NCJ Number
15571
Date Published
1973
Length
224 pages
Annotation
EVALUATION OF IMPROVEMENT IN POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS, OF EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY OF POLICE, AND OF POLICE JOB SATISFACTION AND MORALE IN THE HOLYOKE TEAM POLICE EXPERIMENT.
Abstract
TWO TEAMS ONLY WERE EVALUATED, SINCE THE OTHERS HAD BEEN IN OPERATION FOR TOO SHORT A PERIOD TO ALLOW ASSESSMENT. BOTH TEAMS DEMONSTRATED SUCCESS IN ACHIEVING THE FIRST TWO PROJECT GOALS. IMPROVEMENT IN POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS WAS ASSESSED BY ATTITUDE SURVEYS OF AREA RESIDENTS. THESE INDICATED FEELINGS OF GREATER SECURITY AND OF RECEIVING BETTER SERVICE WITH TEAM POLICING. THESE RESULTS WERE COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS YEAR EVALUATION RESULTS. IMPROVED EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS WERE SHOWN BY DECREASES IN CRIME RATES WHEN COMPARED TO INCREASING CRIME RATES FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE. CLEARANCE RATES FOR TEAMS WERE VERY GOOD, AND WERE FOUND TO BE MUCH HIGHER THAN NATIONAL CLEARANCE RATES. MORALE AND JOB PERFORMANCE WERE FOUND TO BE DIFFICULT TO ASSESS DUE TO LOW MORALE AND CONTROVERSY IN THE DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE. HOWEVER, THE FIRST TEAM CONTINUED TO HAVE A SICK RATE OF ONLY ONE HALF THAT OF THE REST OF THE DEPARTMENT, WHICH COULD INDICATE HIGHER MORALE. THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY INTERVIEWS OF THE TEAM. PROBLEMS HINDERING THE TEAM POLICING CONCEPT IN HOLYOKE ARE ALSO DISCUSSED. FOR APPENDIXES AND SUPPLEMENTAL REPORTS, SEE NCJ-15570.