NCJ Number
37997
Date Published
1975
Length
65 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OF A SURVEY OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING OFFICES IN THE NATION'S 55 LARGEST CITIES UNDERTAKEN TO DETERMINE THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF LOCAL PLANNING OFFICES AND TO ASSESS ATTITUDES ON THE LEAA PROGRAM.
Abstract
THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT, ADMINISTERED DURING MARCH AND APRIL OF 1975, WAS COMPLETED AND RETURNED BY 49 OF THE CITIES SURVEYED. THE FIRST SECTION OF THE SURVEY WAS DESIGNED TO DETERMINE THE SPECIFIC RANGE OF LEAA AND NON-LEAA PLANNING TASKS PERFORMED BY THESE PLANNING OFFICES AND TO DESCRIBE THE DIFFERENCES IN PLANNING OFFICES BY CITY POPULATION SIZE AND GEOGRAPHIC AREA. THE SECOND PORTION OF THE SURVEY WAS DESIGNED TO ELICIT LEVELS OF SATISFACTION WITH SEVEN ASPECTS OF THE LEAA PROGRAM AND WITH THREE AMENDMENTS TO THE 1973 CRIME CONTROL ACT WHICH WERE THOUGHT TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE LOCAL ADMINISTRATION OF LEAA FUNDS. ALL SURVEY RESULTS WERE CODED AND CROSS-TABULATED BY POPULATION SIZE, PLANNING STRUCTURE AND GEOGRAPHIC AREA. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE STRUCTURES OF LOCAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING OFFICES ACCORDING TO THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND POPULATION SIZE OF THE CITIES. ATTITUDES ABOUT LEAA LEGISLATION AND PROGRAMS WERE FOUND TO BE MORE UNIFIED BUT CONTAINED SOME DIFFERENCES THAT ARE EXPLAINED BY GEOGRAPHY AND POPULATION SIZE. OVERALL, HOWEVER, GEOGRAPHY AND POPULATION SIZE DID NOT ACCOUNT FOR THE DIFFERENCES IN OPINION. THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT AND A LIST OF SURVEY RESPONDENTS ARE APPENDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)