TEAM POLICING IN THE HARTFORD POLICE DEPARTMENT (CT)

• NCJ Number: 50202
• Author(s): J J BRYFONSKI; E F MCDONOUGH; E P MOSCHELLA; J WILSON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 23 pages
• Corporate Author: University of Hartford
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE EFFORTS OF THE HARTFORD, CONN., POLICE DEPARTMENT TO INTRODUCE FULL-SERVICE NEIGHBORHOOD TEAM POLICING IN THREE DISTRICTS ARE EVALUATED.

Abstract

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NEIGHBORHOOD TEAM POLICING IS DEPENDENT ON EFFECTIVE VERTICAL AND LATERAL COMMUNICATIONS, TRUST, CONFIDENCE, AND CLARITY OF GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. THE MAJOR OBJECTIVE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD TEAM POLICING CONCEPT IS TO PROVIDE A CONCEPTUAL MODEL AS A GUIDE TO ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE. AN EVALUATION OF THE CONCEPT WAS CONDUCTED DURING 1976-1978 TO ASSESS DEPARTMENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND DIRECT INVOLVEMENT OF THE EVALUATION TEAM IN ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH A FEDERAL TEAM POLICING GRANT IN THREE CITY DISTRICTS. THE GRANT'S OBJECTIVES WERE LIMITED TO IMPROVING POLICE SERVICES, DECREASING CRIME AND CITIZEN FEAR, AND CHANGING TO A PREVENTIVE POLICING MODE. EVENTS THAT OCCURRED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD POLICING CONCEPT, KNOWN AS THE HARTFORD MODEL, WERE A CRIME PREVENTION STUDY AND A STREET CRIME ASSESSMENT STUDY. THE TRANSLATION OF PLANS INTO OPERATIONS INCLUDED A SOPHISTICATED STAFF DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. THE APPROACH OF THE EVALUATORS WAS TO RECOGNIZE AND BE SENSITIVE TO IDEAS AND VIEWS OF POLICE OFFICERS WHOSE WORK BEHAVIOR WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THE ADOPTION OF A TEAM POLICING MODEL AS ONE OF THE DEPARTMENT'S MAJOR MANAGEMENT POLICIES. ONSITE OBSERVATIONS AND INTERVIEWS PROVED TO BE USEFUL AND INFORMATIVE TOOLS FOR EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF THE TEAM POLICING EFFORTS. ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE HARTFORD POLICE DEPARTMENT WERE MEASURED AGAINST 11 OBJECTIVES: TO IMPROVE POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS, TO INCREASE OFFICER JOB SATISFACTION, TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY, TO INCREASE THE FLOW OF CRIME-RELATED INFORMATION TO POLICE, TO INCREASE THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF INVESTIGATIONS AND THE NUMBER OF CRIMINALS APPREHENDED AND PROSECUTED, TO IMPROVE POLICE SERVICES, TO IMPROVE CRIME PREVENTION AND CONTROL, TO ESTABLISH MORE EFFECTIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT, TO DECREASE CRIME RATES, TO DECREASE CITIZEN FEAR, AND TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY SERVICES. BASIC ELEMENTS OF THE HARTFORD MODEL ARE OPERATIONAL. IT IS FELT THAT, WITH FURTHER REFINEMENT, THE MODEL CAN BE USED AS A CONCEPTUAL AND OPERATIONAL BASE UPON WHICH TO BUILD AN EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE POLICING ORGANIZATION. (DEP)