NCJ Number
44086
Date Published
1977
Length
69 pages
Annotation
THE PRIMARY CONCERN OF THE STUDY WAS TO PRODUCE RESEARCH FINDINGS THAT OFFER GUIDANCE TO FUTURE POLICE INTERAGENCY PROGRAMMING EFFORTS.
Abstract
POLICE OFFICERS EMPLOYED BY THE UNNAMED MIDWESTERN COMMUNITY UNDER STUDY HAVE ESTABLISHED WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH SUPPORT AGENCY PERSONNEL BY VARIOUS MEDIA OF INTERACTION AND REFERRAL OF CLIENTS. POLICE INTERACTION WAS HIGHEST WITH JUVENILE PROBATION, TO A LESSER DEGREE WITH DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICE PERSONNEL, AND ONLY OCCASIONALLY WITH COMMUNITY ACTION AGAINST POVERTY PERSONNEL. REFERRAL ACTIVITY WAS FOUND TO BE LOW WITH ALL THREE SUPPORT AGENCIES. IN DEVELOPING FUTURE POLICE INTERAGENCY PROGRAMS OR POLICIES, THE RESULTS STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT EMPHASIS SHOULD BE PLACED ON MECHANISMS WHICH MAY INCREASE AGENCY INTERACTION AND RESOURCE UTILIZATION BY ENCOURAGING PERSONNEL TO GET TO KNOW PERSONALLY AS MANY STAFF MEMBERS IN OTHER AGENCIES AS POSSIBLE. THIS MAY BE ACCOMPLISHED BY ESTABLISHING INTERAGENCY TRAINING PROGRAMS, INTERAGENCY PROGRAM-SOLVING TASK FORCES, ETC. THE FINDINGS ALSO SUGGEST THAT POLICE INTERAGENCY PROGRAMMING OR POLICY DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE EXTENT OF DISPARITY IN OPERATING PHILOSOPHIES ALONG A PUNITIVE-TREATMENT DIMENSION. THE ANALYSIS FURTHER REVEALED THAT OFFICER PERCEPTION OF THE VALUE OF INTERAGENCY INTEGRATION SEEMED TO REPLACE DISPARITY IN OPERATION PHILOSOPHIES IN REGARD TO REFERRAL TO TWO COMMUNITY-ORIENTED AGENCIES. THIS SUGGESTS THAT PROGRAM AND POLICE DEVELOPMENT CONCERNED WITH RESOURCE UTILIZATION OF COMMUNITY TYPE AGENCIES SHOULD POSSIBLY SHIFT ITS FOCUS TO INTERAGENCY INTEGRATION. NOTES, REFERENCES, AND SAMPLE QUESTIONNAIRES ARE APPENDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).