PROBLEMS OF DEFINITION AND MEASUREMENT OF POLICE PRODUCTIVITY (FROM WORKSHOP ON POLICE PRODUCTIVITY AND PERFORMANCE, 1980, BY PETER ENGSTAD AND MICHELE LIOY SEE NCJ-71054)

• NCJ Number: 66694
• Author(s): R F LUNNEY
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 6 pages
• Corporate Author: Canada Solicitor General
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

POLICE PRODUCTIVITY SHOULD BE MEASURED BY AN ARRAY OF INTERDEPENDENT INDICATORS WITH APPLICATION TO ALL ACTIVITIES, TO A PERFORMANCE BUDGETING SYSTEM, TO PLANNING SCHEMES, AND TO IDENTIFYING TRENDS.

Abstract

THE DEMAND FOR INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY IN POLICE DEPARTMENTS HAS BEEN COUNTERED BY THE PROBLEMS IN MEASURING SUCH PRODUCTIVITY. UNIFORM CRIME REPORTING HAS BEEN PLAGUED WITH VARYING DEFINITIONS AND CONDITIONS. VARIATIONS IN DATA LOSS FROM JURISDICTION TO JURISDICTION HAVE COMPOUNDED THE CONFUSION, AND CRIME STATISTIC CREDIBILITY HAS SUFFERED FROM INAPPROPRIATE USE. A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO THESE PROBLEMS INVOLVES A PERFORMANCE INDICATOR SYSTEM WHICH MAY VARY ACCORDING TO BUDGETARY OR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE. ALLOCATION OF INDICATORS WOULD BE TO THREE FUNCTIONS OF A POLICE DEPARTMENT: OPERATIONS, INFORMATION, AND ADMINISTRATION. OPERATIONAL INDICATORS WOULD INCLUDE RESPONSE, TRAVEL, SERVICE, AND UTILIZATION TIMES; CRIME STATISTICS AND CRIME RATES; CASE LOADS; CRIME CLEARANCE RATES; VICTIMIZATION STUDIES; AND PUBLIC ATTITUDE SURVEYS, IF SCIENTIFICALLY DESIGNED AND CONSISTENTLY APPLIED. INFORMATIONAL PERFORMANCE INDICATORS WOULD BE CONCERNED WITH TIMELINESS AND ACCURACY; E.G., DISPATCH DELAY WITHIN A COMMUNICATIONS UNIT OR RESPONSE TIME TO REQUESTS FOR WANTED PERSONS. ADMINISTRATIVE PERFORMANCE INDICATORS COULD INCLUDE THE STATE OF SYSTEM INTERACTION BETWEEN UNITS, THE DEGREE OF TEAMWORK EVIDENT AND THE DEGREE TO WHICH A CLIMATE OF OPTIMISM PREVAILS. BUDGET INDICATORS APPLY UNIVERSALLY TO ALL FUNCTIONS. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A PERFORMANCE INDICATOR SYSTEM WITHIN A DEPARTMENT MUST BE REGARDED AS LONG TERM. A DEPARTMENT SHOULD BEGIN BY MEASURING UNITS, THEREBY PROMOTING TEAMWORK AND UNITY. STANDARDS SHOULD BE DEVELOPED REGARDING PROFESSIONAL EXPECTATIONS, AND CONTINUING EVALUATION SHOULD MEASURE ACHIEVEMENT OF GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, ALTHOUGH GOEGRAPHIC AND OPERATIONAL DIFFERENCES MAKE INTERJURISDICTIONAL COMPARISONS MISLEADING AND USELESS. FINALLY, AS PUBLIC OPINION IS CURRENTLY DIFFICULT TO MEASURE, ATTENTION SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO A DEPARTMENT'S SUCCESS IN SOLVING MAJOR CASES AND THE DEGREE OF COURTESY AND DISCIPLINES. TWELVE REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (MHP)