NCJ Number
54543
Date Published
1977
Length
22 pages
Annotation
CHANGES IN POLICE OPERATIONS AND PATROL PROCEDURES WHICH HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED TO HELP ENGLAND AND WALES COPE WITH RISING CRIME RATES ARE REVIEWED. POLICING EXPERIMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE COMMENTED UPON.
Abstract
CRIME IS DEFINED AS DESIRE PLUS OPPORTUNITY. IT IS POINTED OUT THAT THIS IS AN OVERSIMPLIFICATION, BUT THAT THOSE WHO WISH TO REDUCE CRIME OFTEN FAIL TO FOCUS ON THESE BASICS. SINCE POLICING CANNOT AFFECT DESIRE, IT MUST FOCUS ON REDUCTION OF OPPORTUNITY. A BRIEF HISTORICAL REVIEW FINDS THAT DURING TIMES OF A STRONG CENTRAL GOVERNMENT WHICH INSTITUTES CURFEWS AND STRICT MEASURES, CRIME DROPS. CITIZENS MUST REALIZE THAT WHEN THEY CALL FOR STRONGER POLICE MEASURES, THEY ARE, IN EFFECT, CALLING FOR A GENERAL CURTAILMENT OF LIBERTIES. SHORT OF SUCH CURTAILMENT, THE MOST EFFECTIVE DETERRENT IS A PERCEIVED POLICE PRESENCE. THE REMOVAL OF THE 'BOBBY FROM THE BEAT' BY SPECIALIZATION, MODERN MOBILE PATROL METHODS, AND SHIFTS IN POLICE EMPHASIS ARE EXAMINED TOGETHER WITH THE POSSIBLE EFFECT ON OPPORTUNITY TO COMMIT CRIME. BOTH SIDES OF THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING THE MODERNIZATION AND SPECIALIZATION OF THE BRITISH POLICE FORCE ARE REVIEWED. A NUMBER OF AMERICAN POLICING EXPERIMENTS ARE DESCRIBED, INCLUDING TEAM POLICING, COMPUTERIZED MANPOWER DEPLOYMENT, AND SPECIAL FORCES DEPLOYMENT. THE BRITISH POLICE SYSTEM IS URGED TO EXPERIMENT. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT POLICE OFFICERS BE ASSIGNED TO DUTY AT THOSE TIMES AND ON THOSE DAYS WHEN CRIME RATES ARE THE HIGHEST. MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES SHOULD BE DEVELOPED TO MAKE THE MOST OF SCARCE MANPOWER RESOURCES. DATA SHOULD BE GATHERED TO DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF RESOURCES NEEDED FOR EFFECTIVE POLICING. THESE MANAGEMENT RESPONSES ARE CALLED THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEANS AVAILABLE TO REDUCE OPPORTUNITY FOR CRIME. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS APPENDED. (GLR)