NCJ Number
144090
Date Published
1993
Length
97 pages
Annotation
The risk of exposure to communicable diseases, including tuberculosis and AIDS, has emerged as a major concern for law enforcement officers in California.
Abstract
This futures study examined the impact of immigration- borne communicable diseases on police agencies by the year 2003. The five trends identified in this study as being most important to forecasting included the availability of State and county health care services, illegal immigration to the U.S. from Latin America and the Pacific Rim, isolation of prisoners at the Los Angeles County jail who have active communicable diseases, California's State worker compensation system, and the importation of socioeconomic levels and cultural values. In addition, five events were rated as most important to the issue: collapse of State and county health care systems, mandated training and use of protective equipment for all police personnel at risk of exposure, private hospitals issue a policy of refusal to treat indigents suffering from communicable diseases, the county jail refuses to accept prisoners with active communicable diseases, and the jail initiates a daily charge for care of prisoners with active communicable diseases. Based on this analysis, strategic management and transitional management plans are recommended. 5 tables, 4 notes, and 37 references