Explain how conflict can be both beneficial and harmful to criminal justice agencies

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

• Stojkovic et. al. hold the position is that conflict in criminal justice organizations can be both beneficial and harmful. Much of the conflict that occurs is good in the sense that it promotes change in those organizations; conflict makes the system responsive to the demands of a changing environment.
• For example, a police organization is viewed as unresponsive to demands from the community for changes in the way police services are delivered. In this situation, conflict may arise not only between community groups and those who run the department but also between department administrators and the officers. If the department does become responsive to the community, rank-and-file officers may feel that the department is trying to appease the community groups to their detriment. Conflict in this situation may be good because it forces the department to rethink its relationship with the community and its own officers, a task that can be beneficial to the organization's operations and delivery of services.
• At the same time, conflict can be harmful. If, in the previous example, conflict between the officers and the department over the role of the community escalates to the point that the functioning of police units is jeopardized, then conflict has become detrimental to the long-term operation of the department. Management has failed to control the escalation of conflict and, as a result, the effectiveness of the organization may be diminished.