NCJ Number
249019
Date Published
February 1999
Length
72 pages
Annotation
This is the Police Foundation's final report on its evaluation of the organization and operation of the Atlantic City (New Jersey) Department of Public Safety and recommendations for improving police services and the overall management of the police and other public safety services.
Abstract
The report's overall conclusion is that the Department of Public Safety and its operating units provide high-quality public safety services to the city's residents and visitors. From fire prevention and suppression to hurricane evacuation planning and ocean rescues, the Department and its operating units are highly regarded. This report, however, focuses on the overall organization and operations of the Police Division of the Department of Public Safety. Based largely on the priorities set by the Director of Public Safety and the Chief of Police, areas that need attention are the absence of a system for evaluating the performance of individual police officers; lack of coordination among departmental units; outdated and incomplete rules and regulations; and inadequate training programs and opportunities. One section of the report addresses findings and recommendations on the Department of Public Safety's organization and operations. This section focuses on the overall organization of the Department of Public Safety as well as the organization and operations of the Police Division. Another section of the report presents findings and recommendation on the protocols affecting police operations, i.e., policies, rules, regulations, and general orders of the Police Division. A third section of the report presents findings and recommendation on community support for public safety by reviewing newspaper coverage as a benchmark for gauging community support for police operations. The report concludes with an evaluation of the city's 3-2-1 police officer residency program, which provides mortgage assistance and take-home cars to qualifying officers. Appended supplementary details of evaluation products