NCJ Number
39110
Date Published
1974
Length
273 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY MEASURES THE COSTS OF CRIME BY ANALYZING THE TIME AND MONEY EXPENDED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIME PREVENTION ACTIVITIES BY ALL THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES IN ONE FRENCH JUDICIAL DISTRICT.
Abstract
THE ACTIVITIES ACTUALLY PERFORMED BY POLICE, GENDARME, COURT, CORRECTIONS, AND AFTER-CARE PERSONNEL WERE RECORDED FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK. THIS DATA USED TO CALCULATE THE COST PER TASK AND THE COST PER OFFENSE EXPENDED BY EACH AGENCY AND EACH AGENCY PROGRAM AND SUB-PROGRAM. STUDY RESULTS REVEALED THAT POLICE ACTIVITIES COMPRISED 49 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL TIME EXPENDED IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACTIVITIES, WITH GENDARMERIE (FRENCH STATE POLICE FORCE) ACTIVITIES ACCOUNTING FOR 37 PERCENT, COURT ACTIVITIES 9 PERCENT, AFTER-CARE 1 PERCENT, AND CORRECTIONS 4 PERCENT. THE DIVISION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE FUNDS REFLECTED SIMILAR PERCENTAGES. NINETY-THREE PERCENT OF POLICE TIME AND MONEY WAS SPENT ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE RELATED ACTIVITIES, WITH APPROXIMATELY 60 PERCENT BEING EXPENDED ON LAW ENFORCEMENT AND 40 PERCENT ON PREVENTION. OTHER STUDY RESULTS INDICATED THAT THE MAJORITY OF COURT ACTIVITIES WERE RELATED TO ADMINISTRATION AND THE FILING OF RECORDS AND PAPERS AND THE MAJORITY OF AFTER-CARE SERVICES TO PROVIDING HOUSING. THE ORGANIZATION OF THE POLICE WAS FOUND TO BE ALONG SPECIALIZED FUNCTIONAL LINES, WHILE THAT OF THE GENDARMERIE WAS STRICTLY HIERARCHICAL. THE WORK OF THESE TWO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WAS, HOWEVER, FOUND TO BE COMPLEMENTARY. EXTENSIVE TABULAR AND GRAPHIC DATA ON STUDY RESULTS ARE PROVIDED. --IN FRENCH...ELW