NCJ Number
16351
Date Published
1974
Length
27 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OF AN AUDIT UNDERTAKEN TO DETERMINE WHETHER INCREASES IN ROCHESTER (NY) CLEARANCE STATISTICS ATTRIBUTED TO A DETECTIVE-PATROL OFFICER TEAM EFFORT WERE VALID OR THE RESULT OF ERRORS IN THE SYSTEM.
Abstract
SIX POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS FOR THE HIGHER CLEARANCE RATES ARE EXAMINED IN DETAIL: HIGHER RATES ALREADY EXISTED IN TEAM AREAS BEFORE THE INTRODUCTION OF TEAMS; TEAM OFFICERS DID NOT MAKE MORE ARRESTS, BUT RECORDED MORE CLEARANCES ON THE ARRESTS THEY DID MAKE; THERE WAS UNINTENTIONAL BIAS IN THE SELECTION OF TEAM MEMBERS; CRIMES WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE RECLASSIFIED AS LESS SERIOUS IN TEAM AREAS; CLEARANCE RATES WERE BASED ON POOR QUALITY ARRESTS; AND ERRORS IN COMPUTER RECORDS INCREASED CLEARANCE RATES IN TEAM AREAS. AS A RESULT OF AN ANALYSIS OF THE APPLICABILITY OF THESE EXPLANATIONS BASED ON STUDY STATISTICS, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE ROCHESTER STATISTICS DO HOLD UP. PLANS FOR A MORE INTENSIVE STUDY TO DETERMINE HOW THE TEAM PROGRAM HAS AFFECTED INVESTIGATIONS IN THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT ARE SUGGESTED. INFORMATION ON DATA SOURCES AND STUDY METHODOLOGY ARE APPENDED.