DELAWARE - POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS/COMMUNITY CRIME PREVENTION - A PROGRAM EVALUATION OF TWENTY-THREE PROJECTS

• NCJ Number: 48483
• Author(s): H METZ; P ROBINSON
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 48 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE DELAWARE AGENCY TO REDUCE CRIME

Annotation

INFORMATION ON THE POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROJECTS IS GIVEN AND THE SUCCESS OF THE PROJECTS IS EVALUATED.

Abstract

THE EVALUATION OF THE DELAWARE PROGRAM TO REDUCE CRIME THROUGH IMPROVED POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS CONSISTS OF A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE, AN ANALYSIS OF 23 PRIOR GRANTS, AND A SUMMARY SECTION WITH CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. THE LITERATURE REVIEW DIVIDES THE CONCEPT OF POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS INTO FIVE RELEVANT ISSUES, AND THEN IDENTIFIES NATIONAL COORDINATOR AND PARTICIPANT OBSERVATIONS WHICH RELATE TO THE ISSUES. THE INVESTIGATIONS BEGAN WITH THE COLLECTION AND EXAMINATION OF RECORDS, PROJECT PERSONNEL PERCEPTIONS, SUBGRANTS APPLICATIONS, AND PROGRESS REPORTS TO DETERMINE ALLOCATIONS, GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF 23 SELECTED GRANTS. CONCLUSIONS DRAWN ARE BASED ON INTERNAL ANALYSIS WHICH DISCUSS BOTH PARTICULAR TO THE GENERAL ASPECTS OF FUNDED PROJECTS. SOME OF THE MAJOR FINDINGS WERE THAT THE 23 GRANTS HAVE BEEN AWARDED TO 5 JURISDICTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS, AND THE LARGEST ALLOCATIONS WENT TO PERSONNEL. THE GREATEST NUMBER OF FUNDED PROJECTS WERE MARGINAL TO THE OPERATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT AND SUFFERED FROM LACK OF ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITMENT. MOST WERE BUILT AROUND SAFE ISSUES, OVERLY CONCERNED WITH POLICE IMAGE, AND INORDINATELY INVOLVED WITH YOUTH PROGRAMS. MANY PROJECTS WERE BASED UPON UNCLEAR OBJECTIVES AND WERE DISCONTINUED WITH CESSATION OF FUNDING. HOWEVER, THERE IS A GROWING REALIZATION THAT COMMUNITY RELATIONS WOULD IMPROVE WITH THE INCREASED QUALITY OF POLICE WORK. A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO DISCONTINUE THE USE OF SEPARATE CATEGORIES FOR POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND POLICE-COMMUNITY CRIME PREVENTION IS RECOMMENDED, ALONG WITH THE TRANSFER OF THE CONCEPT OF COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICER TO THE COMMUNITY CRIME PREVENTION CATEGORY. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT NONCRIMINAL POLICE WORK BE STRESSED IN TRAINING PROGRAMS, AND THAT EMPHASIS BE PUT UPON OFFICER PERFORMANCE IN NONCRIMINAL SITUATIONS IN CASES OF PROMOTION AND MERIT. EVERY DEPARTMENT SHOULD ESTABLISH A FORMAL METHOD FOR HANDLING COMPLAINTS EFFECTIVELY, AND POLICE CONDUCT ON THE STREET SHOULD BE BETTER REGULATED. IT IS ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT POLICE TAKE A MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN WORKING WITH OTHER AGENCIES CONCERNED WITH CRIME CONTROL AND PREVENTION. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED -- DAG)