The Coercive Impact of Federal Grants: COPS Grants and the Diffusion of the Community Policing Philosophy

Abstract

The diffusion of an innovation occurs when it is communicated to other organisations or markets. This study employs institutional theory, focusing on coercive isomorphism, to examine the diffusion of the community policing philosophy via federal funding from the US Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing. Data was derived from the FAST grant programme designated for the hiring of police officers serving smaller jurisdictions. Findings reported that less than half of the possible organisational field accessed a FAST grant, indicating a modest impact of coercive efforts via COPS grants. In addition, while the bulk of FAST grants were awarded during the earliest stages of the grant programme, analysis indicates this behaviour is not what would be expected. Consequently, while most grants were awarded quickly, institutional or occupational isomorphism was not achieved with regard to diffusing the community policing philosophy via a federal grant programme.