NCJ Number
63390
Date Published
1979
Length
333 pages
Annotation
WHEN THE RESULTS OF POLICE RULEMAKING WERE MEASURED QUANTITATIVELY, FINDINGS SHOWED THAT GUIDELINES SHOULD BE DEVELOPED FOR RESPONDING TO COMMON POLICE PROBLEMS AND FOR DETERMINING, IN PARTICULAR, WHEN TO ARREST.
Abstract
THIS FINAL REPORT ON THE STUDY OF POLICE POLICYMAKING BY THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT (BPD) HAD FOUR MAJOR OBJECTIVES: (1) TO DEVELOP GUIDELINES IN SENSITIVE AREAS AFFECTING BOTH THE DETECTIVE AND THE PATROL FUNCTION, INCLUDING SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT OF THE CRIMINAL LAW; (2) TO EVALUATE THE PROJECT'S GUIDELINE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND TO INSTITUTIONALIZE POLICYMAKING WITHIN THE BPD; (3) TO RECOMMEND NATIONWIDE POLICIES; AND (4) TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE GUIDELINES IN STRUCTURING POLICE DISCRETION IN THE BPD. THREE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE AREAS--SEARCH WARRANTS, MOTOR VEHICLE SEARCHES, AND SEARCHES INCIDENT TO ARREST-WERE SELECTED FOR GUIDELINE DEVELOPMENT IN THE FIRST PROJECT PHASE. THREE ADDITIONAL AREAS, STOP AND FRISK, EYEWITNESS IDENTIFICATION, AND ARREST WERE SELECTED LATER. THE PROJECT ALSO ATTEMPTED TO DEVELOP POLICIES ON THE SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT OF DRUG LAWS. FINDINGS INDICATED THAT POLICE POLICYMAKING SHOULD EMPHASIZE GUIDELINES ON POLICE PROBLEMSOLVING AND SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT, RATHER THAN ON CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE PROCEDURES. THE ABILITY OF A POLICE DEPARTMENT TO ENGAGE IN POLICYMAKING IS INFLUENCED BY THE NATURE OF THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH IT IS LOCATED, THE POWER AND STATUS OF THE DEPARTMENT RELATIVE TO THE CITY GOVERNMENT, AND FISCAL CONSTRAINTS. A LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES, AND TWO APPENDIXES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE GUIDELINES AND THE DRUG PROBLEM IN BOSTON ARE INCLUDED. (AOP)