Cutback Management, Cost Containment and Increased Productivity

• NCJ Number: 139451
• Journal: Police Chief Volume: 59 Issue: 10 Dated: (October 1992) Pages: 110-112,115-118
• Author(s): P Arreola; E N Kondracki
• Date Published: 1992
• Length: 7 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Faced with making limited fiscal resources meet legitimate service needs, some police departments have actively sought ways to supplement their budgets and enhance their capabilities.

Abstract

Police departments have found that failure to integrate cost information with output measures can result in the following deficiencies: costly procedures, duplication of effort by employees or between organizational units, performance of work that serves no useful purpose, uneconomical equipment use, overstaffing in relation to the work to be done, and faulty buying practices. Experimentation and innovation in service delivery methods will improve the productivity of police departments. Volunteers, for example, can serve an expanded function within law enforcement by providing additional help where resources are limited. Auxiliary police officers and cadets can direct trafficm engage in community policing efforts, and deliver certain routine police services. Often, volunteers are retired community members who donate their time to the local law enforcement agency. Many States have legislation that permits law enforcement agencies to seize and retain property such as cars, boats, computers, and cash used in the commission of certain crimes. Forfeiture not only removes the element of profit from crime, but also supplements the police budget. Confronted with severe budget constraints, some police departments have asked for private sector donations. Community policing offers an opportunity to build grassroots political support for the police. Increasing pressures on State and local governments may mean that the trend toward privatization will continue at the grassroots level. Other ways of maximizing police effectiveness with limited resources include differential response, resource allocation, operational streamlining, and problem-oriented policing. Cutback management and cost containment, along with increased productivity, can only be achieved when input is sought from all police department levels. 11 references