NCJ Number
81047
Date Published
1970
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This report discusses some basic alternative approaches to area law enforcement to help enable officials in Shawnee County, Kans., determine the approach best suited to meet the county's requirements.
Abstract
The information for the report was drawn from several publications and from contacts with law enforcement agencies and with various local government groups. The report describes cooperative approaches to area law enforcement, as well as basic agency consolidation alternatives. The report finds that local law enforcement agencies have done little to establish and maintain long-term cooperative approaches to reduce the rising crime rate and cost of law enforcement. Most examples of cooperation are limited in scope and application. It appears that the intricate system of law enforcement does not readily adopt to ad hoc cooperative undertakings. Since the 1950's, progressive local governments in various sections of the country have initiated attempts to combine their local law enforcement agencies into more effective and efficient units. Almost all of these actions can be classified into five distinct categories: formal service contracts, metropolitan-type government, annexation, county subordinate service districts, and separate service districts. The advantages and disadvantages of each of these five alternatives are outlined and examples of their operation in various locations are cited. Overall, the broadening of the base of local law enforcement through some variation of formal jurisdictional adjustment appears to be the method that delivers the most acceptable answers to local police problems. However, few consolidated local police operations exist today because of a lack of adequate State enabling legislation and because of local desires to retain full control of the city's or county's police agency. Thirteen references are included.