Law Enforcement Budget Process Essay

The sparing downswing of the past several yrs has been devastating to local anesthetic economies and, by extension, their local uprightness enforcement agencies. According to a encompass by the National represent of Justice, the United States is currently experiencing the 10th frugal decline since World War II (Wiseman 2011). The impact of this downturn impart result in a change of how law enforcement services argon tolerateed.As has been discussed by the COPS Office Director, Bernard Melekian, in a series of late articles published in the familiarity Policing Dispatch, expectations will non be take down tho because an agency now has fewer officers, or because the work out is limited. simply doing less while waiting for local cyphers to rec everywhere to pre-2008 levels is not a viable option. Law enforcement leaders ar faced with compute contractions that ar in need to identified in different ways to accept police services and, perhaps more grievously, articula te what the new unrestricted safety models will look like to their communities (Melekian 2011a).The returns of the economic downturn on law enforcement agencies whitethorn be felt for the next 510 grades, or worse, permanently. These changes could be permanently driven not just by the scrimping, solely by local establishment officials who positd that allocating 3050 percent of their general fund cyphers for public safety be is no longer a fiscal possibility (Melekian 2011b). While it appears that the economy is beginning to recover on the national level, most economists agree that local jurisdictions are still in decline and will put out to be so, at least in the short term.Due to the decline of measure out revenues because of Foreclosures County and municipal calculates tend lagging behind the general economy, which is one of the main(prenominal) source of accompaniment for local agencies. Agencies are also faced with the figure realities, the current model for serv ice deliverywhich has been with us for the last 50 yearsis already starting signal to change, and will be forced to continue to change dramatically and rapidly in the next 35 years. Police departments sustain been one of the affected by the current economic climate.Restricting revenues nationwide have forced local governments to call cuts in spending across the board, which has affected everything to include public safety direct cyphers. However, while these compute cuts are threatening law enforcement jobs the responsibility to inspection and repair and protect remain. There has been no methodical way of measuring the effect the economic downturn has had on police agencies across our nation. A estimable example is how Nigeria has been experiencing difficulties in Budget implementation.The objective of the article was to present alternate forms of calculateing and after exposition on them, to recommend one that could mitigate budget implementation problem for Nigeria. Two types of budgeting addressed are incremental and secret code-base. chthonian incremental budgeting, a certain percentage is added or subtracted from previous stages figures to arrive at new periods budget. on a lower floor zilch bases, every program is reevaluated for its merits, as if previous budgets never existed. The starting points are the results hoped to achieve, and every debate about budget implementation is through prior to passage.Zero base budgeting is analogous to marketing concept in terms of information requirement and zeroing in on customized necessarily. To the extent that zero base budgeting plans, executes and controls, it serves as a management tool. Nigerias budgeting has been incremental, overly politicized and not carried out by experts, but merely based on bench mark price and quota of daily oil production. Factors militating against proper budgeting in Nigeria are distortions in fiscal transparency. Budget implementation in Nigeria is a critical proble m. numerous have blamed our wretched socio-economic and infrastructural development on low period of budget implementation, which is a result of incremental budgeting litigate. The paper therefore recommends zero based budgeting to Nigeria at all levels (GJSS, 2012). Sometimes inefficiencies result due to poor integration of the finance and strategy. Budgeting and performance are typically overseen by the finance department, whereas planning s coordinated by strategy department. Often, the two processes arent well integrated,resulting in strategies that are often dictated by the budget process instead of vice versa (Gary 2003). The reason for this could be that everyone involved may be attempting to accomplish the same goals, but also trying to make sure that the outcome will be beneficial to them, such as a substantial bonus or a reward. A budget rhythm method of birth control refers to the whole process from the commencement of developing a budget to the execution of the fina l charge on the budget. Since the majority of the budgets are brisk for a one year period, budget cycle per seconds cover the costs and expenditures for a period of one year.However, there are budget cycles that run for more than one year period. Government budgets have a budget cycle of at least 18 months from the conception of the individual(a) departments budgets to the time the appropriation bills are signed into law (Hyde, 2001). The initial step of the budget cycle take prop in the various departments and agencies. The program officers in the various departments compile all information that is necessary in the preparation of the budget. The budget cycle culminates with the presidents budget application to the Congress.This often takes place in February (USDOJ, 2011). A budget refers to a list of premeditated revenues and expenses. It represents a tool for savings and expenditure. A budget drive out also be defined as an organizational plan that is stated in pecuniary t erms. It is used as a road map for conducting the activities, objectives, assumptions, and strategies of an organization. A budget cycle is comprised of various stages. Budget planning for the new fiscal year tag the first step of the budget cycle, while closing and stockpile forward activities mark the end of a budget cycle (Hyde, 2001).The steps outlined below are steps of a sample governments budget cycle Budget submissions this entails the submission of the budget plans to the respective Budget Offers in various government departments. The budgets are reviewed and approved. Budget cheers this entails the executive committee approving the budget. The Initial Budget Authorizations are then(prenominal) submitted to the respective supervisors who address the respective cost items. Global Changes the salaries are adjusted so that they reflect salary increases that are permitted by the Salary Subcommittee and the charitable Resources Department.Closing this entails the closure of the budgets at the end of the fiscal year. Carry send on it entails carrying forward all the unspent money to the following fiscal year. This marks the last step in the budget cycle. In most instances, law enforcement management prepares master budget for the coming year. The master budget includes the project expenses and maintenance which is incorporated in the master budget and other smaller budgets such as training, overtime, marketing, administrative, and departmental budgets.By establishing an operating and monetary budget for a future period, management can identify problems in advance. This can be maintained by seeing for future predictions. A forecast is a reflection of the future. When forecasting is taken into account, two key aspects to dish out are cash budgets and expenditure forecast. In most instances, budgets are and should be prepared for a future period such as an oncoming accounting or fiscal year. They are detailed by accommodate or months. Typically, a nnual budgets are not altered once the year begins.However, budgets should not be rigid so as to prevent seasonable actions if need arises. Instead, budgets should only act as a guide preferably than a restriction. However, there are rare circumstances when an annual budget should be revised such as due to a organic change in the business environment. Budgets are also important for obtaining funding since they portray an organizations capacity to the lending institutions and financiers. Additionally, budgets are important management tools, they care in setting milestones that need accountability to achieve, and aid an organization in identifying risks and establishing benchmarks.Thus, budgets facilitate the process of making adjustments to avoid risks, and to bill the benchmarks. Understanding the significance of budgeting marks the first step towards successful financial planning. It plays a significant role in the strategic planning process by an organization. It outlines the future financial goals and needs of an organization such as technological needs, overhead needs, financial requirements, and capital improvements. I have a very strong opinion that budgeting should not be scrapped, rather be modified to meet the current business environment.Organizations would have to restructure wages programs so that managers no longer have an incentive to favors short-term goals over the longer-term. Budgeting will have to be flexible to be able to be adjusted from time to time to reflect changes in organizational goals and the economic environment. Again, accounting department should be responsible for compiling only budget information they should not determine the budgeting process. way, through the planning process should determine the budget, and all departments should be included in the process. Budgeting should be both concealment down and bottom up i.e. upper level management and mettle level management will both work to finalize a budget. We can strea mline the budgeting process by developing a financial model. Financial models can facilitate what if analysis so we can assess decisions before they are made. This can dramatically improve the budgeting process. One of the biggest challenges within financial planning and budgeting is how do we make it value-added. Budgeting requires clear channels of communication, contribute from upper-level management, participation from various personnel, and predictive characteristics.Budgeting should not strive for accuracy, but should strive to support the decision making process. If we guidance too a great deal on accuracy, we will end-up with a budgeting process that incurs time and costs in excess of the benefits derived. The challenge is to make financial planning a value-added natural action that helps the organization achieve its strategic goals and objectives. In order for department to repay for dwindling budget, many law enforcement officer have had to learn how to focus on what can they can sacrifice from their normal lifestyle in order to offset the reduction in available spending.Some of these sacrifices have included families foregoing summer vacations, or shopping in price reduction stores instead of department stores they are accustomed too. However, today law enforcement agencies are faced with the difficult task of maintaining the same service that their communities expect in spite of the extreme reduction in available resources. And, in order for them to deliver the same high level of protection and emergency responsiveness that the communities appear on, law enforcement agencies must find new and inventive techniques to address those needs in cost-effective and maintainable way.Agencies must have a just understanding of how budgeting marks the first step towards successful financial planning. Budgeting has a significant role in the strategic planning process by any organization. It provides the framework for future financial goals and the nee ds of an organization such as technical equipment like laptops, radios, and side arms. It also shows the overhead needs, and departmental financial requirements. It can also outline the costs involved in order to get the resources that are required to meet their financial goals. underdeveloped abudget is an important tool for determining the departments performance, in motivating the upper-management, other members of staff, and measuring the results towards accomplishing the organizations financial goal. References Gary, L (2003) Breaking the Budget Impasse. Pg 3, Retrieved September 30, 2013, Idio, U. S. (2012). THE BUDGET AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL ZERO BASE BUDGETING, PANACEA TO BUDGET performance IN NIGERIA. Global Journal of Social Sciences, 11(1), 1-7. Retrieved from http//search. proquest. com/docview/1036581432? accountid=32521 http//www. cops. usdoj.gov/files/RIC/Publications/e101113406_Economic%20Impact. pdf Melekian, B. , (2011a). Directors Message. Community Policing Dispat ch vol. 4, no. 3. http//cops. usdoj. gov/html/dispatch/03-2011/DirectorMessage. asp. Melekian, B. , (2011b). Directors tug July 2011. Community Policing Dispatch vol. 4, no. 7. http//cops. usdoj. gov/html/dispatch/07-2011/DirectorMessage. asp. Wiseman, J. , (2011). Strategic Cutback Management Law Enforcement Leadership for Lean Times. Research for Practice, Washington, D. C. U. S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, NCJ 232077.