NCJ Number
114814
Date Published
1988
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Claims that law enforcement resources are insufficient to cope with the demand for police services in Australia neglect the issue of how improved police administration and management may increase police effectiveness and obviate the need for additional resources.
Abstract
The cost of police services exceeds $2,000 million per year, and State and Territory police departments are among the largest public-sector agencies in their jurisdictions. Police expenditures have increased significantly in both actual and constant dollars. As the cost of policing continues to rise, and Australian Governments continue to experience fiscal crises, police executives will increasingly be called upon to justify their budgetary request and demonstrate that their resources are efficiently deployed. Cost-benefit analysis compares monetary costs of an activity with its monetary consequences. Cost effectiveness analysis is used to determine how a particular objective can be attained at least cost. These two techniques can aid in the assessment of police productivity and provide a basis for strategic planning. Police performance can be analyzed in terms of the processes through which police resources are translated into operations and in terms of the impact police organization and deployment have on the attainment of police objectives. One way to increase police efficiency is through human resource management research and measures that reflect how efficiently personnel are deployed. Police efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity also can be increased through systematic analysis of management principles such as strategic planning, prioritization, operations monitoring evaluation, and expenditure control. 1 note and 25 references.