SPECIAL POLICE UNITS IN MICHIGAN - AN EVALUATION

• NCJ Number: 47118
• Author(s): R G LEWIS; J R GREENE; S M EDWARDS
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 388 pages
• Grant Number(s): 18907-1D75
• Sponsoring Agency: Michigan Office of Criminal Justice
• Corporate Author: Michigan State University
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND OUTCOMES OF SPECIAL POLICE UNITS IN MICHIGAN ARE RELATED TO THEIR STATED GOALS AND OBJECTIVES IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH THE LEAA DEFINITION OF INTENSIVE EVALUATIONS.

Abstract

AT THE INCEPTION OF THE MODEL EVALUATION PROJECT, 23 SEPARATE PROJECTS WERE IDENTIFIED AS FALLING WITHIN THE CATEGORY OF SPECIAL POLICE UNITS. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE OF THESE UNITS WAS TO PREVENT OR REDUCE SERIOUS STREET CRIMES BY PROVIDING SPECIALIZED ENFORCEMENT UNITS THAT INITITATE NEW PATROL PATTERNS, FUNCTION AS TACTICAL MOBILE UNITS, PERFORM STREET SURVEILLANCE, AND UTILIZE OTHER NEW TECHNIQUES. THE OBJECTIVES MEASURED INCLUDED CRIME REDUCTION, PRODUCTIVITY, EFFECTIVE INFORMATION PROCESSING, AND EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION. THE EVALUATION OF CRIME REDUCTION IN THE JURISDICTIONS SERVED BY SPECIAL UNITS WAS BASED ON THE TIME-SERIES ANALYSIS OF UNIFORM CRIME REPORT DATA. SPECIFIC EVALUATION QUESTIONS ARE LISTED. THERE WAS NO SYSTEMATIC EVIDENCE THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SPECIAL POLICE UNITS RESULTED IN ANY CHANGE IN TERMS OF TARGET CRIME REDUCTION. A SECOND EVALUATION FOCUSED ON PRODUCTIVITY MEASURES THAT WOULD INDICATE THAT SPECIAL UNITS HELPED IMPROVE POLICE INVESTIGATIVE CAPABILITIES. A TIME-SERIES ANALYSIS WAS EMPLOYED AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPECIAL UNIT ACTIVITIES AND THE NUMBER OF CRIMES CLEARED BY ARREST WAS EXAMINED. IN ADDITION, THE IMPRESSIONS AND JUDGMENTS OF INFORMED INDIVIDUALS WERE SOLICITED THROUGH A QUESTIONNAIRE. THE RESULTS OF ALL THREE MEASURES FAIL TO INDICATE THAT SPECIAL UNITS INCREASED THE INVESTIGATIVE CAPABILITIES AND PRODUCTIVITY OF THE FUNDED JURISDICTIONS. IN MEASURING INFORMATION DISSEMINATION EFFECTIVENESS, PATROL AND DETECTIVE COMMANDERS, AS WELL AS PATROLMEN AND DETECTIVES WERE ASKED FOR THEIR BROAD EVALUATION OF THE SPECIAL UNIT'S PERFORMANCE IN THE DISSEMINATION OF CRIME ANALYSIS REPORTS; PATROL AND DETECTIVE BUREAU COMMANDERS WERE ALSO ASKED FOR THEIR EVALUATIONS REGARDING THE SPECIAL UNITS' ABILITY TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION TO OTHER UNITS IN THE SAME DEPARTMENT. RESULTING DATA INDICATED SPECIAL UNITS WERE INEFFECTIVE IN INFORMATION PROCESSING. MEASURES OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS INDICATED A DEVELOPMENTING IMPROVEMENT IN THE UNIT CAPABILITY. TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)