ALTERNATIVE APPROACH IN POLICE PATROL - THE WILMINGTON SPLIT-FORCE EXPERIMENT

• NCJ Number: 43735
• Author(s): J M TIEN; J W SIMON; R C LARSON
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 258 pages
• Grant Number(s): 75-NI-99-0080
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; Wilmington Bureau of Police; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Public Systems Evaluation, Inc
• Sale Source: Superintendent of Documents, GPO; National Technical Information Service; National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AN 18-MONTH TEST OF THE SPLIT-FORCE PATROL CONCEPT, BASED ON SEPARATION OF THE CALL-FOR-SERVICE RESPONSE AND THE CRIME PREVENTION FUNCTION, FOUND THAT ROUTINE CALLS WERE HANDLED MORE EFFICIENTLY AND ARRESTS IMPROVED.

Abstract

THE WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, SPLIT-FORCE PATROL EXPERIMENT WAS FORMALLY CONDUCTED FROM DECEMBER 1, 1975, THROUGH NOVEMBER 30, 1976, WITH A 6-MONTH DESIGN PERIOD. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS SO PLEASED WITH THE RESULTS THAT IT CONTINUED SPLIT PATROLS PAST THE TEST PERIOD. IN GENERAL, EACH OF THE TWO PATROL FORCES HANDLES ITS OWN FUNCTIONS BUT IS AVAILABLE TO ASSIST THE OTHER IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. THE CALL-RESPONSE GROUP HANDLED 20.6 PERCENT MORE CALLS PER OFFICER. SINCE MANY OF THESE CALLS WERE ROUTINE, IT WAS POSSIBLE TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF TWO-PERSON PATROLS. THIS INCREASED THE NEED FOR BACKUP CARS 2.6 PERCENT. OVERALL THERE WAS AN 18 PERCENT INCREASE IN MANPOWER EFFICIENCY. THE STRUCTURED CRIME PREVENTION PATROLS HAD A 105.5 PERCENT INCREASE IN CRIME CLEARANCES, AND ARRESTS WERE OF HIGHER QUALITY. THIS IS DUE TO IMMEDIATE FOLLOWUP AFTER A FELONY. HOWEVER, THIS INCREASE CAME AT THE EXPENSE OF A 61.4 PERCENT DROP IN CLEARANCES FOR THE DETECTIVE BUREAU. LACK OF COMMUNICATION AND COOPERATION ALSO RESULTED. IT IS SUGGESTED THIS CAN BE MITIGATED BY A MORE FUNCTION-ORIENTED WORK STRUCTURE AND BY BETTER MANAGEMENT OF THE DETECTIVE WORKLOAD. A BENEFIT WAS BETTER ACCOUNTABILITY TO MANAGEMENT AND BETTER DIRECTION. THE DESIGN OF THE EXPERIMENT, THE DESIGN OF THE EVALUATION, TIME STATISTICS, BASIC WORKLOAD STATISTICS, ARREST-RELATED STATISTICS, AND BASIC PATROL PROCEDURES ARE INCLUDED IN THIS REPORT. DISADVANTAGES OF THE EXPERIMENT HAVE BEEN THAT, WHILE DELAY TIME HAS DECREASED, TRAVEL TIME HAS INCREASED: OVERALL RESPONSE TIME HAS NOT CHANGED. THERE IS ALSO A LACK OF SECTOR IDENTITY. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE DISPATCHER HOLD NONCRITICAL CALLS UNTIL THE CAR IN THAT SECTOR IS NOT BUSY. IT IS A MATTER OF POLICY TO INFORM THE CALLER THAT THERE MAY BE A 30-MINUTE DELAY ON NONCRITICAL CALLS WHEN ALL UNITS ARE BUSY.