NCJ Number
61642
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 46 Issue: 9 Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1979) Pages: 24-26
Date Published
1979
Length
3 pages
Annotation
EMERGING TRENDS IN CRIMES REQUIRING POLICE ATTENTION, AS WELL AS FUTURE POLICE STRATEGIES, ARE DISCUSSED BY A WEST GERMAN POLICE CHIEF.
Abstract
SUCCESSFUL LAW ENFORCEMENT REQIRES PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE BY ANALYZING PAST AND PRESENT, PERTINENT SOCIAL FORCES AND TENDENCIES INCLUDING THE BREAKDOWN OF TRADITIONAL MORAL VALUES, MORAL LEADERSHIP, AND SOCIAL STRUCTURES; CHANGES IN INDUSTRY LEADING TO CHRONIC UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG CERTAIN GROUPS; AND INCREASED LEISURE TIME. CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR ALLEGEDLY STEMMING FROM THESE TRENDS INCLUDES STEALING FOR GAIN RATHER THAN SURVIVAL, CAR THEFTS, ALL TYPES OF ROBBERY (COMMITTED ESPECIALLY BY UNEMPLOYED, DISAFFECTED ALIENS), DRUG PROBLEMS, ORGANIZED CRIME, AND TERRORISM. IN RESPONSE TO THE NEED FOR GREATER FLEXIBILITY, THE WEST BERLIN POLICE, WITH A JURISDICTION OF 483 SQUARE KILOMETERS AND 2 MILLION CITIZENS, CONVERTED TO MANAGEMENT BY DELEGATION, IN WHICH AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY WERE DEFINED FOR TOP EXECUTIVES. FOOT PATROL UNITS WERE SET UP TO IMPROVE CITIZEN-POLICE RELATIONS, AND COMMAND LEVELS REORGANIZED INTO SMALLER, MORE MANAGEABLE UNITS. EXECUTIVES WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL INVESTIGATIVE WORK WITHIN THEIR AREAS, COULD RESPOND TO ANY SITUATION WITH ANY OR ALL THE PERSONNEL IN THEIR JURISDICTIONS OR WITH SPECIAL UNITS, AND WERE REQUIRED TO CONTINOUSLY MONITOR CRIME IN THEIR AREAS. SPECIAL UNITS AND PLANNING ACTIVITIES WERE SET UP TO HANDLE JUVENILE CRIME AND HIGH-CRIME DISTRICTS. PRIORITIES OR CRIME CONTROL WERE UNIFORM FOR ALL TYPES OF POLICE IN A GIVEN AREA, AND PUBLIC EDUCATION WAS STRESSED. STUDIES SHOW STEADY REDUCTIONS IN STREET CRIMES AND AN INCREASE IN COMPLETED INVESTIGATIONS AND ENFORCED ARREST WARRANTS. NO REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (PAP)