NCJ Number
31961
Date Published
1974
Length
141 pages
Annotation
REPORT ON THE RESULTS OF A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW SURVEY OF PERSONS WHO CALLED THE POLICE TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE AND FOR WHOM A DISPATCH CARD WAS PREPARED.
Abstract
THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION WHICH WOULD ASSIST PROJECT STAFF IN DEVELOPING A PLAN FOR CONSOLIDATING POLICE SERVICE IN THE COUNTY. IT FOCUSED ON FOUR MAIN AREAS - THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE CALLING THE POLICE FOR VARIOUS KINDS OF SERVICES; DIFFERENCES IN CLIENTELE SERVED BY THE VARIOUS AGENCIES; THE TYPES OF SERVICES ACTUALLY PROVIDED TO THE CLIENTS, AND AN EVALUATION OF THE SERVICES THEY RECEIVED. THE POLICE AGENCIES INVOLVED IN THIS STUDY WERE THE CITY OF PORTLAND POLICE BUREAU, THE MULTNOMAH COUNTY DIVISION OF PUBLIC SAFETY, AND THE CITY OF GRESHAM POLICE DEPARTMENT. STUDY INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED FROM TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS WITH A SAMPLE OF PERSONS WHO HAD CALLED THESE THREE AGENCIES FOR ASSISTANCE DURING JANUARY, FEBRUARY, OR MARCH OF 1974. SURVEY DATA IS REPORTED IN 38 TABLES. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS ARE USED FOR THE DATA ANALYSIS. RESULTS ARE RATED AS SAMPLE PROPORTIONS RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS. THE NON-PARAMETRIC STATISTIC CHI-SQUARE WAS USED TO TEST FOR SIGNIFICANCE OF SUBGROUP DIFFERENCES. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS A COPY OF THE 39-ITEM POLICE-CLIENT QUESTIONNAIRE, AN ITEM-BY-ITEM TABULATION OF QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES, A REPORT ON THE MONITORING OF THE DISPATCHING PROCESS IN THE THREE POLICE AGENCIES, AND EXCERPTS FROM A REPORT ON PORTLAND CITIZEN ATTITUDES REGARDING THE PROPER ROLE OF THE POLICE OFFICER IN SOCIETY.