NCJ Number
61227
Date Published
1978
Length
109 pages
Annotation
DATA OBTAINED FROM A STUDY OF POLICE PATROLS IN ALBUQUERQUE, N.MEX., INDICATE THAT AN INCREASE IN POLICE PRESENCE IS NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO ENHANCED CRIME PREVENTION.
Abstract
AS PART OF AN EVALUATION OF THE ALBUQUERQUE SPECIAL OPERATIONS SECTION PROJECT, A NUMBER OF RESEARCH DESIGNS WERE DEVELOPED TO DETERMINE IF THE DEPLOYMENT OF A SPECIAL UNIT USING MARKED AND UNMARKED VEHICLES, AND SATURATION TECHNIQUES IN HIGH CRIME DISTRICTS, WOULD LEAD TO ATTAINMENT OF THE GOAL TO EFFECT A DECREASE IN CRIME. ADDITIONALLY, THE EVALUATION TESTED THE EFFECT OF THE SPECIAL UNIT ON FELONY ARREST RATES AND ON SPECIFIC PROPERTY CRIME RATES. TEN HYPOTHESES WERE MADE TO EXPLORE THESE ISSUES, AND DATA WERE GATHERED FOR ANALYSIS FROM EIGHT AND THREE LOCATIONS, RESPECTIVELY, FOR THE TWO-PHASE STUDY. THEY CONCERNED REPORTED CRIME RATES AND SELECTED DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES. DATA ANALYSES SUGGEST THAT PROPERTY CRIME CONTROL IS NOT ENHANCED BY MERELY PUTTING MORE POLICE ON THE STREETS. HOWEVER, THEY DO INDICATE THAT PROPERTY CRIME MAY BE DECREASED BY COVERT POLICE PATROLS. PROBLEMS, SUCH AS THE STUDY'S USE OF REPORTED CRIME RATES AS THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE AND THE LACK OF ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FOR PROJECT QUALITY, THREATEN THE VALIDITY OF THE FINDINGS. APPENDED MATERIALS DISCUSS THE EVALUATOR'S DIFFICULTY IN CONVINCING POLICE ADMINISTRATORS OF THE NEED TO CHANGE TRADITIONAL APPROACHES TO CRIME PREVENTION. ILLUSTRATIONS AND TABULAR DATA PRESENT CRIME RATE CHANGES DURING THE EVALUATION PERIOD AND DESCRIBE THE DATA COLLECTION PROCESS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (TWK)