NCJ Number
15460
Date Published
1971
Length
134 pages
Annotation
DEMONSTRATION PROJECT TO TEST THE EFFECT OF A DIFFERENT POLICE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE ON POLICE EFFECTIVENESS AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS.
Abstract
THREE INNOVATIVE IDEAS WERE IMPLEMENTED IN DAYTON'S FIFTH POLICE DISTRICT. THE FUNCTION OF THE POLICE OFFICER WAS CHANGED FROM THAT OF A SPECIALIST HANDLING ONLY ONE ASPECT OF A GIVEN COMPLAINT TO THAT OF A GENERALIST/ SPECIALIST HANDLING ALL ASPECTS OF MOST COMPLAINTS (TEAM POLICING). COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE HIRED AND TRAINED TO PERFORM CERTAIN POLICE TASKS. IN ADDITION, COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS WERE USED AS POLICE ASSISTANTS. THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS EXPERIMENT WERE TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TEAM POLICING IN IMPROVING POLICE SERVICES AND TO PRODUCE A COMMUNITY-CENTERED POLICE STRUCTURE WHICH WOULD BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO NEIGHBORHOOD LIFE STYLES. THE NUMBER OF DISPATCH CALLS ANSWERED, CLEARANCE RATES, THE VALUE OF PROPERTY LOST AND RECOVERED, APPREHENSION TIME AND SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTIONS WERE ALL COMPARED TO A PERIOD PRIOR TO THE EXPERIMENT. TWO COMMUNITY ATTITUDE SURVEYS WERE ALSO CONDUCTED. EVALUATION OF THIS PROGRAM SHOWED THAT, IN GENERAL, TEAM POLICING HAD HELPED DEVELOP A MORE COMMUNITY-CENTERED POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE 39 OFFICERS WHO VOLUNTEERED FOR THIS EXPERIMENT ACHIEVED MEASURES OF EFFECTIVENESS COMPARABLE TO PRIOR TIME PERIODS. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE TEAM POLICING EXPERIMENT BE CONTINUED. TABLES IN THE BODY OF THE REPORT AND IN THE APPENDIX LIST THE DATA FROM THIS EXPERIMENT. THE COMMUNITY ATTITUDE QUESTIONNAIRE IS INCLUDED IN THE APPENDIX.