COMMUNITY, PUBLIC SERVICES AND RESPONSIVENESS - ON THE DESIGN OF INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE PROVISION OF POLICE SERVICES

• NCJ Number: 16318
• Author(s): E OSTROM
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 27 pages
• Grant Number(s): MH 19911-02
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: Indiana University
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Best Practice/State-of-the-Art Review
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PAPER PREPARED FOR A CAUCUS FOR A NEW POLITICAL SCIENCE AT THE 1974 ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AUGUST 29 SEPTEMBER 2, 1974.

Annotation

DECISION-MAKING RULES USED TO PRODUCE, ALLOCATE, AND DISTRIBUTE ANYTHING THAT IS VALUED BY INDIVIDUALS.

Abstract

PROBLEMS OF DESIGN REQUIRE FOR THEIR SOLUTION - 1) SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE CRITERIA BY WHICH TO EVALUATE THE CONSEQUENCES OF A DESIGN, 2) SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE MATERIALS INVOLVED, AND 3) SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CAUSE AND EFFECT RELATIONS IN THE USE OF THE MATERIALS. WHEN THE PROBLEM IS TO DESIGN INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS, THE FIRST REQUIREMENT IS TO DECIDE WHAT RESULT IS WANTED. IN POLICE WORK, SHOULD THE CRITERIA OF PERFORMANCE BE EFFICIENCY, JUSTICE OR RESPONSIVENESS? THE SECOND REQUIREMENT IS A KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE SPECIFIC STATE OF AFFAIRS TO BE PRODUCED OR EXCHANGED BY MEANS OF SPECIFIC INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS. THE THIRD REQUIREMENT IS A GENERAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF USING DIFFERENT KINDS OF DECISION-MAKING RULES OR INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS. SINCE THE DESIGN OF EXISTING POLICE INSTITUTIONS IN LARGE CITIES IS SIMILAR TO THE DESIGN RECOMMENDED BY MANY TRADITIONAL REFORMERS, A REVIEW OF EMPIRICAL STUDIES REPORTING ON THE BEHAVIOR FOUND IN LARGE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENTS IS PRESENTED.THE CONCLUSION REACHED FROM SUCH A REVIEW IS THAT POLICE SERVING LARGE CITIES ARE IN MANY RESPECTS UNRESPONSIVE TO CITIZEN PREFERENCES. THE NEXT SECTION OF THE PAPER REVIEWS THE BASIC PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN DESIGNING POLICE INSTITUTIONS WHICH ARE CAUSED BY THE NATURE OF POLICE SERVICES. THESE INCLUDE - 1) THE 'PUBLIC GOOD' ASPECTS OF MANY POLICE SERVICES, 2) THE TYPE OF WORK INVOLVED IN POLICING, 3) THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF POLICE AND OTHER INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS. 4) THE INFLUENCE ON THE POLICE OF THE TYPE OF COMMUNITY BEING SERVED, AND 5) THE PROBLEM OF ACHIEVING VALID INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE. THE LAST SECTION OF THE PAPER REVIEWS THE ELEMENTS THAT WOULD BE INVOLVED IN ANY EFFORT TO INCREASE THE RESPONSIVENESS OF POLICE INSTITUTIONS. THESE INCLUDE - 1) A COMPLEX MIXTURE OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CONTROL MECHANISMS, 2) THE ESTABLISHMENT OF BOTH LARGE AND SMALL SCALE POLICE DEPARTMENTS SERVING THE SAME AREA, 3) AUDITING PROCEDURES TO DETERMINING THE ACCURACY OF POLICE REPORTS AND THE SATISFACTION OF CITIZENS WITH SERVICES RECEIVED, AND 4) REGULARIZED PROCEDURES FOR CITIZENS TO FILE COMPLAINTS WITH AN INDEPENDENT AGENCY. A LIST OF PUBLICATIONS OF THE WORKSHOP IN POLITICAL THEORY AND POLICY ANALYSIS IS PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)