The police and 'the balance'—managing the workload within Swedish investigation units. Issue 1 (6th May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liljegren, Andreas; Berlin, Johan; Szücs, Stefan; Höjer, Staffan
• Is Part Of: Journal of professions and organization. Volume 8:Issue 1(2021)
• Page Start: 70
• Page End: 85
• Publication Date: 2021-05-06
• Subjects: police -- workload -- discretion -- buffering -- street-level organizations; Professions -- Sociological aspects -- Periodicals; Organizational behavior -- Periodicals; Organizational sociology -- Periodicals; 331.71
• DOI: 10.1093/jpo/joab002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2051-8803

Abstract

Abstract: Professionals within street-level organizations are essential for the delivery of public services to citizens. However, among a number of difficult dilemmas, they have to deal with an extensive workload. The police can be seen as a good example of this; they are expected to solve most crimes, including the so-called mass crimes and the more spectacular cases that make it into media headlines, and often on a continually decreasing budget. A key regulating mechanism for investigation departments in the Swedish police is the so-called balance. The balance can be described as a basket in which they put the cases that there is a desire and potential to work on but not in the immediate term. The purpose of this article is to analyse the balance as a way of rationing the workload within the Swedish police. Working with the balance consists of two processes: limiting and buffering the workload. Limiting is the practice of reducing the work in a situation. Buffering is the process of putting some work on hold to deal with later, of which the article identifies five kinds; functional, problematic, quasi, progressive, and symbolic buffering. The exploration of 'the balance' contributes to our understanding of how street level organizations attempt to defend their professional jurisdictions, their well-being, and their ability to complete their duties.