NCJ Number
17197
Date Published
Unknown
Length
28 pages
Annotation
A PAPER DEALING WITH THE OPTIMAL ALLOCATION OF PATROL BEATS TO UNITS UNDER A STRATEGY IN WHICH THE NUMBER OF BEATS FOR A GIVEN SHIFT IS FIXED AND AN OPTIMAL BEAT CONFIGURATION HAS BEEN DETERMINED.
Abstract
OPTIMAL BEAT CONFIGURATIONS TO MINIMIZE RESPONSE TIME TO CALLS FOR SERVICE CAN BE DETERMINED FOR A GIVEN NUMBER OF POLICE PATROL BEATS DURING A SHIFT. HOWEVER, IT IS STATED THAT OPTIMAL MANPOWER SCHEDULING REQUIRES THAT THE NUMBER OF UNITS VARY BY DAY OF WEEK. A VARIABLE BEAT DESIGN STRATEGY WAS FOUND TO BE ADMINISTRATIVELY INFEASIBLE. THE MODEL PRESENTED IN THIS REPORT OPERATES UNDER A FIXED BEAT DESIGN STRATEGY AND ASSIGNS BEATS TO A VARIABLE NUMBER OF UNITS. THE AUTHOR STATES THAT THE COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR THIS MODEL IMPROVES AN INITIAL BEAT ASSIGNMENT BY CONSIDERING ALL POSSIBILITIES OF MOVING OR SHARING BEATS WITH OTHER UNITS. THE NEW BEAT ASSIGNMENTS ARE REEVALUATED TILL AN OPTIMA IS REACHED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)