiency of the officers as the ability to act as leaders (with delegated authority and responsibility) will encourage active participation and management of the resources of SDPD. The results from the suggested strategic organizational design are expected to be encouraging. The delegation of responsibility and authority will relieve the entities higher up in the existing SDPD hierarchy of hefty routines for check and accountability. With the new hierarchy, each officer will be actively accountable and responsible for the quality of execution of his/her own duties. A department for accountability can help make this task easier (with the use of existing Information Technology infrastructure being used at the San Diego Police Department). Further, the higher-ups in the existing hierarchy would also be relieved and have more time available for paying attention to devising better strategies for the department and maintenance of its caliber. Contingent Strategy for SDPD As analyzed earlier, the financial strategy of the San Diego Police Department is susceptible to economic and political fluctuations on the local, state or national level. This susceptibility poses a threat to the sustainability of operations of the police department by exhibiting dependence on these factors. The department needs to device a financial management strategy to provide when in difficult times such as those that may not cause disruption of work. This means that an alternative source for generation of funds must be established or sought out by the San Diego Police Department that can cater to the financial needs of the department when other currently implemented sources are not available. A primary activity that the department needs to adopt is the establishment of a reserve that can accommodate the revenues of the department from the previous budgeted year. The reserve funds can be collected over many budgeted periods till a threatening situation occurs and requires SDPD to consume from the reserve. Further, the financial resources of the department must be efficiently allocated. This includes the need for the department to reduce redundancies in processes and eradicate all the hidden costs in operations amongst many other options that prove efficient in management of finances. Using Information Technology tools is another noteworthy activity in this regards which helps reduce inefficient processes, reduces hidden costs by cutting down processing time and reducing the instances of errors. Conclusion The San Diego Police Department has implemented quite a few strategies to minimize crime in the city. Nevertheless SDPD must implement further strategic measures for sustainability of its mission of fighting crime. References 1. The City of San Diego Web Site. (2003) â€Å"About SDPD†. [Online] sannet.gov/police/about/ 2. Decker, S., Cordner, G., Ward, S. (1999). Case Study: San Diego, California Police Department Information Systems Technology Enhancement Project. abtassoc.com/reports/ISTEP_C3.pdf 3. Tos, D. (2000). A Fortune 500 Police Department. Cultural Diversity. Mid-City Division, San Diego Police Department. communitypolicing.org/publications/exchange/e30_00/e30tos.htm 4. Anderson, T. (2000). Every Officer is a Leader Transforming Leadership in Police, Justice, and Public Safety. ISBN/ISSN: 1574441183 5. The Reason Foundation. (2002). Study: San Diego Is Most Efficient City Government in State, San Francisco Least Efficient. rppi.org/022302.html Research Papers on San Diego Police Department - Management Research PaperThe Fifth HorsemanUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresThe Project Managment Office SystemThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseCapital PunishmentOpen Architechture a white paperPETSTEL analysis of India19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

The Asian Longhorned Beetle Prevention and Control

The Asian Longhorned Beetle Prevention and Control Trees favored by the Asian longhorned beetle are predominantly maples, but infestations have also been discovered in horse-chestnuts, poplars, willows, elms, mulberries, and black locusts. Currently, there is no known practical chemical or biological defense against the Asian Longhorned Beetle and, in North America, they have few natural predators. How Trees Killed Are Killed by ALB The Asian longhorned beetle is a black insect with white speckles that grows a long antenna. The beetle chews its way into hardwood trees to lay eggs. The eggs produce larvae and those larvae tunnel deep under the bark and feed on living tree tissue. This feeding effectively cuts off the trees food supply and starves it to the point of death. How ALB Spreads Studies have shown that an Asian long-horned beetle can fly as far as several city blocks in search of a new host tree. The good news is that the beetle tends to lay eggs in the same tree from which they emerged as adults - they usually limit their flights under normal conditions. Prevention Unfortunately, there are no methods developed to practically prevent or control Asian longhorned beetle. If you detect the presence of ALB, the only thing that will help is to contact local forestry officials for consultation. They can take steps to contain the outbreak. The only way currently known to combat the Asian Longhorned Beetle is to destroy the infested trees. While cutting down mature trees is not a great solution for the tree owner and a tragedy, it is preferable to permitting the Asian longhorned beetle to spread.

Reflections on doing, being and becoming Assignment

Reflections on doing, being and becoming - Assignment Example The idea that was most interesting and which I would like to explore more is the part of doing as an occupation which many people have focused on much to the extent of destroying our planet and nature. This is of interest because of all the theories that have been put forward about the destruction of nature and the planet, no one has focused deeply on occupation being related to the act of doing which is driven by the notion of an individual’s being. If the being can be addressed in detail, then the doing in relation to occupation can be addressed as well. What additional questions or wonderings do you have about this? The explanation of being in the article has not really touched on psychological explanation and how whether a being can be changed or not and if it is changed, what kind of effect can it have on the becoming as well as doing of an individual. If the inner life of an individual can be changed, can it make an individual better, enable them make better choices and decisions or there will be no much effect felt or seen. Why, in your opinion, do you believe this warrants further discussion? The article itself has not delved deeply into the three aspects and they are all interconnected. If further research can be carried out in the aspect of being, then the results can be able to shed much insight into how to make the occupations of people better the planet rather than destroy them, or even enable them chose better occupations. The aspect of being is much more important than indicated in the article.

Employee -Employer Relationship and Expectations Essay

Employee -Employer Relationship and Expectations - Essay Example Even in the modern world where technology and machines have made lives easier for many, the need of human capital still persists because the common sense, creativity, problem solving skills and decision making abilities cannot be substituted by the automatic mechanics or computers. Therefore an efficient and effective interaction between the employers and employees leads to the success of the business (Buren & Greenwood, 2008). The smooth operation and organisational consistency greatly relies on setting the standard operating procedures which ensures that the working environment is safe and the work is carried out in the most -efficient manner. The SOP’s can be re-evaluated and re-established with a proper feedback from the employees. If the management has an open door policy, this can be an advantage in the betterment of the business because of the positive input of employees due to the natural free thinking. The feedback is analysed by the employees and is utilised in the b est way possible that helps the business without compromising its quality, consistency and reliability. This also improves on the decision making of the management. But, the employee- employer relationship is very critical. The both of employees and employers are different from each other and if these are not somehow met, it results in a conflict. EMPLOYEE – EMPLOYER RELATIONSHIP AND EXPECTATIONS: The relationship between an employer and its employees is not just based merely on economic terms, but it is much more than that. It is an important relationship that is based on mutual dependency and has a great impact on the working and progress of an overall organisation. A set of values and norms that are applicable on all members of the organisation members persists and must be followed. This makes the culture of an organisation that gives it a uniqueness and identification (Zientara, 2009). The workplace in professional life, is like a second home to an individual, so his job is an extremely valued possession that has an effect on a lot of factors. The relationships that an individual maintains at the workplace are different from those that are his personal, and therefore must be very carefully sustained. The employer-employee relationship is the most complicated one and each has a level of expectations from one another. There always has been and will always be an assured push and pull between the employers and employees that cannot be evaded. But if they work together with a mutual consent, they can come up to each other’s level (Zhang, Tsui, Song, Li, & Jia, 2008). Experts say that this tug of war between employer and employee helps to build the synergy vital for focused approach towards the collective goals of the organisation (Evanschitzky, Groening, Mittal, & Wunderlich, 2011). The organisation is a collection of numerous units working together collectively to achieve one goal; the organisations goal. Along the way, the employee tries to achi eve his/her goals be it experience, thirst for knowledge, or the never ending need to financial security while using the employees goal as a driving force the employers try to align these goals with the strategy of the organisation. Experts also say that this is the best way to make a winning solution, using the zeal and creativity of the employee, help them achieve their goals but align them according to the goals of the organisation. Why is it so necessary to align all the expectations and the goals together? Why does an organisation needs this synergy? The

Report on Applied Management Project

Report on Applied Management Project According to Gibbs (1988), simply having an experience is not adequate enough to promote learning. Not reflecting on an experience gained through learning would result in you loosing that knowledge acquired. It is from the concept of reflection that assumptions and theories are drawn. And it is this assumption that allows new situations to be handled more effectively. (Gibbs 1988). The process of reflection, presents an opportunity for an individual to gain further insight into his/her work through critical reflection on experiences, and through further deliberations of other viewpoints from authors and theories. Moron (1999) sheds more light on this topic by stating that, reflection is a form of mental activity (or a way of thinking) that enables an anticipated outcome to be achieved. She suggests that reflection is applied to complex situation where there is no obvious solution. In simple terms, reflection evolves around the notion of learning. Through the process of reflection, we conduct an in-depth review of a piece of work. Reflection occurs when there is a motive or a set target. Subconsciously, this motive may not be realized. In spite of the fact that it may not be a planned endeavour, it is through this same process that a new idea evolves. Reflection is seen as an examination or review of earlier actions, events or decisions. Jasper (2003) contributed to this concept by suggesting that when we reflect on earlier experiences, we end up enhancing our being through the acquisition of new knowledge. LEARNING THROUGH REFLECTION Reflection can be defined in so many ways but they all yield the same outcome learning. David Kolb (1984) supports Gibbs (1988) and Jasper (2003) definition of reflection through the development of the Kolb cycle. It is drawn below in a simplified manner but still portrays Kolbs concept of reflection. The cycle is trigged by the idea of having an experience from a piece of work which goes through vigorous experimentation and reproduced through a new experience. Reflection plays a vital role in this cycle as it reproduces this new experience through the process of learning. Kolb (1984) saw reflection as a psychological activity that has a significant role to play in learning from an experience. In the Kolb cycle, reflection is seen as a developmental stage of the process of observation. In other words through the course of making an observation, an individual tends to reflect on an experience before the notion of learning is realized. While agreeing with this cycle, Moon (1999a) introduced another angle to this phenomenon by suggesting that while reflection is seen as a vital aspect of learning, it also acts as a catalyst for the assimilation of information already acquired. She elaborates further by emphasizing that reflection forms part of a kind of cognitive housekeeping role which in turn creates a new learning experience. RECOLLECTION OF EXPERIENCES The AMP began with a week of induction. Before the week, a module timetable was posted on Breo which divided students into cohorts according to courses and allocated venues. During the first three days tutors are assigned to various sessions to introduce the module to students and to provide us with necessary information required to embark on the project. On the third day, students are expected to form groups. After the formation of groups, each group is allocated a topic. We are to work together as a team to research on the topic and to come up with relevant resources. With the help of an assigned tutor or supervisor the topic is further broken down and made clear to all members of the group. At the end of the week we are encouraged to work individually and to share resources when appropriate. A summary of what took place during the 12 weeks is as outlined below. Day 1 Unfortunately, this day fell on my birthday. I woke up very reluctant to attend the first session but upon remembering the warning which came with the timetable, I had no option than to catch the virgin bus to Luton. I arrived 30mins late only to be embarrassed by the tutor on duty. Everyone seemed happy and the room was very noisy. Most of us were still talking about the exams. After the news that the topic would be given, the room became quiet all of a sudden. I became tensed and anxious because I had a topic in mind which I have been researching on. Whiles we were being introduced to the unit and the topics of report writing, information sourcing and referencing, I was busy reading the module handbook because I was still confused. We were informed that the project topic would be given out on the third day so we had to continue reading the module handbook and ask questions in our next session. I spent the rest of the night reading the handbook hoping the next day would not b ring anymore surprises. Day 2 The second day was even worst. Even though we had a tutor who kept making funny jokes, the introduction of Plagiarism, chunking and reflective writing really made me quite unsettled. The plagiarism session noted various examples of plagiarism and emphasized on the dos and donts of a good project. I was beginning to loose hope when the academic librarian took the stage. He talked about where to get relevant materials for our project. He answered almost all my questions and also said we would be spending sometime with the librarians to practice how to source for materials for our project. During the break, I met with my former group members and we agreed to stick to the same group. I was excited because most of us were hard working. Just when I was beginning to feel a bit better we were informed at the end of the session that the groups we form would be functional for just the subsequent two days. I went home even more unsettled and tensed than I was the previous day. Day 3 The next day, after meeting with my group members, we submitted our names and we were asked to choose a team leader to pick the topic. I was nervous and kept praying for my team leader to pick a reasonable topic. After some few minutes, she came back with our topic. Initially I panicked because I did not understand the topic but after reading through more than once, I had an idea of what was required. I couldnt wait any longer. I started reading, researching and making my own notes. I also passed through the shopping mall on my way home to grab a diary like I was advised. Day 4 and 5 -The final days of the induction week came very quickly and we were reminded that it was the last opportunity we had to ask for help on anything relating to the project topic. We were informed that any further attempt by a student to seek further guidance regarding the project topic would be denied. Although, I had a clear understanding of what I was expected to do, I was still unhappy at the end of the induction week. I was expecting to be supervised by an assigned tutor until the project was completed. Never the less, the group discussions we had with the assigned tutors reassured my confidence. It gave me the much needed clarification, direction and scope of research required. Weeks 2 and 3- In week 2, I started searching for relevant materials for my project. My first starting point was Google search engine as advised by one of the tutors during the induction week. My next point of call was the Universitys digital library and then the Milton Keynes library. My group members agreed to meet every Friday but I could not make it because I was working. They kept sending an update of the meeting until everyone decided to do an independent work. I still kept in contact with my group members to see what they came up with. We shared a lot of resources through email. I gathered as many articles and journals as I could and also kept updating my diary. Most of the information I came across were electronic books so it made my work easier. Week 4, 5 and 6 During the 4th week, it was more of the same thing. I kept reading and piling up articles and updating my diary. I realized that most of the materials we gathered during the first week had nothing to do with the topic because we were just brainstorming and searching with keywords so I deleted them. I took a second look at the objectives outlined during the group meeting and realized we had highlighted all the requirements needed to complete the project. I wrote short notes on any relevant material I came across and kept the reference in another folder. After realizing the magnitude of articles I had piled up, I became scared of loosing them so I made copies as backup. In week 5, I started extensive reading on the relevant materials and made important notes that would help me with the structure of my work. I later realized in week 6 that I was having an entirely different notion of the project topic. I now understood some other angles in which I had to tackle the proj ect topic which was completely different from my initial approach during the induction week. Weeks 7, 8 and 9- From previous experience, I decided to start with the body of the report. As I started typing out what I had written down, I realized that I had too many theories and most of them were just talking about totally different things. I began to panic so I stopped, took a second look at the articles and deleted the irrelevant ones. I managed to bring everything together on paper before typing again. I initially thought it would be very easy to put all the information together after several weeks of extensive reading. In week 8, I discovered some of the things I wrote down were not heading in the direction I had hoped for so I decided to take a second look at the materials I considered irrelevant. To my amazement, these materials were making more sense than the previous materials. I started reading and integrating the useful information into what I previously had. By the end of week 9, I had completed my literature review. Weeks 10 and 11- On the 10th week, I woke up with a terrible headache hence I progressed at a very slow pace. A group member advised me to start working on the reflective report. The diary was very helpful. I used the module handbook as a guide to start my reflective report. I was determined to complete my report before the deadline. In week 11, I completed my reflective report but I was unsettled because it accounted for just 20% of the overall mark. I decided to adopt a strategy of typing out relevant information I had in my hand written notes. I was astonished to find out that I only had to take out some few sentences and I was back on track. I banned my self from watching television and social networking sites till my work was submitted. Week 12- The last week of the AMP was really stressful. I sat down in front of my computer from 7:00 in the morning till 11:00 in the evening. My eyes were hurting but I couldnt take any chances. The pressure kept pilling up when I received a call from my father asking about my graduation date so that he could book his air ticket on time. Through hard work and dedication, I finished my work on the fourth day. I quickly uploaded it to three plagiarism websites to see if it flags up anything. It came up with 5% plagiarism so I properly paraphrased those areas and gave it to my best friend to prove-read and check for spelling mistakes. She came back with minor grammatical errors. I corrected them and began counting the days towards the completion of my masters program. I printed out the two copies as instructed and made an electronic copy. I took it to a local cafe over the weekend to bind it and submitted my work on the last day of submission. I returned home to submit another electron ic copy via turnitin. I was full of smiles when I realized it was all over. PERSONAL FEELINGS AND LEARNING FROM THE EXPERIENCE The AMP was a very challenging endeavor but I rose to the challenge. I was very confident of producing a good project until I was told the topic would be given to us. I was thrown completely off guard but I was determined to give off my best. The new experience was exciting at the same time very nerve wrecking. Since the week started off on a bad note, I was in no mood for surprises. However, it was as a result of this panic and feeling of anxiety that motivated me to work harder. As an Msc student, I was under pressure to apply what I had learnt in the classroom to a real life scenario. I must mention that the total weight the AMP carried as a unit also gave me the scare. My grades were not exactly that good so it was an opportunity for me to improve my performance. I was very upset when I was let down by some of the articles and journals I pilled up but with the experience from previous projects, I quickly recovered and in the end I was satisfied with the final outcome. There were a lot of lessons learnt during this project. I learnt that it is very bad to assume the form a project would take before you are assigned to it. I learnt that setting milestones and deadlines ensures that projects are delivered on time. Even though in my case I had so many short falls I was aware of what was needed to be achieved at each stage. Being organized focused and time conscious ensured that my project was delivered on time. One lesson also worth mentioning is the concept of planning a project structure. This enabled me to define the scope of my project to prevent me from deviating. In addition to this, the first week of the induction made me realize how important it was to work as part of a group. I would have loved to finish this project as part of a group work, but it gave me the opportunity to develop the skill of working on my own initiative. GROUP DYNAMICS AND LEARNING FROM THE EXPERIENCE According to Guirdham Maureen (2002), a group is defined as three or more people interacting together to complete a common task. Mullins (2007) agreed with Guirdham Maureen (2002) definition and went further to explain the five developmental stages of a group. That is Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Adjourning. Applying that to my AMP group: Forming Stage: My group went into the Forming stage on the second day of the AMP week. There was no need to introduce ourselves because we knew each other. We had a brief discussion and arranged to meet the next day for our topic. Storming Stage: The group went into the storming phase when we were given our topic. We spent sometime reading the topic, trying to understand what was being asked of us. We shared ideas but we were unable to pinpoint what we were supposed to research on. We came together the next day still confused. But with the help of the assigned tutor, we started brainstorming and writing down keywords that would guide our research. It is important to note that there were some conflicts but the tutor present, managed to resolve all issues. We met on the final day with articles and journals to share. We were clear as to what was required of us and we all left the meeting satisfied. Norming Stage: This stage occurred towards the end of the last group meeting. We had most of our questions answered and we were in a good position to start our research. The groups norms were governed by the fact that we had a common task to complete even though it was to be done individually. We basically had to abide by good professional ethics and behavior which were acceptable as students. Performing Stage: This stage was the longest in the groups development. We worked individually and communicated ideas by email. Even though we had a common goal, the success of the project was based on each member giving off their best to obtain a good grade. Adjourning Stage: The group slowly died out when each member submitted their work. I must say it did end early for some as they worked faster than others. One lesson I learnt was that, whenever we came together to brainstorm and to share ideas, it promoted further understanding of the topic. This helped to calm nerves and assured us that we were on the right track. During the tutor lead discussions, each member of the group was offered an opportunity to shed more light on the topic. This encouraged members to expand on their ideas and elaborate further. In my case, my group leader served as a role model to me. She was energetic and organized. She motivated me to think faster and to improve my research skills. As far as I am concerned, there were no elements of group thinking. Each member was dynamic and argued out their points from different perspectives. Even though we all came from different cultural backgrounds, no one was intimidated. Every opinion was valued and conflicts were resolved amicably. Another lesson I also learnt as part of the group was that, I was able to work independently and effectively with the help of the feedbac ks I received from my group members. With the right group members, the most difficult project can seem very easy. LESSONS FOR FUTURE PROJECTS Looking back at the whole experience, I would say that the project has positively impacted the way I think and conduct research. Approaching a project with a negative attitude is not the best. It is natural to be nervous when embarking on a new project but panicking leads to more mistakes. In future, I would rely on my experience, remain calm and plan properly. To track my progress, I would also ensure that I set achievable and reasonable targets. Whenever possible, in future projects, I would ensure that I benefit from the groups dynamism and experience. As a personal motivating factor, in future projects, I would ensure that I work beyond my ability to motivate other members to do the same. Working under pressure is not always avoidable due to time constraints hence in future projects, I would ensure that I plan properly using the right tools such as Gantt charts as guidance. From the AMP experience, I would ensure that in future projects, I keep meaningful hand written notes and d iarize events incase a reflective report is required at the end of the project. Lastly, in sourcing for materials, I would ensure that only relevant materials are stored to enable me work effectively. CONCLUSION From the definition of reflection, it can be deduced that reflection is an essential part of learning and knowledge acquisition. We reflect because there is a subconscious purpose or reason which tends to improve our previous experience and give us further insight into the topic of discussion. Even though I started off on a sketchy path, I hit the road running once the scope and objective of the project was realized. With determination and the zeal to succeed, I followed the advice of tutors and good project management to reach my target. The AMP project was much difficult than I anticipated but the experience gained would certainly go a long way to improve my performance in future projects. Working as part of a group also expanded my horizon and presented me with new challenges. With the right motivation and team spirit, I gradually overcame my worries and anxiety. To conclude, even though I would have preferred choosing my own topic, I must confess that the topic given us was quite interesting and one that required much research. It would have been more interesting to work with our chosen groups throughout the duration of the project but that would have also discouraged individual dynamism and participation. The AMP experience was worthwhile considering the fact that we were working on a masters level. When given a similar project in the future I hope to tackle it with greater zeal and determination. I am of the view that with the right resources and motivation in the future, a much deeper research can be carried out on the topic.

Drug offenders sdmitted to prison Essay

The single greatest force behind the growth of the U. S. prison system since the mid-1980s has been the national â€Å"war on drugs. â€Å"45 Spearheaded by major federal drug policy initiatives that significantly increased penalties for drug offenses and markedly increased federal funds for state anti-drug efforts, federal and state measures to combat drugs have concentrated on criminal law enforcement rather than prevention and treatment. 46 An estimated 400,000 people — almost one-quarter of the total incarcerated population in the U. S.– are confined in local jails and state and federal prisons on drug charges. 47 Citing the extraordinary number of drug offenders in U. S. prisons, General Barry McCaffrey, has decried the creation of what he termed a â€Å"drug gulag. â€Å"48 Policies adopted to battle the use and sale of drugs have led to marked increases in arrest rates, in the likelihood of going to prison, and in the length of sentences for drug offenders. Between 1980 and 1997, the number of annual drug arrests tripled to a high of 1,584,000. 49 The rate of drug arrests per 100,000 residents rose from 288 to 661. 50 The rate of commitment to state prison per drug arrest quintupled between 1980 and 1990, rising from 19 prison commitments per 1,000 arrests to 103 per 1,000. 51 The estimated time served by drug offenders in state prisons increased a full year between 1987 and 1996; federal drug sentences doubled. 52 As of 1997, there were an estimated 285,009 men and women in state and federal prisons on drug charges, a twelvefold increase since 1980. 53 Relative to the adult population, the rate of incarceration of drug offenders hasincreased almost tenfold, rising from less than 15 inmates per 100,000 adults to 148 per 100,000. 54 In 1980, drug offenders comprised only six percent of state prison populations. By 1998, they constituted 21 percent. In federal prisons, drug offenders now comprise 59 percent of all inmates, whereas they represented only a quarter of federal inmates in 1980. 55 Drug Offenders Admitted to Prison Between 1980 and 1998, the number of new admissions of drug offenders to state and federal prison soared, exceeding 1. 5 million in total (Figure 5). In recent years, about one hundred thousand drug offenders have been admitted to prison annually. Nationwide, 31 percent of all admissions to state prison in 1996 were drug offenders. Among the states, the proportion of drug offenders varied between a low of 10 percent in Maine to a high of 46. 6 percent in New Jersey and 44. 7 percent in New York (Figure 6). In three quarters of the states, more than one in five persons sent to prison was convicted of a drug offense. In contrast, violent offenders accounted nationwide for only 26. 8 percent of new state prison admissions. Rate of Admission of Drug Offenders There is a remarkable range in the extent to which states subject their populations to incarceration on drug charges (Table 8). The rates of admission of drug offenders to prison per 100,000 adult residents vary from a low of 6 per 100,000 in Maine to a high of 91 in California. The ten states that have the highest rates of drug offender admissions relative to population are: California, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington. Nationwide, drug offenders are sent to prison at a rate, relative to population, that is 13 percent higher than the rate for violent offenders (Table 9). In one half of the states reporting to NCRP, the admission rates for drug offenders exceed those for persons convicted of violent crimes. Six states — Arkansas, California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia — send drug offenders to prison at rates that range from 50 to 100 percent higher than the rates for violent offenders. Drug Offending and Prison Admissions The broad range in admission rates for drug offenders across the country cannot be ascribed simply to variations in drug use and sales in different states. Table 10, covering twenty six states, presents federal estimates of the percentage of the population over 12 in those states who were current illicit drug users in 1991-1993. 56 Although some drug users may cross state lines to purchase drugs, we assume that relative rates of drug use in each state also roughly reflect relative amounts of drug sale activity. Comparing drug use rates with calculations of the rate relative to population at which drug offenders in those states were sent to prison reveals the lack of a consistent correlation between drug offending and the imprisonment of drug offenders. First, the percentage of the population that used drugs varied among states from 4. 1 to 8. 2 percent, compared to a range in drug offender admission rates that extended from 8 to 91. Second, the states with higher rates of drug use were not necessarily the states with higher drug offender admission rates. Oregon, for example, had the third highest percentage of drug use, yet it had one of the lowest rates of drug admissions. In contrast, California had both the highest rate of drug use and the highest rate of drug offender admissions. Third, lower drug use did not necessarily correlate with low drug offender admissions rates. The percentage of Illinois’ population that used drugs was quite low, yet the statehad the second highest rate of drug offender admissions. Similarly, Louisiana had a relatively low rate of drug use yet it had one of the highest rates of drug admissions. Obviously, no definitive conclusions can be drawn from a comparison of these two rather crude sets of figures. Nevertheless, the data suggest the explanation for the different rates at which people are sent to prison for drug offenses must lie in different penal policies and priorities among the states, including different law enforcement resources and strategies, prosecutorial charging preferences, and sentencing laws, as well as structural and demographic factors, e. g. , degrees of urbanization, rather than rates of drug offending. Drugs Involved In Offense The NCRP data does not permit reliable calculations about the extent to which different â€Å"hard† drugs (e. g. , cocaine, amphetamines, heroin) were involved in drug offenses. The data is somewhat better with regard to the identification of marijuana offenses, which were identified as the drug involved in 4. 3 percent of all drug admissions. 57 In nine states marijuana offenses accounted for more than ten percent of drug admissions: Alabama (16. 09), Iowa (17. 22), Kentucky (12. 4), Mississippi (14. 50), New Hampshire (28. 83), North Dakota (43. 02), South Carolina (11. 25), South Dakota (18. 3), and West Virginia (20. 63) (Table 11). Type of Drug Conduct People are sent to prison for both drug possession and sales-related conduct. In 1996, the simple possession of drugs (excluding possession with intent to sell) was the most serious conviction offense for 28 percent of all drug offenders admitted to state prison (Table 12). Fifty-six percent of drug offender admissions were for drug sales, and the rest for other drug-related offenses (e. g. , fraudulent prescriptions and unlawful possession of syringes). In nine states (Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Virginia) more than 50 percent of drug offenders sent to prison were convicted of simple possession.

A Report On The Iphone 3g - 1215 Words

On January 9, 2007 Steve Jobs gave a presentation where he introduced a widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone, and a breakthrough internet device. He combined all three and introduced the iphone. The tech team kept working on the phones for any tweaks they would get. On September 5, 2007 Steve Jobs said The surveys are in and iPhone customer satisfaction scores are higher than we ve ever seen for any Apple product. We ve clearly got a breakthrough product and we want to make it affordable for even more customers as we enter this holiday season. They were getting feedback from the customers and they received feedback on how there was not enough memory space and the cost was heavy. The iphone 3G had no change†¦show more content†¦It was hot. It was the iPhone 4. It was flat, chemically-hardened glass (aluminosilicate) front and back, with a stainless steel band that ran around the sides, and it was 24% thinner than the iPhone 3GS. For the first time, Apple also added a front camera, VGA resolution. While it was a boon to the profile pics and selfies that were growing in popularity, it also allowed Apple to launch FaceTime video calling. iPhone 4S plus iOS 5 plus iCloud is a breakthrough combination that makes the iPhone 4S the best iPhone ever. While our competitors try to imitate iPhone with a checklist of features, only iPhone can deliver these breakthrough innovations that work seamlessly together. Like the iPhone 3GS before it kept the same basic design as previous year s model. The iPhone 4S also kept the same composition as the iPhone 4, with two layers of chemically hardened glass sandwiched on either side of a stainless steel antenna band. As u sual, it was meant as the first iPhone for new customers, or an upgrade for iPhone 3GS customers coming off contract (albeit a few months late). Although there were some who felt the upgrade wasn t big enough or visible enough, reviews were generally excellent. 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