ABSTRACT
By far, the vast majority of officer comments examined in this study concern issues regarding the LAPD’s management and administration. These comments target the supervisors and decision makers within all levels of the organization. However, the bulk of commentary is directed at specific reactions of these officers to the organizational meltdown. In order to better understand the officers’ comments presented in the following section, it is necessary to have a basic understanding of the LAPD organizational structure and how it relates to the duties of officers who work the street. However, for purposes of this study, it is not necessary to present a detailed description of the department’s administrative hierarchy. Rather, it is important to have a working knowledge of the LAPD rank structure and chain of command during the time period this study was executed (see Figure 7.1).
