NCJ Number
82767
Date Published
1981
Length
59 pages
Annotation
The manual provides law enforcement agencies with simplified techniques which have been proven in field testing and implementation and which are intended for the analysis and design of communications dispatching operations.
Abstract
Derived from queuing theory, these analysis techniques have been successfully applied in over 20 law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. Graphs and tables presented with the explanations of the techniques permit the user to concentrate on the design of the system and to implement the techniques using only simple arithmetic. The three fundamental system design issues are the number of incoming telephone lines required, the number of telephone operators required, and the number of radio channels and/or dispatchers required. Communications traffic, the skill levels of personnel, and desired system performance all affect decisions in these areas. Once these issues are resolved, other issues can be addressed, including the measurement of system response time, the measurement of the use of the system, the identification of bottlenecks, realistic performance standards, and staffing. The manual defines the basic set of data required to carry out a system performance analysis and provides methodologies for gathering this data. Sample cases are presented to illustrate the use of the techniques. The sources and limitations of the analytic approach are also discussed. Tables and figures are provided. (Author summary modified)