Measuring a Police Organization's Effectiveness - A Case for Improving Job Satisfaction

• NCJ Number: 81443
• Journal: FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 51 Issue: 2 Dated: (February 1982) Pages: 16-20
• Author(s): D H Ericsson
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 5 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article discusses the use of the case clearance rate by the Culver City Police Department (California) as a primary measure of police effectiveness and as a means of increasing job satisfaction.

Abstract

The case clearance rate is the number of reported crimes in relation to the number of cases cleared by identifying the persons responsible. Having used case clearance rate as one of the three measures of organizational effectiveness since 1978 (morale and response time are the other two measures), the Culver City Police Department has found that officer morale has increased since the Department has found that officer morale has increased since the Department has targeted case clearance as a primary organizational goal. The Department measures its progress by comparing current case clearance percentages with previous ones. To accomplish this, a control ledger is maintained by the detective division. Before forwarding a report to a specific detail, the detective division supervisor logs in the ledger the daily report number; the type of crime committed; the investigator assigned; and appropriate case information, such as suspects, descriptions, or license numbers. The case clearance chart is another tool used to record progress and increase accountability in case clearance. Each officer assigned to the detective division has a composite chart depicting the case clearance rate by month from January 1, 1979, to the present. These charts show the total number of crimes for each month and the clearance rate for each month. Emphasis of case clearance to investigators to investigators ultimately results in more communication between the detective division and the operations division and increases efforts to collect evidence and locate and interview witnesses. Charts showing the clearance rate for the Department from 1979 through 1981 are provided. One footnote is supplied.