NCJ Number
50511
Date Published
1978
Length
24 pages
Annotation
A PROGRAM FOR RESEARCHING THE DECISIONMAKING PROCESSES IN LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS IS PRESENTED FOR THE PURPOSE OF IMPROVING THE UNDERSTANDING OF THESE PROCESSES AND DEVELOPING WAYS OF OPTIMIZING POLICE DECISIONS.
Abstract
THE OUTLINED RESEARCH PROGRAM PRODUCES DESCRIPTION IN NARRATIVE, MODELING, AND SIMULATION FORM OF HOW POLICE DECISIONS ARE MADE AT ALL LEVELS OF THE ORGANIZATION, WHAT INPUTS ARE USED, THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG DECISIONS AND AMONG DIFFERENT DECISION LEVELS IN THE ORGANIZATION, AND THE OUTCOMES OF THE DECISIONS. THE EFFECT OF VARIOUS ORGANIZATION STRUCTURES AND MANAGEMENT STYLES ON DECISIONMAKING IS CONSIDERED; PROGRAMS APPLICABLE TO DIFFERENT CATEGORICAL TYPES OF DECISIONS ARE PROPOSED FOR ALL LEVELS OF THE DEPARTMENT WHICH WILL PERMIT POLICE DECISIONMAKERS TO OPTIMIZE THEIR DECISIONS WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS IMPOSED BY THE PARTICULAR ENVIRONMENT. THE PROPOSED FRAMEWORK INCLUDES ANALYZATION OF POLICE DECISIONS AT FOUR DIFFERENT LEVELS IN THE ORGANIZATION -EXECUTIVE, MIDDLE, LINE MANAGEMENT, AND LINE OFFICERS -AND IT FOCUSES ON THREE GENERAL CLASSES OF DECISIONS -STRATEGIC, MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONAL. THE INTERWORKING AND INTERRELATIONSHIPS AMONG CLASSES OF DECISIONS, AND AMONG LEVELS OF DECISIONMAKING, ARE GIVEN SPECIAL EMPHASIS. A CHART ILLUSTRATING A FRAMEWORK FOR POLICE DECISIONMAKING ANALYSIS IS PROVIDED. SO FAR AS POSSIBLE, DATA COLLECTED DURING RESEARCH SHOULD BE ANALYZED USING PROVEN TECHNIQUES AND METHODOLOGIES FOR DECISION ANALYSIS, AND GOAL PROGRAMMING WOULD PERMIT THE DECISIONMAKER TO OPTIMIZE HIS CHOICES AMONG SATISFYING MULTIPLE CONFLICTING GOALS WITHIN THE BOUNDS IMPOSED BY LIMITED RESOURCES. FIVE PERSONS WOULD COMPRISE THE PRINCIPAL STAFF FOR SUCH A PROGRAM, AND THE CITY OF LINCOLN (NEB), GRANTED THE FUNDS FOR THE INITIAL PROJECT, WAS GIVEN A BUDGET OF $316,050. BUDGET ALLOCATIONS ARE CHARTED IN THE TEXT, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED.