NCJ Number
13500
Date Published
1972
Length
282 pages
Annotation
A DECISION-MAKING SYSTEM DESIGNED TO HELP POLICE IDENTIFY FIELD POLICING SERVICE LEVELS AND MEASURES, TO DETERMINE MANPOWER AND COST REQUIREMENTS, AND TO ANALYZE BENEFITS AND COSTS OF ALTERNATIVE FIELD POLICING METHODS.
Abstract
THIS STUDY REPRESENTS, IN PART, A CASE STUDY OF THE FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE PASADENA POLICE DEPARTMENT WHICH WAS USED TO ANALYZE THE NATURE AND TYPES OF FIELD POLICING SERVICES PROVIDED, WORKLOADS AND MANPOWER UTILIZATION, STEPS TAKEN TO IMPROVE FIELD SERVICES, AND HOW DECISIONS WERE MADE REGARDING SERVICE LEVELS AND FIELD POLICING RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS. BASED ON THIS AND OTHER RESEARCH STUDIES, A PERFORMANCE AND COST DECISION-MAKING SYSTEM HAS BEED DEVELOPED. THIS SYSTEM CONSISTS OF 14 ANALYTICAL TASKS, AND THE PURPOSE, METHODOLOGY, TASK COMPLETION RESPONSIBILITY AND IMPORT CONSIDERATIONS WHICH AFFECT DECISION-MAKING IN EACH OF THESE ANALYTICAL TASKS ARE DESCRIBED. A BENEFIT AND COST METHODOLOGY TO ANALYZE ALTERNATIVE FIELD POLICING APPROACHES AND METHODS IS ALSO DESCRIBED. ONCE THIS PERFORMANCE-COST DECISION-MAKING METHODOLOGY WAS DEVELOPED, IT WAS TESTED, ON A SUMMARY BASIS, FOR THE CITIES OF PASADENA AND COMMERCE, CALIFORNIA. IN ADDITION, THE METHODOLOGY PROPOSED FOR ANALYZING THE BENEFITS AND COSTS OF POLICE SERVICE APPROACHES WAS TESTED BY EVALUATING ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF REDUCING RESPONSE TIMES IN PASADENA. FINALLY, THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS PERFORMANCE-COST DECISION-MAKING SYSTEM FOR CONTRACT CITIES IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY WERE ASSESSED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)