NCJ Number
396
Date Published
1969
Length
3 pages
Annotation
PRELIMINARY STUDY RESULTS SHOW THE SUPERIORITY OF ONE-MAN PATROL UNITS UNDER GIVEN EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS.
Abstract
AN EXPERIMENT DETERMINED WHICH PATROL CONDITIONS WERE BETTER, ONE TWO-MAN UNIT OR TWO ONE-MAN UNITS. TWO ONEMAN UNITS DETECT MORE CRIME THAN A SINGLE TWO-MAN UNIT AND HAVE A HIGHER PROBABILITY OF INTERCEPTING MORE CRIME WHILE IT IS IN PROGRESS. THE POLICEMEN (WITH TWO EXCEPTIONS) WERE EXPERIENCED PATROLMEN WHO WERE OR HAD BEEN MEMBERS OF THE SYRACUSE TACTICAL PATROL FORCE. THE THREE TWO-MAN UNITS HAD CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH THEIR PARTICULAR PARTNERS. THE OTHER TWO POLICEMEN WERE NEW OFFICERS WITH ONLY A FEW WEEKS OF PATROL EXPERIENCE. ONE WAY OF COMPARING THE PERFORMANCE OF TWO TYPES OF PATROL UNITS IS TO CONSIDER ALL OF THE POSSIBLE TWO-UNIT COMBINATIONS OF ONE-MAN UNITS AND TO RANK THE TEAMS IN ORDER OF THEIR PERFORMANCE. THE PROBABILITY IS 0.58 THAT THE TWO ONE-MAN UNITS SELECTED WILL ALWAYS OUTPERFORM THE TWO-MAN UNIT SELECTED. THE EXPECTED MEDIAN OF THIS SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE IS 29 PER CENT BETTER THAN THE EXPECTED MEDIAN OF THE TWO ONE-MAN UNITS. ALTHOUGH THE SAMPLE USED IS SMALL IN THIS STUDY OF DETECTION AND INTERCEPTION CAPABILITY, THE RESULTS CLEARLY INDICATE THE SUPERIORITY OF THE ONE-MAN PATROL UNIT UNDER THE GIVEN EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS. THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TWO ROOKIE POLICEMEN IS OF INTEREST. AMONG THE SIX ONE-MAN UNITS, THESE TWO OFFICERS RANK FIRST AND THIRD. THIS RESULT WAS UNEXPECTED AND CLEARLY INDICATES A PROMISING AREA FOR FUTURE INQUIRY.