NCJ Number
47249
Journal
PUBLIUS Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: (SPRING 1977) Pages: 3-30
Date Published
1977
Length
28 pages
Annotation
FOUR HYPOTHESES ARE TESTED IN AN EFFORT TO MEASURE THE EFFECTS OF INTERJURISDICTIONAL COOPERATION ON POLICE PERFORMANCE IN A MISSOURI COUNTY.
Abstract
THIS STUDY FOCUSES ON THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN LEVELS OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL COOPERATION AMONG 26 INDEPENDENT POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN ST. LOUIS COUNTY (MISSOURI) AND INDICATORS OF THEIR PERFORMANCE LEVELS. AT ISSUE IS WHETHER FORMAL COOPERATION IS MORE CONDUCIVE TO HIGHER PERFORMANCE THAN IS INFORMAL COOPERATION. FOUR HYPOTHESES THAT EXIST IN THE LITERATURE PERTAINING TO THE REFORM OF URBAN POLICE SERVICE DELIVERY SYSTEMS ARE EXAMINED. THEY ARE: (1) FORMAL COOPERATION IMPROVES THE PERFORMANCE OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN MULTIPLE-JURISDICTIONAL SETTINGS; (2) INFORMAL COOPERATION DOES NOT IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN MULTIPLE-JURISDICTIONAL SETTINGS; (3) INFORMAL MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS DO NOT IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN MULTIPLE-JURISDICTIONAL SETTINGS; AND (4) INFORMAL INFORMATION EXCHANGE AGREEMENTS DO NOT IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN MULTIPLE-JURISDICTIONAL SETTINGS. EACH HYPOTHESIS IS TESTED AGAINST DATA COLLECTED IN INTERVIEWS WITH OVER 50 OFFICERS INCLUDING CHIEFS USING A STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE (NOT INCLUDED) AND BY TELEPHONE OR BY MAIL. THE RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED OVER A 2-YEAR PERIOD FROM MARCH 1972 TO MAY 1974. A CASE STUDY OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATIONS OF THE MAJOR CASE SQUAD, A VOLUNTARY COOPERATIVE ORGANIZATION OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN THE METROPOLITAN AREA, IS ALSO PRESENTED. THE SQUAD HAS FOCUSED ITS OPERATIONS ON THE INVESTIGATION OF SERIOUS CRIMES COMMITTED IN THE AREA WHICH REQUIRE LEVELS OF EFFORT FOR THEIR SOLUTION THAT ARE BEYOND THE CAPABILITIES OF INDIVIDUAL POLICE JURISDICTIONS. A STATISTICAL EXAMINATION OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN LEVELS OF INTERJURISDICTIONAL COOPERATION AND LEVELS OF POLICE PERFORMANCE HAS YIELDED A LACK OF CORROBORATION FOR THE FOUR HYPOTHESES. FORMAL AGREEMENTS DO NOT APPEAR TO BE POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER LEVELS OF POLICE PERFORMANCE. INCREASED NUMBERS OF INFORMAL AGREEMENTS, HOWEVER, DO APPEAR TO BE POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER LEVELS OF POLICE PERFORMANCE. IN PARTICULAR, UNWRITTEN MUTUAL AID AND INFORMATION EXCHANGE AGREEMENTS ARE POSITIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH PERFORMANCE INDICATORS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT SEVERAL PRESUMPTIONS TAKEN FROM LITERATURE EMPHASIZING THE NEED TO FORMALIZE AND CENTRALIZE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG PRODUCERS OF POLICE SERVICES APPEAR TO BE UNWARRANTED. ALSO, THAT THE DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATED EFFECTIVENESS OF THE MAJOR CASE SQUAD SUGGEST THAT AN ALTERNATIVE MEANS TO ACHIEVE THE END OF HIGHER LEVELS OF POLICE PERFORMANCE IS TO ENCOURAGE THE GROWTH OF VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. TABULAR DATA NOTES, AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.