NCJ Number
45756
Date Published
1978
Length
16 pages
Annotation
TWO COMPONENTS USING PART-TIME STUDENTS TO SUPPLEMENT PATROL OFFICERS IN COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS ARE EVALUATED, AND PROBLEMS ARE CITED
Abstract
THE GOVERNOR'S COMMISSION ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE (GCCJ) OF DELAWARE FUNDED TWO EXPERIMENTAL PROJECTS IN THE CITY OF NEWARK WHICH USED PART-TIME COLLEGE STUDENTS TO AUGMENT SWORN OFFICERS IN COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. IN THE COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICER (CSO) PROGRAM ONLY ONE PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE WAS STATED AND THAT WAS TO HAVE THE CSOS WORK AN AVERAGE OF 80 TO 160 HOURS (COMBINED) PER WEEK ON VARIOUS COMMUNITY RELATIONS OR SERVICE-ORIENTED POLICE WORK. FOUR TARGET GROUPS WERE TO BE REACHED: JUVENILES, UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE STUDENTS, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, AND SENIOR CITIZENS. THOUGH THE HOURS WERE WORKED, ONLY JUVENILES AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY WERE REACHED TO ANY DEPTH. IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE APPLICATION WAS SO POORLY WRITTEN THAT EVALUATION IS IMPOSSIBLE. THE ROBBERY PREVENTION OFFICER (RPO) PROGRAM, THOUGH TECHNICALLY CLASSIFIED AS A CONTINUATION OF CSO, WAS A DISTINCT EFFORT. THE ONLY SIMILARITY WAS THE USE OF PART-TIME COLLEGE STUDENTS. OBJECTIVES WERE TO PROVIDE 30 HOURS OF TRAINING TO THE RPOS, WHO WOULD THEN CONTACT FIVE BUSINESSES PER WEEK TO ASSIST IN ROBBERY PREVENTION PROGRAMS, TO HAVE 130 HOURS PER WEEK OF ROBBERY PREVENTION PATROL, AND TO REDUCE ROBBERY IN THE CITY BY 20 PERCENT. ALTHOUGH THE RPO PROGRAM HAS BEEN IN OPERATION ONLY 5 MONTHS, THERE HAVE BEEN ONLY 6 ROBBERIES DURING THAT TIME COMPARED TO 14 IN THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1976, AND THE RPOS HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR APPREHENSION OF AT LEAST 4 SUSPECTS. THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE IS THAT THE PART-TIME STUDENTS OBTAINED AT $3 AN HOUR HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FREE PATROL OFFICERS FOR INVESTIGATIVE AND OTHER POLICE WORK. THE SAVING IS ABOUT 49 PERCENT PER MAN HOUR. BOTH OFFICERS IN CHARGE AND THE STUDENTS FELT THE MAJOR PROGRAM BENEFITS WERE IN POLICE/COMMUNITY RELATIONS, ASSISTANCE TO SWORN OFFICERS, IDENTIFYING RECRUITS, AND INTERESTING YOUNG PEOPLE IN POLICE WORK. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE GCCJ CONTINUE FUNDING THE ROBBERY PREVENTION PROGRAM BECAUSE INITIAL REPORTS INDICATE THAT IT IS ACHIEVING A CRIME PREVENTION FUNCTION. HOWEVER, THE COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM IS CALLED BEYOND THE FUNCTION OF GCCJ FUNDS, EVEN THOUGH IT MAY HAVE HAD COMMUNITY RELATIONS VALUE. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT CONTINUATION OF A COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM USE INTERNS FROM AREA COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES SIMILAR TO PROGRAMS WHICH HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED FOR STUDENT TEACHING. (GLR)