NCJ Number
35165
Date Published
1976
Length
35 pages
Annotation
VARIOUS EQUATIONS ARE GENERATED FROM SEARCH THEORY TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT PARAMETERS UPON THE PROBABILITY OF A POLICE PATROL INTERCEPTING A CRIME IN PROGRESS, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR RESOURCE ALLOCATION NOTED.
Abstract
MODELS ARE PRESENTED FOR SINGLE AND MULTIPLE PATROL UNITS AND THE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN TACTICAL AND STANDARD PATROL UNITS ARE OUTLINED. THE PROBLEMS IN APPLYING EARLIER SEARCH THEORETIC RESULTS ARE DISCUSSED AND SOME BASIC INSIGHTS INTO EFFICIENT STRATEGIES FOR ALLOCATING PATROL EFFORT ARE PRESENTED. THIS QUALITATIVE DISCUSSION THEN CULMINATES IN THE DESCRIPTION OF AN ALGORITHM FOR ALLOCATING A TACTICAL PATROL FORCE. INCLUDED IN THE ALGORITHM ARE COMPONENTS FOR PERFORMING SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS ON EACH OF THE INPUT PARAMETERS. THE SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS ALGORITHMS PINPOINT THE CRITICAL PARAMETERS IN THE PARTICULAR REGIONS UNDER CONSIDERATION. IT WILL BE THESE PARAMETERS THAT REQUIRE THE MOST ACCURATE ESTIMATES SINCE SMALL INACCURACIES MIGHT CHANGE THE OPTIMAL SOLUTION. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)