SCHEDULING POLICE MANPOWER BY COMPUTER

• NCJ Number: 10837
• Author(s): N B HELLER; T MCEWEN
• Date Published: 1972
• Length: 25 pages
• Grant Number(s): NI-72-018
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPORTIONAL ROTATING SCHEDULE WHICH DISTRIBUTES MANPOWER BY DAY AND WATCH IN PROPORTION TO THE DEMAND FOR SERVICE.

Abstract

IN OCTOBER 1970 THE ST. LOUIS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT PUT INTO OPERATION THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF WORK SCHEDULE IN ITS TWENTY-MAN EVIDENCE TECHNICIAN UNIT. THE PROPORTIONAL ROTATING SCHEDULE HAS A NUMBER OF FEATURES WHICH REPRESENT IMPROVEMENTS OVER PREVIOUSLY USED SCHEDULES. INCLUDED ARE (1) IDENTICAL PATTERNS OF DAYS WORKED AND DAYS OFF FOR ALL MEN, (2) THE CAPABILITY, IN DESIGNING THE SCHEDULE, TO CONTROL THE LENGTHS OF PERIODS OF CONSECUTIVE DAYS WORKED AND CONSECUTIVE DAYS OFF, AND THE NUMBER AND DISTRIBUTION OF WEEKENDS OFF, AND (3) A COMPUTER-BASED DESIGN PROCEDURE WHICH WILL REDUCE SCHEDULE DESIGN TIME TO ONLY THAT REQUIRED TO SPECIFY THE TYPE OF SCHEDULE DESIRED AND TO COLLECT THE NECESSARY WORKLOAD DATA. A SURVEY OF REACTION TO THE NEW SCHEDULE BY THE OFFICERS ASSIGNED TO THE UNIT IS PRESENTED. ALSO DISCUSSED ARE THE USE OF THE COMPUTER PROGRAM AND SOME QUANTITATIVE MEASURES OF SCHEDULE ATTRIBUTES WHICH PERMIT THE COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVE SCHEDULES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)