PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT - SUMMARY OF FINDINGS FOR POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS

• NCJ Number: 54512
• Author(s): J M STEVENS; T C WEBSTER; A H MAGOUN
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 32 pages
• Grant Number(s): G00-75-0204
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; Pennsylvania State University
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

PROJECTS TO IMPROVE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT PRODUCTIVITY WERE INITIATED IN PENNSYLVANIA AND CONNECTICUT TO EVALUATE DEMAND FOR SERVICE AND RESPONSE TO SERVICE DEMAND.

Abstract

THE STRATEGY EMPLOYED IN THE THREE PROJECTS, TWO IN PENNSYLVANIA, AND ONE IN CONNECTICUT, RELIED ON DATA ALREADY AVAILABLE IN AGENCY FILES. GREAT VARIATIONS WERE OBSERVED IN THE QUALITY OF DATA FOUND IN THESE FILES. TO ANALYZE THE DATA, THE STATISTICAL PACKAGE FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCES TECHNIQUE WAS USED. THE ANALYSIS FOCUSED ON PERFORMANCE, RESOURCE UTILIZATION, QUALITY OF DATA, AND IMPACT OF AGENCY ACTIVITIES BY EXAMINING UNIVARIATE FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS. THE RESULTS OF ANALYSIS INDICATED RELATIVE DEMANDS FOR SERVICE, TYPES OF SITUATIONS FOUND, UTILIZATION OF MANPOWER AND EQUIPMENT, AND IMPACT OF RESPONSES TO CALLS FOR SERVICE. THE FOUR CLASSES OF VARIABLES INCORPORATED IN UNIVARIATE ANALYSIS (TIME AND LOCATION, SITUATION, RESOURCE, AND IMPACT VARIABLES) WERE EMPLOYED SUBSEQUENTLY IN BIVARIATE AND ELABORATION ANALYSES. IT WAS OBSERVED THAT SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OF ACCURATE DATA FILES PROVIDES A MEANS FOR ADMINISTRATORS TO EVALUATE THE NEED FOR PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT IN AGENCIES LOCATED IN MEDIUM-SIZE CITIES. WHENEVER MANAGEMENT CAN MANIPULATE LEVELS AND TYPES OF RESOURCES, PERSONNEL, AND EQUIPMENT TO RESPOND TO SERVICE DEMANDS OR WHEN THE FREQUENCY OR SEVERITY OF SERVICE CALLS CAN BE MODIFIED WITHOUT LOWERING THE QUALITY OR RESPONSE AND EFFECTIVENESS, SUCH ANALYSIS CAN BE BENIFICIAL. BASED ON THE EVALUATION OF POLICE DATA, THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE: (1)IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF DATA FOR USE BY MANAGEMENT THROUGH IMPLEMENTING MORE PRECISE REPORTING AND REPORT CONTROL PROCEDURES; (2) ESTABLISH THE OBJECTIVE OF REDUCING RESPONSE TIME TO UNDER 3 MINUTES FOR 90 PERCENT OF EMERGENCY CALLS; (3) DEVISE PROCEDURES FOR UTILIZING NONSWORN PERSONNEL TO HANDLE AND FOLLOW UP ON SUCH ACTIVITIES AS PARKING VIOLATIONS, FAMILY DISPUTES, AND GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS; AND (4) CONCENTRATE PATROL RESOURCES IN SPECIFIED CENSUS TRACTS BY CERTAIN TIME INTERVALS OF THE DAY, SINCE CALLS INVOLVING THEFT, BURGLARY, DISORDERLY CONDUCT, AND VANDALISM HAD DISCERNIBLE PATTERNS OF OCCURRENCE.