NCJ Number
81040
Date Published
1960
Length
114 pages
Annotation
This survey details the organization, administrative practices, resources, and facilities of Texas municipal police departments and is based on questionnaires completed by 125 cities in 1959.
Abstract
The survey's findings are applicable on a statewide basis because the sample represented 70 percent of the cities with a population of 5,000 or more, approximately 60 percent of the total State population, and 80 percent of the urban population. The report first addresses organizational structure, staffing patterns, department size, organization of the patrol function, and enforcement of parking regulations. Differences between large and small police departments are noted, as well as duties assigned to civilian employees. The discussion of police expenditures emphasizes that larger cities budget more for police purposes -- about 15 percent of their total operating expenditures -- than do smaller jurisdictions. In the area of personnel administration, the study covers civil service systems, recruitment practices, selection mechanisms, training, work schedules, promotion and leave policies, insurance, and pensions. Significant variations among cities were discovered regarding officer recruitment specifications. The report also describes types of records maintained by police departments and their physical facilities. Police chiefs in 38 percent of the cities rated their facilities as inadequate, and 32.2 percent ranked theirs as good, while the remainder were considered adequate or superior. The section on equipment discusses weapons, communications, and motor vehicles. Also reviewed are public relations activities conducted by the police. The report concludes that differences among Texas police departments are more pronounced that similarities and that some efforts to upgrade officer qualifications, recordkeeping, and personnel administration are needed. Organization charts, tables, and approximately 50 references are provided.