NCJ Number
14554
Date Published
1972
Length
105 pages
Annotation
EVALUATION AND DISCUSSION OF THE INITIAL STAGES OF THE BATON ROUGE LONG-RANGE PROGRAM TO REDUCE CRIME.
Abstract
THE STAFF OF THIS PROGRAM CONSISTS OF TWO POLICE OFFICERS AND FOUR CIVILIANS SENT INTO THE COMMUNITY TO ESTABLISH LINES OF COMMUNICATION. SPECIAL EMPAHSIS WAS PLACED ON THE MINORITY BLACK COMMUNITY. THIS TEAM GATHERED INFORMATION REGARDING WAYS IN WHICH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT COULD IMPROVE ITS PERFORMANCE. MOST OF THIS DATA WAS GATHERED IN MEETINGS WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. THE STAFF ALSO PREPARED A QUESTIONNAIRE WHICH WAS DISTRIBUTED TO PEOPLE THEY MET. INDEPENDENT CONSULTANTS COLLECTED DATA FROM A RANDOM SAMPLE OF CITIZENS AND THROUGH A SURVEY OF POLICE OFFICER ATTITUDES, REGULAR MEETINGS WITH THE POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS STAFF, AND AN ANALYSIS OF OFFENSES TAKEN FROM COMPUTERIZED POLICE RECORDS. THE POSITIVE COMMENT THAT APPEARED MOST OFTEN IN COMMUNITY MEETINGS WAS THAT THE POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM WAS A 'STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION'. THE MOST FREQUENT COMPLAINT WAS LACK OF COURTESY ON THE PART OF POLICEMEN. THE EVALUATION OF ALL DATA SHOWED, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT BATON ROUGE'S HIGH CRIME RATE WAS CAUSED MAINLY BY THE COMMISSION OF 'NON-CAPITAL CRIMES', THAT THERE ARE RACIAL PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THAT BOTH POLICE AND CITIZENS RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAM. THE CONSULTANTS' RECOMMENDATIONS EMPHASIZED THE PROGRAM'S IMPORTANCE AND THE NEED FOR IT TO CONTINUE. IT WAS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT OPERATIONS, IN THE FUTURE, BE DIRECTED MORE TOWARD COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND LESS TOWARD DATA GATHERING. THE QUESTIONNAIRE USED IN THE CONSULTANTS' MAIL SURVEY IS INCLUDED IN THE APPENDIX.