NCJ Number
132904
Date Published
1991
Length
374 pages
Annotation
In this analysis of the transformation of the police department in Troy, N.Y., the author explains a set of standards by which the quality of police service can be judged and services improved over the long term.
Abstract
The study is organized around problems in the provision of quality police service. The first of four major parts of the book inquires into the development of professional police officers and their service to citizens. A core chapter describes management steps that convey the message that both police officers and the people they serve matter. Another chapter discusses patrol through an examination of the variety of problems that citizens have brought to police officers, the officers' use of discretion, and the sources of citizen satisfaction with police service. Part I concludes with a proposal to change the organizational design of police departments in accordance with the hospital model. The three chapters in Part II address crime control. Arrest rates are discussed as are the management of arrestees and the results of subsequent court cases. Another chapter suggests alternatives to counter crime, such as crime prevention and victim assistance. Reduction in the fear of crime is also discussed. Part III focuses on police power with attention to police malpractice, police union power, and the difference between political accountability and political interference. Part IV explores relations between individual officers and the citizens they service and weighs issues of fairness both in law enforcement and service provision. Appended questions for each chapter, 10 figures, 25 tables, 420-item bibliography, and subject index