PRODME - PRODUCTIVITY MEASUREMENT FOR PATROL OFFICERS WITHIN A CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT

• NCJ Number: 68756
• Journal: Public Productivity Review Volume: 3 Issue: 3 Dated: (WINTER 1979) Pages: 51-66
• Author(s): G K TYLER; C HASTORF
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 16 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

PRODME, AN INTERNAL POLICE MANAGEMENT TOOL FOR MONTHLY EXAMINATION OF POLICE OFFICERS, INVOVES THE AWARDING OF POINTS, PERSON-TO-PERSON VERBAL COMMUNICATION, AND PRODUCTIVITY MEASUREMENT OF CITY POLICE PATROL OFFICERS.

Abstract

FOR THE 18 TO 20 OFFICERS TESTED IN THE PILOT PRODME PROJECT, DAILY PRODUCTIVITY LOGS WERE USED TO RECORD THE FREQUENCY OF ACTIVITIES FOR EACH OFFICER AND AN ANONYMOUS OFFICER'S MONTHLY ACHIEVEMENT REPORT ACTED AS A FEEDBACK INSTRUMENT SHOWING EACH OFFICERS'S TOTAL POINT ACCUMULATION IN COMPARISON WITH THE OTHER OFFICERS. FOR THE LOGS AND REPORTS, A POINT SYSTEM WAS DEVELOPED THAT REFLECTED DEPARTMENT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, SO THAT MORE POINTS WERE AWARDED FOR ACCOMPLISHING ACTIVITIES THAT EMPHASIZED THE GOALS OF THE DEPARTMENT. OFFICERS AND SUPERVISORS CONTRIBUTED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE POINTS SYSTEM, 14 MAIN MEASUREMENT ACTIVITIES AND 5 SPECIAL ACTIVITIES WERE RATED. EACH MONTH, THE FIVE TOP POINT ACHIEVERS WERE ANNOUNCED AT SQUAD BRIEFINGS WHERE THEY RECEIVED VERBAL COMPLIMENTS. THIS WAS A POSITIVE CHANGE FROM THE TRADITIONAL METHOD OF ANNOUNCING THE LOW PRODUCER. EACH MONTH THAT PRODME WAS MONITORED, PRODUCTIVITY (TOTAL POINTS) INCREASED OVER THE PREVIOUS MONTH. ALTHOUGH SOME OF THE INCREASE WAS PROBABLY DUE TO THE HAWTHORNE EFFECT, PRODME SHOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO POLICE DEPARTMENT PROCEDURES. PRODME WAS SHOWN TO BE EASILY ADAPTABLE TO CHANGING DEFINITIONS AND GOALS THROUGH CHANGES IN THE POINT SYSTEM FOR DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES AND PRIORITIES. ALSO, THE PROGRAM IS LOW IN COST OF MANPOWER AND MATERIAL. ON A QUESTIONNAIRE ISSUED TO THE OFFICERS 88 PERCENT OF THEM INDICATED THAT THEY SHOULD BE EVALUATED ON THE FREQUENCY OF THEIR WORK ACTIVITIES. 68 PERCENT FELT THAT PRODME'S GENERAL CONCEPT WAS A GOOD ONE, AND 63 PERCENT FELT THE PROJECT SHOULD BE CONTINUED AS DESIGNED. HOWEVER, 68 PERCENT DID FEEL A NEED FOR REVISIONS IN THE SPECIFIC AREAS BEING MEASURED BY THE SYSTEM AND 68 PERCENT REFLECTED A DESIRE FOR THE PROGRAM TO BE USED THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT. THE ACTIVITIES USED FOR THE PROJECT AND THEIR POINT RATING ARE LISTED AND SEVERAL FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED.