NCJ Number
81363
Date Published
1981
Length
95 pages
Annotation
This report presents the findings and recommendations of the San Diego Crime Control Commission, which was appointed by the Mayor in September 1979 to help reduce crime, to increase citizens' feelings of security and safety, and to raise citizen confidence in the criminal justice system.
Abstract
The commission was appointed in response to the city's sharp increase in crime over the last decade. Information was gathered from local criminal justice officials, crime victims, the general public, observations of police patrols, and a literature review. The analysis covered the trends and nature of crime in the city and the problems experienced by the police, the courts, and the correctional system. Findings were used as the basis for 52 recommendations for dealing with the identified problems. The recommendations were centered around the themes of providing clear and certain consequences for all criminal actions, the need for accountability in criminal justice agencies, and the importance of public awareness and involvement in crime prevention activities. Among recommendations were that objective standards of work performance be enforced at all levels of the police department, that individual officers' performance be measured by their ability to reduce crime in their beat areas, and that the police pay system emphasize performance as well as length of service. A gradual increase in the number of sworn and support police personnel and the creation of a regional computer-based juvenile tracking system were also recommended. The commission also recommended numerous changes in the court and correctional systems and policies. For the executive summary of the report, see NCJ 81362.