NCJ Number
43531
Date Published
1976
Length
67 pages
Annotation
THE EFFECTS OF TEAM POLICING IN BELLEVUE, WASH., ARE EVALUATED ON THE BASIS OF JOB SATISFACTION REPORTS BY POLICE OFFICERS, ATTITUDE SURVEYS OF CITIZENS, AND DATA ON REPORTED BURGLARIES.
Abstract
BELLEVUE'S TEAM-POLICING EXPERIMENT INVOLVED CONVERSION OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S PATROL DIVISION FROM ITS TRADITIONAL STRUCTURE TO A THREE-TEAM STRUCTURE. TWO TEAMS WERE ASSIGNED RESPONSIBILITY FOR SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC SECTORS OF THE CITY, WHILE THE THIRD -- A HEADQUARTERS UNIT -- ASSUMED ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES FORMERLY PERFORMED BY INDIVIDUAL OFFICERS. THE GOALS OF THE EXPERIMENT WERE TO IMPROVE INVOLVEMENT OF CITIZENS IN CRIME INVESTIGATION AND PREVENTION, TO IMPROVE OFFICERS' SATISFACTION WITH THEIR JOBS, AND TO REDUCE CRIME, PARTICULARLY BURGLARY. POLICE OFFICERS' ATTITUDES, PUBLIC ATTITUDES, AND THE PERCEPTIONS OF PERSONS REQUESTING POLICE SERVICE IN CONNECTION WITH BURGLARIES WERE SURVEYED SHORTLY AFTER THE EXPERIMENT BEGAN AND AGAIN AFTER TEAM POLICING HAD BEEN IN OPERATION FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR. IN ADDITION, BURGLARY REPORTS BEFORE AND AFTER IMPLEMENTATION OF TEAM POLICING WERE COMPARED. EVALUATION FINDINGS SHOW THAT CITIZENS RECEIVED BETTER SERVICE UNDER TEAM POLICING. CITIZENS WHO HAD ACTUAL CONTACT WITH THE DEPARTMENT REPORTED MORE POSITIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD THE DEPARTMENT AND ITS SERVICES UNDER TEAM POLICING. THE NUMBER OF REPORTED BURGLARIES DECREASED UPON IMPLEMENTATION OF TEAM POLICING. THE EXPERIMENT WAS MARKED BY A DECLINE IN THE MORALE OF OFFICERS, ATTRIBUTED IN PART TO INCREASED WORKLOADS AND SUPERVISION PROBLEMS. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE PRESENTED RELATIVE TO BURGLARY FOLLOWUPS, COMMUNITY CONTACTS, MANPOWER ALLOCATION, SUPERVISORY ROLES, AND REWARD STRUCTURES UNDER THE TEAM-POLICING SYSTEM. SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED.