HARRISBURG - BUREAU OF POLICE - FOOT PATROL UNIT - SECOND YEAR FINAL EVALUATION REPORT, JANUARY 1976

• NCJ Number: 32636
• Author(s): J ELDRED; A SUTOR
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 60 pages
• Contract Number(s): SC74/C/D-5/6/225
• Sponsoring Agency: Pennsylvania Governor's Justice Cmssn
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

FINAL REPORT ON A PROJECT TO REDUCE CRIME RATES WITHIN A SPECIFIED TARGET AREA (THE 'HILL' AREA) THROUGH THE INSTITUTION OF FOOT PATROLS.

Abstract

THIS PROJECT WAS UNDERTAKEN TO DETERMINE WHETHER A RETURN TO THE USE OF FOOT PATROL UNITS FROM CAR PATROLS WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY ALTER CRIME RATES. IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE PROJECT GOALS, FOOT PATROL UNITS WERE INSTITUTED ON A TEN HOUR DAY, FOUR DAY WEEK BASIS. THE EVALUATION METHODOLOGY INVOLVED MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF ASSAULT, ROBBERY, BURGLARY, AND AUTO-THEFT CRIME RATES AND RELATING THESE TO CITY-WIDE STATISTICS. THESE RATES ARE BASED ON TWENTY-FOUR HOUR DAYS AND SEVEN DAY WEEKS. EVALUATORS BELIEVE THIS TO BE JUSTIFIABLE SINCE THE EXACT TIMES AT WHICH MANY OF THESE CRIMES ARE COMMITED CANNOT ALWAYS BE DETERMINED, AND THE DUTIES OF THE FOOT-PATROL UNITS INCLUDE SCHEDULING THEIR COVERAGE FOR PEAK CRIME TIME PERIODS. THE RESULTS OF THE PROJECT REVEALED THAT WHILE CRIME RATES DROPPED DURING THE FIRST YEAR, WHEN THE UNITS CONCENTRATED ON HIGH-VISIBILITY DETERRENCE, THE RATES INCREASED WHEN A SHIFT WAS MADE TO FULL RESPONSIBILITY. PRELIMINARY DATA INDICATE THAT A RETURN TO MODIFIED HIGH VISIBILITY HAS SHOWN IMPROVED RESULTS BUT CONSTITUTES A THREAT TO OFFICER MORALE.