NCJ Number
62708
Date Published
1978
Length
213 pages
Annotation
THIS 1979 DENVER-AREA COMPARATIVE PRODUCTIVITY REPORT FOR CITY MANAGERS CONSISTS OF TABLES AND DISCUSSIONS ON POLICE, FIREFIGHTERS, CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS, AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
Abstract
THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO TEST THE THEORY THAT DISSEMINATING COMPARATIVE INFORMATION ON GOVERNMENT INFORMATION AND COSTS STIMULATES SERVICE IMPROVEMENT AND SHARED PROBLEMSOLVING. A TOTAL OF 59 JURISDICTIONS ARE REPRESENTED, RANGING IN POPULATION FROM UNDER 10,000 TO OVER 100,000. THE SIX MEASUREMENT CATEGORIES, EACH CONSISTING OF MANY DIFFERENT INDICATORS FOR DIFFERENT SERVICES INCLUDE ENVIRONMENT (GEOGRAPHICAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS), RESOURCES APPLIED (I.E., THE NUMBER OF PERSONNEL OR PATROL VEHICLES), WORKLOADS, OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS, PERFORMANCE RATIOS, AND THE LEVEL OF SERVICE PROVIDED. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE USED TO SURVEY ALL SERVICES, AND SOURCE DOCUMENTS WERE EXAMINED IN ALL CASES. THE DATA ARE ARRANGED BY CATEGORY, JURISDICTION, AND SERVICE, AND FORMATTED IN THREE COLUMNS. COLUMNS CONSIST OF THE ABSOLUTE FREQUENCY OR NUMBER, THE RESULTING RANK AMONG REPORTING JURISDICTIONS FOR THAT FREQUENCY OR NUMBER, AND A PERCENTAGE OF THE COLUMN-ONE TOTAL FOR ALL REPORTING JURISDICTIONS BELONGING TO THE PARTICULAR JURISDICTION. DATA FOR CRIME PREVENTION ARE LESS COMPLETE, AS SUCH PROGRAMS ARE RELATIVELY NEW. IN ADDITION, MOST JURISDICTIONS WHICH RECEIVED QUESTIONNAIRES ON THEIR USE OF COMPARATIVE PRODUCTIVITY DATA AGREED THAT THE DATA WOULD BE USEFUL. DATA CHARTS ARE INCLUDED, AND APPENDIXES CONTAIN QUESTIONNAIRES AND INDICATORS.