NCJ Number
50947
Journal
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Dated: (SPRING 1978) Pages: 11-21
Date Published
1978
Length
11 pages
Annotation
THE CASH BENEFITS AND THE INTANGIBLE BENEFITS OF HELICOPTER PATROL EXCEED THE MARGINAL COSTS OF IMPLEMENTING AND MAINTAINING THE PATROL PROCEDURE.
Abstract
THE DOCUMENT REVIEWS A BURGLARY PREVENTION PROGRAM WHICH UTILIZED PATROL HELICOPTERS FOR HIGH POLICE VISIBILITY IN AN AREA OF CHRONICALLY HIGH BURGLARY LEVELS IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE. THE HELICOPTER USE WAS VALIDATED BY COMPARING BURGLARY LEVELS DURING FIVE PERIODS, THREE WHICH CONSISTED OF CAR PATROL ONLY, AND TWO WHICH ADDED HELICOPTER SURVEILLANCE TO THE CAR PATROL DURING THE HOURS OF GREATEST POTENTIAL BURGLARIES. REPORTS OF BURGLARIES WERE CROSS-CHECKED AGAINST SUPPLEMENTAL REPORTS BY DETECTIVES. A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP WAS FOUND BETWEEN THE HELICOPTER PATROL AND THE REDUCED LEVELS OF BURGLARY. THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF BURGLARIES DURING THE FIRST PERIOD OF CAR PATROL WAS 0.89 PER DAY; DURING THE FIRST PERIOD OF HELICOPTER INTERVENTION IT WAS REDUCED TO 0.33. THE SECOND PERIOD OF CAR PATROL SAW THE LEVEL INCREASE TO 0.95, AND THEN RETURN TO 0.33 DURING THE SUBSEQUENT PERIOD OF HELICOPTER SUPPLEMENTATION. FOLLOWING THE RETURN TO CAR PATROLS ONLY, THE BURGLARY RATE ROSE TO 1.22 PER DAY. THERE WAS NO APPARENT CHANGE IN THE BURGLARY RATE IN AREAS SURROUNDING THE TEST SITE DURING THE EXPERIMENTAL PERIOD, NOR ANY INDICATION OF DISPLACEMENT IN BURGLARY LEVELS TO OTHER CRIMES WITHIN THE TEST SITE. THE DOCUMENT DISCUSSES THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COST BENEFITS OF THE HELICOPTER PATROL, EXAMINING THE DIRECT COST OF MAINTAINING THE AIRCRAFT, THE SAVINGS TO THE PUBLIC IN INSURANCE PREMIUMS, AND THE FEELINGS BY THE PUBLIC OF INCREASED SECURITY. THE EXPERIMENT SUPPORTS THE USE OF RESOURCES IN TESTING THE FEASIBILITY OF HELICOPTER PATROL PROCEDURES BY POLICE DEPARTMENTS THAT ALREADY OWN HELICOPTERS. NOTES AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. SUPPORTING DATA ARE TABULATED AND ILLUSTRATED GRAPHICALLY. (TWK)