NCJ Number
140457
Journal
Police Journal Volume: 66 Issue: 1 Dated: (January-March 1993) Pages: 13-24
Date Published
1993
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Determining whether the police in Great Britain are providing value for money depends on definitions, expectations, and perceptions of purpose and a recognition of the relationships among national and local politics, social factors, and economic issues.
Abstract
The concept of value for money involves the themes of effectiveness, efficiency, and economy, but measuring them is difficult. At the level of budget management, it is clear that the police are providing value for money. Similarly, the police provide value for money at the level of service structure, resource, and equipment insofar as spending decisions are carefully thought through and shrewdly implemented. However, it is less clear that the police are providing value when what the community actually receives for its money is measured against what the public needs if the police service is to avoid becoming a paramilitary organization. Thus, in the public sector, value for money involves more than a simple balance sheet, and, in this broader context, it is clear that the police service is not providing value for money. Therefore, the purposes of police work and the approach to service delivery require reconsideration to ensure that 15 years from now the police will deliver value for money in all areas of their work. Footnotes