CHALLENGE OF PRODUCTIVITY DIVERSITY - IMPROVING LOCAL GOVERNMENT PRODUCTIVITY MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION, PART 3 - MEASURING POLICE-CRIME CONTROL PRODUCTIVITY

• NCJ Number: 11323
• Author(s): P S SCHAENMAN; J KALISH
• Date Published: 1972
• Length: 160 pages
• Corporate Author: The Urban Institute
• Sale Source: National Technical Information Service
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

DIFFICULTIES AND INADEQUACIES WITH PRODUCTIVITY MEASUREMENT IN THE POLICE AND CRIME CONTROL FIELD, AND SUGGESTED DEVELOPMENTS AND REFINEMENTS.

Abstract

AN ESPECIALLY COMPLEX PROBLEM IS THAT OF MEASURING THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES ACCURATELY LINKING THE ABSENCE OF CRIME TO PARTICULAR CONTROLS AND PROPERLY EVALUATING THE CONTROLS IN TERMS OF COSTS AND OF BENEFITS ACHIEVED IN GREATER PROTECTION TO LIVES AND PROPERTY. 'QUALITY OF ARREST' INDICATORS ARE RECOMMENDED AS ONE APPROACH TO MEASURING DETERRENT EFFECT. SUCH INDICATORS WOULD SHOW MORE ABOUT THE DISPOSITION OF ARRESTS, SUCH AS NUMBER OF FELONY ARRESTS WHICH 'SURVIVE' A PRELIMINARY COURT HEARING. OTHER SUGGESTED DATA WOULD MEASURE CITIZEN FEELINGS ABOUT SECURITY AND THE QUALITY OF TREATMENT RECEIVED FROM POLICE. A NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY MEASUREMENT EFFORT IS URGED ALONG WITH FORMATION OF A MEASUREMENT ANALYSIS TEAM. AREAS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ARE MENTIONED. BIBLIOGRAPHIES ARE INCLUDED. APPENDIXES CONTAINING INFORMATION ON DATA COLLECTION AND UTILITY ARE FOUND IN NCJ-10986. FOR OTHER DOCUMENTS IN THIS SERIES, SEE NCJ-10985, 14198, AND 13127. PART TWO DOES NOT DISCUSS CRIMINAL JUSTICE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)