NCJ Number
50322
Date Published
1977
Length
64 pages
Annotation
THE POLICE ARE CRITICIZED IN SELECTED AREAS OF OPERATION, ORGANIZATION, AND ADMINISTRATION.
Abstract
IN CRITICIZING POLICE ORGANIZATION, THE RATIO BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF POLICE AND THE POPULATION IS EXAMINED, AND TABLES OF STATISTICS RELATING TO THIS CONCERN ARE PRESENTED. CAREER PROSPECTS FOR POLICE PERSONNEL IN VARIOUS JURISDICTIONS ARE CONSIDERED, AND THE PROS AND CONS OF FEMALES SERVING AS POLICE ARE PRESENTED. SOME DISCUSSION IS ALSO GIVEN TO POLICE SELECTION AND PERFORMANCE PREDICTION PROCEDURES. THE PERCENTAGES OF PERSONNEL ASSIGNED TO VARIOUS DUTIES WITHIN DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS ARE GIVEN ATTENTION AS WELL. UNDER THE GENERAL TOPIC OF ADMINISTRATION, COMPLAINTS AGAINST POLICE, POLICE CORRUPTION, AND PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARD THE POLICE ARE CRITICIZED. ASPECTS OF POLICE DISCIPLINE AND THE COMPLAINT PROCESS ARE DISCUSSED, AND A TABLE IS INCLUDED TO SHOW COMPLAINT RESOLUTION PROCEDURES BY POLICE JURISDICTION, FUNCTION, AND NONCOMMISSIONED RANK. OMBUDSMAN PROGRAMS ARE ALSO GIVEN CONSIDERATION. RESULTS FROM A 1967 POLL OF THE AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND PUBLICS CONCERNING ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE ARE REPORTED. IN VIEWING THE GENERAL TOPIC OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF POLICE OPERATIONS, THE FUNCTIONS AND PATTERNS OF POLICE PATROL ARE EXAMINED: AND THE QUALITY AND USE OF CRIME STATISTICS ARE ALSO EXPLORED. IT IS GENERALLY CONCLUDED THAT LEVELS OF POLICE PERFORMANCE IN AUSTRALIA VARY BETWEEN JURISDICTIONS AND THE OVERALL LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE IS SATISFACTORY. (RCB)