NCJ Number
15358
Date Published
1974
Length
870 pages
Annotation
AN EFFORT TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT BODY OF POLICY RELATED RESEARCH ON POLICE PROTECTION MORE ACCESSIBLE TO AND USABLE BY POLICY MAKERS AND TO PROVIDE A BASIS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH PROJECTS.
Abstract
APPROXIMATELY 200 RESEARCH ITEMS ARE ABSTRACTED, ARRANGED BY BROAD POLICY CATEGORIES, AND REVIEWED FOR INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL VALIDITY. THESE DISCUSSIONS AND EVALUATIONS ARE PRESENTED FOR THE FOLLOWING POLICY AREAS - ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENTS, EFFECTIVENESS AND EVALUATION, CRIME PREVENTION - ARCHITECTURE AND CRIME STATISTICS, POLICE TECHNOLOGY, RESOURCE ALLOCATION, PATROL OPERATIONS PATROL BEAT DESIGN, EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND TRAFFIC, PERSONNEL SELECTION, EVALUATION AND TRAINING, AND POLICECOMMUNITY RELATIONS. THE REPORT IDENTIFIES THREE MAJOR CRITICISMS THAT APPLY TO MANY LAW ENFORCEMENT RESEARCH ENDEAVORS. THESE ARE - A LACK OF COMMITMENT TO RESEARCH BY POLICY MAKERS, A FAILURE TO ARTICULATE THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF POLICE PROTECTION, AND THE USE OF IMPROPER STUDY DESIGNS AND ANALYTIC METHODS. TO COUNTERACT THESE CRITICISMS, MATERIAL DESCRIBING RECOMMENDED RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES IS INCLUDED. THROUGH A SURVEY OF POLICE CHIEFS, COMMISSIONERS AND POLICY PLANNERS, THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH TOPICS WERE IDENTIFIED AS BEING ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT AND WORTHY OF FURTHER RESEARCH - THE REDUCTION OF POLICE RESPONSE TIME, POLICE COMPUTERIZED INFORMATION SYSTEMS, MEASURING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS, EVALUATION OF CHANGES IN CRIME RATES AND OTHER MEASURES OF POLICE EFFECTIVENESS, STANDARDS FOR PROMOTION OF POLICE OFFICERS, AND SURVEYS OF PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE, INCLUDING VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS. (SNI ABSTRACT)