Community oriented police departments are also becoming similar in this structural variable. The number of major sub-units found in a community oriented police department is 19. The fourth variable in complexity, vertical differentiation, is lower for community oriented police departments. As would be expected, community oriented police departments have reduced the level of hierarchy in the organization. Community oriented police departments are becoming similar in this structural variable, with 6.4 levels in the hierarchy, from police officer to the chief executive.
Formalization is the second structural dimension operationalized.
Data was analyzed concerning the size of the police departments' policy and procedure manual, the presence of documents such as employment contracts, informational manuals, and written job descriptions. The analysis here indicates there is no difference in the formalization dimension when comparing community oriented police departments to traditional police departments. Police departments are all formalized structures, and in some cases, community oriented police departments are more formalized. The reason why police departments have remained formalized structures may lie in the litigious society of today. Police departments are sued regularly, whether community oriented police departments or traditional police departments.