NCJ Number
39887
Date Published
1976
Length
100 pages
Annotation
THIS VOLUME PRESENTS A SUMMARY OF A COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY, CONDUCTED IN 1975, OF THE STATE-OF-THE-ART OF CRIME ANALYSIS IN SUPPORT OF TRADITIONAL PREVENTIVE PATROL, TEAM POLICING, AND SPECIALIZED PATROL.
Abstract
THIS VOLUME IS THE RESULT OF A NATIONAL EVALUATION PROGRAM EFFORT ON CRIME ANALYSIS. METHODS UTILIZED DURING THE STUDY INCLUDED AN EXTENSIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON CRIME ANALYSIS, SITE VISITS TO 23 POLICE DEPARTMENTS, AND AN INVESTIGATION OF EVALUATION STRATEGIES FOR CRIME ANALYSIS. AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROCEDURES AND RESULTS OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW AND ON-SITE VISITS IS FIRST PRESENTED. IN GENERAL, THE AUTHORS FOUND THAT BOTH THESE APPROACHES PROVIDED LITTLE INSIGHT INTO THE ACTUAL VALUE OF CRIME ANALYSIS, ALTHOUGH POLICE INTUITIVELY BELIEVE IN ITS VALUE. THE REPORT THEN TURNS TO AN ANALYSIS OF THE RELATION BETWEEN PROGRAM GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND CRIME ANALYSIS. OBJECTIVES AND ASSUMPTIONS RELATING TO PATROL AND CRIME ANALYSIS ARE LISTED, AND FOR EACH A SUGGESTED MEASUREMENT FOR THE IMPACT OF CRIME ANALYSIS IS GIVEN. MOST OF THE MEASURES SUGGESTED ARE OF A QUALITATIVE NATURE. THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY INDICATE THAT CRIME ANALYSIS HAS NO VALUE IN AND OF ITSELF. THE AUTHORS CONCLUDE THAT BECAUSE CRIME ANALYSIS PROGRAMS ARE SO INSEPARABLE FROM THE PATROL PROGRAMS THEY SUPPORT AND HAVE SUCH A VARIETY OF POTENTIAL FORMS, EVALUATION OF CRIME ANALYSIS, APART FROM THE PATROL PROGRAMS, WOULD SEEM TO HAVE LITTLE VALUE. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE EVALUATION FRAMEWORKS DEVELOPED IN THIS PROJECT BE INCORPORATED INTO LARGER EVALUATION EFFORTS TARGETED TOWARD SELECTED PATROL PROGRAMS. FOR OTHER VOLUMES ON THIS PROJECT, SEE NCJ-39885 AND 39886.