NCJ Number
72073
Date Published
Unknown
Length
17 pages
Annotation
The paper discusses the role of equipment and supplies in maintaining effective police field procedures, reviews current practices in relation to the use of equipment, and makes specific recommendations for improving the technical competence of law enforcement agencies.
Abstract
A recent trend regarding the use of equipment to improve police procedures has been the modification or utilization of existing equipment rather than the development of special police devices. However, there is a lack of standards in equipment and a lack of an authoritative consensus regarding the adequacy of equipment with police application. A review of current practices in the area of police equipment finds a major emphasis on alarm systems and the use of television and special purpose motor vehicle equipment, and a need for personal equipment items. Problems posed by police utilization of burglary alarm systems include a continuous search for commercially available equipment suited to performing the police task. Developing existing community resources to provide police knowledge of criminal activities is another problem area. In police reporting, the dictation equipment relieves the officer of many tasks not concerned with field activity, but evaluation is needed on the content and techniques of such reporting. It is recommended that a resource of technical competence be developed within agency personnel structures and that a standing research facility be established to analyze police operational requirements, inventory available equipment, etc. The National Bureau of Standards should perform services such as the necessary technical assessment of equipment, the preparation and publication of information bulletin, and the suggestion of implementation and developing equipment programs based on the concept of modularity.