NCJ Number
52860
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Dated: (DECEMBER 1978) Pages: 429-451
Date Published
1978
Length
23 pages
Annotation
REPLICATION OF AN EARLIER STUDY BY THE SEATTLE, WASH., POLICE DEPARTMENT CONFIRMS THAT BOTH TRAVEL AND TOTAL RESPONSE TIME WERE SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO ARREST RATE FOR MOST CRIMES. TWO-OFFICER UNITS MADE MORE ARRESTS.
Abstract
COMPLETE INFORMATION ON TRAVEL TIME AND TOTAL RESPONSE TIME WAS AVAILABLE FOR 2,532 CASES RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM ALL EMERGENCY POLICE SERVICE CALLS RECEIVED BETWEEN APRIL 1974 AND MARCH 1975. OF THESE CALLS, A PHYSICAL ARREST WAS MADE IN 1,214 CASES. THE METHODOLOGY OF THIS STUDY, CONDUCTED IN 1976, REPLICATED THAT OF A 1975 STUDY WHICH USED 1973-1974 DATA. CRIMES WERE DIVIDED INTO FIVE GROUPS. REGRESSION ANALYSIS WITH ELAPSED RESPONSE TIMES MEASURED IN 1-MINUTE INTERVALS SHOWED THAT QUICKER RESPONSE TIMES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER ARREST RATES. THIS ASSOCIATION WITHIN INDIVIDUAL CRIME GROUPS WAS SIGNIFICANT ONLY FOR LARCENY, AUTO THEFT, AND FOR ROBBERY (BOTH P EQUAL TO 0.001). HOWEVER, OVERALL CORRELATION WAS HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT (AGAIN, P EQUAL TO 0.001). IN MOST INSTANCES THERE WAS STRONGER CORRELATION THAN IN THE EARLIER STUDY. CHARTS, TABLES, AND NARRATION COMPARE THE TWO STUDIES. IT WAS FOUND THAT MEASURING RESPONSE TIME IN HALF AND QUARTER MINUTES DID NOT PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES. IT WAS FOUND ALSO THAT THE HIGHEST APPREHENSION RATE OCCURRED WHEN THE FIRST UNIT ON THE SCENE WAS A TWO-OFFICER UNIT WHICH ARRIVED WITHIN 10 MINUTES. DIFFERENCES IN APPREHENSION RATE RANGED FROM 16 TO 21 PERCENT. AFTER 10 MINUTES, ONE-OFFICER AND TWO-OFFICER UNITS SHOWED NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN PREDICTED APPREHENSION RATES. THE DATA IS FULLY DOCUMENTED. (GLR)