NCJ Number
60493
Date Published
1979
Length
15 pages
Annotation
MAJOR POLICE RESEARCH PROJECTS AND FINDINGS ARE DESCRIBED FOR THE UNITED STATES.
Abstract
THE PREVENTIVE, PROACTIVE, TECHNOLOGICALLY ORIENTED MODEL OF POLICING SO DOMINANT IN THE UNITED STATES SINCE WORLD WAR II HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY UNDERMINED BY RESEARCH. RESEARCH HAS FAILED TO DEMONSTRATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PREVENTIVE PATROL AS A CRIME-DETERRING AND CRIMINAL-APPREHENSION STRATEGY. RESEARCH HAS ALSO SHOWN THAT SHORT RESPONSE TIME IS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO CITIZEN SATISFACTION OR THE VAST MAJORITY OF CRIMINAL APPREHENSIONS. RESULTS OF RESEARCH TO DATE HAS SHOWN THAT: (1) POLICE OFFICERS HAVE LARGE AMOUNTS OF NONCOMMITTED TIME AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE POLICE SERVICES IN RESPONSE TO CITIZEN NEEDS; (2) OPPORTUNITIES EXIST TO RESPOND MORE DISCRIMINATELY TO CALLS FOR SERVICE; (3) INFORMATION GAINED FROM CITIZENS IS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE IN CRIMINAL APPREHENSION; (4) THE PROMISE OF TEAM POLICING, IN SPITE OF ITS TENDENCY NOT TO BE ACCEPTED OR EFFECTIVELY DEVELOPED IN POLICE AGENCIES, NEEDS FURTHER EXPERIMENTATION AND INVESTIGATION INTO ORGANIZATIONAL RESISTANCE TO MAINTAINING IT; (5) THE RESEARCH INTO THE COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF ONE-PERSON AND TWO-PERSON CARS, INTERPRETED CONSERVATIVELY, MEANS THAT IN SOME PLACES AND AT SOME TIMES, ONE-PERSON CARS ARE AT LEAST AS SAFE AND PRODUCTIVE AS TWO-PERSON CARS AND AT LESS COST; AND (6) THE RESEARCH ON WOMEN IN POLICING SUGGESTS THAT A WIDE VARIETY OF TYPES OF PEOPLE CAN BE COMPETENT POLICE OFFICERS. EFFECTIVE CHANGES RESULTING FROM THIS RESEARCH POINT TO THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH FOR POLICE ORGANIZATIONS. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. (RCB)