NCJ Number
53078
Date Published
1978
Length
146 pages
Annotation
USING INFORMATION FROM SURVEYS, INTERVIEWS, AND RECORD DATA, THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PORTSMOUTH, VA., POLICE DEPARTMENT'S INTEGRATED CRIMINAL APPREHENSION PROGRAM (ICAP) IS EVALUATED IN ITS FIRST YEAR.
Abstract
THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE INTEGRATED CRIMINAL APPREHENSION PROGRAM IS TO IMPROVE THE PATROL FUNCTION OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE PROGRAM FOCUSES ON OFFICER SKILLS, RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, AND THE CAPACITY OF EACH OFFICER TO WORK WITH OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE EVALUATION OF ICAP WAS DESIGNED TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM, TO MONITOR PROGRAM ACTIVITIES, AND TO DEVELOP A MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM TO FACILITATE MONITORING ICAP. DATA WERE COLLECTED THROUGH A VARIETY OF TECHNIQUES IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A WIDE PERSPECTIVE ON THE PROGRAM. THESE TECHNIQUES INCLUDED INDEPTH INTERVIEWS WITH POLICE COMMAND PERSONNEL; SURVEYS OF CITIZENS WHO REQUESTED POLICE ASSISTANCE AND OF THE GENERAL COMMUNITY; ANALYSIS OF OFFENSE REPORTS, DISPATCH RECORDS, CASE FILES, AND OTHER DOCUMENTS; STUDIES OF INTRAORGANIZATION COMMUNICATION FLOW; AND INTERVIEWS WITH PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS AND JUDGES. THE GENERAL CITIZEN SURVEY REVEALED AN OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THOUGH BLACK RESPONDENTS REPORTED LESS POSITIVE OPINIONS THAN DID WHITE RESPONDENTS. THE SATISFACTION LEVEL APPEARED TO BE RELATED TO POLICE RESPONSE TIME. ABOUT 10 PERCENT OF THE CITIZENS WERE FAMILIAR WITH ICAP. PROSECUTORS RATED THE DEPARTMENT'S WORK HIGHLY AND FELT THAT THE WORK OF THE UNIFORM PATROL WAS MOST IMPROVED SINCE IMPLEMENTATION OF ICAP. JUDGES FELT THAT POLICE WORK RELATIVE TO PROSECUTION OF FELONIES IN CIRCUIT COURT HAD IMPROVED; AREAS MENTIONED AS STILL NEEDING UPGRADING WERE COURTROOM TESTIMONY, AUTOMOBILE SEARCHES, CONFRONTATIONS WITH CITIZENS, AND INVESTIGATIONS OF MISDEMEANORS. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION GAP IDENTIFIED WAS THE LACK OF SYSTEMATIC PERSONNEL DATA WHICH COULD GUIDE DECISIONMAKING. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DEVELOPING THE MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM INCLUDE STRATEGIES FOR COLLECTING AND FILING DATA MANUALLY SO AS TO PERMIT AN ORDERLY TRANSITION TO A COMPUTER-BASED FILE. THE CASE FILE REVIEW SHOWED THAT THE QUALITY OF THE FILES HAS IMPROVED, BUT MORE ATTENTION IS NEEDED IN PREPARING EVIDENCE LISTS, WITNESS STATEMENTS, AND SUSPECT RECORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS. TABLES OF DATA AND THE DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS ARE INCLUDED. (MLC)