NCJ Number
51341
Date Published
1978
Length
31 pages
Annotation
THE INTRODUCTION OF PRODUCTIVITY CONCEPTS TO POLICE WORK AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICE MANAGEMENT ARE DISCUSSED, WITH POLICE DATA AS THE MEASURING DEVICE; DATA COLLECTION AND USES ARE EXAMINED.
Abstract
PRODUCTIVITY CONCEPTS ARE RELATIVELY NEW TO POLICE MANAGEMENT. THE INNOVATION HAS BEEN GENERATED BY PROGRESSIVE LEADERSHIP OF A FEW KEY PEOPLE, BY THE RISE IN DEMAND FOR POLICE SERVICES COUPLED WITH TIGHTENING MUNICIPAL BUDGETS, BY THE GREATER DEMAND FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND EFFICIENCY IN GOVERNMENT, AND BY THE ADVENT OF DECISION SCIENCE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. THE ROLE OF POLICE OFFICIALS IS CHANGING, AND THEY ARE BECOMING PROGRESSIVE MANAGERS. PRODUCTIVITY IS THE RATIO OF VALUABLE OUTPUTS TO THE LEVEL OF RESOURCE INPUTS, AND CAN BE MEASURED BY SPECIFYING THE OUTPUTS AND MEASURING THE INPUTS. EFFECTIVENESS, EFFICIENCY, WORKLOAD, ACTIVITY, AND QUALITY ARE SUPPLEMENTARY MEASURES. THE PRODUCTIVITY MEASURE IS ONE OF TWO WAYS TO USE THE PRODUCTIVITY CONCEPT TO IMPROVE POLICE OPERATIONS. ANOTHER WAY IS SIMPLY TO USE A PRODUCTIVITY APPROACH--EMBODYING A CONCERN FOR THE USE OF RESOURCES AND THE ATTAINMENT OF OBJECTIVES WITHOUT DEVELOPING AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO. THE PRODUCTIVITY CONCEPT CAN UPGRADE THE POLICE MANAGERIAL PROCESS BY SUPPLYING MANAGERS WITH INFORMATION PINPOINTING DEPARTMENTAL WEAKNESSES AND BY PROVIDING A MAJOR THRUST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLICE MANAGEMENT SCIENCE. THE TWO MAIN DIMENSIONS IN POLICE MANAGEMENT SCIENCE ARE A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF RESOURCE USE, AND THE DEFINITION AND COLLECTION OF DATA. TO UNDERSTAND RESOURCE USE, A POLICE MANAGER MUST BE FAMILIAR WITH PATROL PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERFORMANCE LEVELS AND ATTAINMENT OF PATROL OBJECTIVES, AND THE CORRELATION BETWEEN PERFORMANCE LEVELS AND OVERALL FUNCTIONS OF A POLICE AGENCY. THE DEFINITION AND COLLECTION OF MANAGEMENT DATA IS IMPORTANT SINCE IT SUPPORTS THE DAY-TO-DAY MANAGEMENT OF OPERATIONS, IS USEFUL IN DEPARTMENTAL POLICE DECISIONMAKING, AND FACILITATES EVALUATION PROJECTS AND INNOVATIONS. THE DATA CAN SUPPORT RESEARCH THAT LEADS TO NEW IDEAS ABOUT, APPROACHES TO, AND UNDERSTANDING OF OF POLICE ACTIVITY. IT ALSO CAN BE USED TO ENHANCE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF POLICE ACTIVITY. AVAILABLE SOURCES OF DATA SUCH AS THE UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS AND METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION SUCH AS SAMPLING ARE NOTED. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--DAG)