NCJ Number
15178
Date Published
1970
Length
12 pages
Annotation
EXPERIMENT WHICH TESTED THE POLICE THEORY THAT AN ADEQUATE POLICE FORCE PROPERLY SUPERVISED CAN EFFECTIVELY REDUCE CRIME AND MAINTAIN LAW AND ORDER.
Abstract
THIS FOUR-MONTH EXPERIMENT TOOK PLACE IN 1954 IN NEW YORK CITY'S 25TH PRECINCT IN MANHATTAN, AN AREA WITH A VERY CRIME RATE. INCREASED POLICE PERSONNEL, INCLUDING FOOT PATROLMEN, DETECTIVES, TRAFFIC, EMERGENCY AND SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL WERE ASSIGNED TO THE PRECINCT. A SPECIAL JUVENILE AID BUREAU AND A SPECIAL NARCOTIC SQUAD WERE ALSO ESTABLISHED. AN IN-SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM WAS ALSO SET UP, USING 4 INSTRUCTORS FROM THE POLICE ACADEMY. COMPARED TO THE SAME PERIOD IN 1953, THE NUMBER OF FELONIES REPORTED DECREASED 55.6 PERCENT, TOTAL CRIME COMPLAINTS DECREASED 27.5 PERCENT, AND ARRESTS INCREASED BY ONE-THIRD. PRECINCT RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSMEN ALSO BECAME MORE RELAXED AND CONFIDENT DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF MORE UNIFORMED PATROLMEN ON THE STREETS.