NCJ Number
54509
Date Published
1977
Length
259 pages
Annotation
THE PRODUCTIVITY OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN YORK, PA., WAS ANALYZED FROM DECEMBER 1976 THROUGH JUNE 1977 IN TERMS OF THE MANAGEMENT OF PATROL OPERATIONS AND POLICE RESPONSE TO SERVICE CALLS.
Abstract
THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF ANALYSIS WAS TO DETERMINE WHAT REALISTIC INCREASES IN EFFICIENCY, EFFECTIVENESS, OR PRODUCTIVITY CAN BE ACHIEVED THROUGH THE IMPROVED MANAGEMENT OF PATROL OPERATIONS. OTHER OBJECTIVES WERE TO ASSESS THE LEVEL OF POLICE ACTIVITY, TO EXAMINE TIME AND LOCATION PATTERNS OF CALLS FOR CRIME AND NONCRIME SERVICES, TO DERIVE METHODS FOR REDUCING CRIME AND INCREASING APPREHENSION RATES, TO EVALUATE TRADITIONAL MEASURES OF EFFECTIVENESS (INCLUDING RESPONSE TIME AND ARREST AND CHARGE RATES), AND TO PROVIDE GENERAL AND SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS DIRECTED TOWARD INCREASES IN POLICE PRODUCTIVITY. THE ANALYSIS DESIGN WAS BASED ON AN ASSESSMENT OF CRIME AND NONCRIME ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AS DOCUMENTED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS. ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES RANGED FROM UNIVARIATE ANALYSIS THROUGH BIVARIATE ANALYSIS TO THE USE OF CONTROL METHODS FOR REFINING RESULTS. SOME CONSISTENT DEMANDS FOR SERVICE IN TERMS OF LOCATIONAL PATTERNS WERE OBSERVED. THEFT WAS THE MOST PREVALENT PART I CRIME, FOLLOWED BY BURGLARY. THE MOST COMMON FORM OF THEFT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH AUTOMOBILES, AND MANY BURGLARIES INVOLVED FORCIBLE ENTRY INTO RESIDENCES DURING THE NIGHT. OF PART II CRIMES, DISORDERLY CONDUCT WAS THE MOST COMMON, FOLLOWED BY VANDALISM. APPROXIMATELY 32 PERCENT OF ALL CALLS FOR POLICE SERVICES WERE CATEGORIZED AS MISCELLANEOUS (PARKING VIOLATIONS, FAMILY TROUBLES, AND CALLS FOR FIRE OR AMBULANCE ASSISTANCE). ABOUT 76 PERCENT OF ALL CALLS WERE RESPONDED TO IN 10 MINUTES OR LESS, AND ALMOST 90 PERCENT WERE RESPONDED TO IN 20 MINUTES OF LESS. RESPONSE TIME WAS INVERSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE ARREST AND CHARGE RATE. IN 78 PERCENT OF THE CALLS, ONE POLICE UNIT RESPONDED; IN 4 PERCENT OF THE CALLS, 3 OR MORE UNITS RESPONDED; AND IN 8 PERCENT OF THE CALLS 3 OR MORE OFFICERS RESPONDED. OVERALL, AN ARREST OR CHARGE WAS MADE IN 15 PERCENT OF THE CALLS. HALF OF THE CRIME VICTIMS WERE BETWEEN 14 AND 35 YEARS OF AGE. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT PATROL RESOURCES BE CONCENTRATED IN HIGH INCIDENT TROUBLE SPOTS, THE POSSIBILITY OF STAGGERING VACATION TIMES FOR POLICEMEN TO BE INVESTIGATED, THE FEASIBILITY OF ALLOCATING MORE PATROL UNITS AND MANPOWER TO HANDLE THE INCREASED NUMBER OF CALLS ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY BE CONSIDERED, THEFT PREVENTION DEVICES IN AUTOMOBILES BE ENCOURAGED, THE USE OF NONSWORN OR SPECIALLY TRAINED OFFICERS BE EMPLOYED TO HANDLE NONCRIME CALLS, TRAINING BE CONDUCTED TO EMPHASIZE EFFICIENT METHODS OF OBTAINING EVIDENCE AND WITNESSES IN THEFT AND BURGLARY CRIMES, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT BE ENCOURAGED, AND REPORTING AND INFORMATION FUNCTIONS BE IMPROVED. SUPPORTING DATA ARE PROVIDED. APPENDICES CONTAIN A POLICE EVENT REPORT FORM, A COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION REPORT FORM, A UNIFORM INCIDENT CLASSIFICATION CODE, AND ADDITIONAL DATA. A BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR POLICE PRODUCTIVITY STUDIES IS PROVIDED. (DEP)