NCJ Number
90015
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 11 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1983) Pages: 136-148
Date Published
1983
Length
13 pages
Annotation
The economic model developed permits police dispatchers to routinely and consistently select cost-effective response modes for service requests.
Abstract
It is not cost-effective for sworn police officers to respond in person to every citizen request for service. Differential police response strategies should be formulated. In the course of budget cutbacks for police, this permits maintaining the same level of service effectiveness with fewer officers, and when budget support is adequate, this strategy permits a reallocation of resources to provide more and better services. The model of differential police response strategies developed in this project has three elements: (1) a classification system for defining an incident involving a call for service, (2) a classification scheme for assessing the urgency of the call, and (3) a set of alternative responses. Information on call urgency is vital to rational economic decisionmaking in patrol dispatch. The project developed new designations of urgency to aid in dispatch decisions. The term 'in-progress' indicates that a traditional rapid patrol response is appropriate. Two additional urgency terms allow other (and generally less costly) alternatives to be selected by the dispatcher. 'Proximate' indicates that the incident has occurred within the past hour, and the term 'cold' means that the incident occurred more than 1 hour prior to reporting. Call classification should also be based on the real or potential danger to the complainant and the level of damage or loss. Response alternatives according to classification may be by sworn or unsworn personnel as well as being mobile (response by car) or nonmobile (response by telephone). Tabular data and charts are provided along with nine references.