NCJ Number
45675
Date Published
1976
Length
41 pages
Annotation
A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR DESCRIBING, EXPLAINING, AND EVALUATING THE DISTRIBUTION OF POLICE SERVICES IN METROPOLITAN AREAS IS PRESENTED.
Abstract
THE SERVICE DELIVERY PROCESS IS DESCRIBED IN TERMS OF A RESOURCE TRANSFORMATION MODEL COMPOSED OF THE FOLLOWING STAGES: RESOURCE POTENTIAL; RESOURCE AGGREGATION; RESOURCE ALLOCATION; RESOURCE MOBILIZATION; AND SERVICE IMPACT. EQUITY IN POLICE SERVICE DELIVERY -THE DISTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC RESOURCES AND IMPACT AMONG INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS -- IS DISCUSSED. FIVE EQUITY CRITERIA -- UNIVERSAL, STATUS, CONTRACT, DEMAND AND NEED -- ARE CONSIDERED, THE UNIVERSAL CRITERION IS APPLIED IN AN ANALYSIS OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF POLICE RESOURCE POTENTIAL, AGGREGATION, ALLOCATION, AND MOBILIZATION ACROSS 431 MUNICIPALITIES IN 46 METROPOLITAN AREAS. CONTRACT AND NEED CRITERIA ARE THEN APPLIED TO AN ANALYSIS OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF POLICE RESOURCE MOBILIZATION AND SERVICE IMPACTS ACROSS SEVERAL NEIGHBORHOODS WITHIN THE ST. LOUIS, MO., AREA. THE MULTIAREA ANALYSIS INDICATES CONSIDERABLE INEQUITY AT ALL STAGES OF THE SERVICE DELIVERY PROCESS ACCORDING TO THE UNIVERSAL CRITERION, WHICH DEMANDS THAT EACH POLITICAL JURISDICTION RECEIVE EQUAL LEVELS OF SERVICE. THE FINDINGS OF THE ST. LOUIS ANALYSIS ARE NOT AS CLEAR. IF DISTRIBUTIONAL QUESTIONS ARE DEFINED IN TERMS OF HOW MANY RESOURCES ARE APPLIED TO A GIVEN AREA, THEN THE POOR AREAS OF ST. LOUIS RECEIVE MORE THAN, OR AT LEAST AS MUCH AS, THE WEALTHY AREAS. HOWEVER, IF HOW THE RESOURCE MOBILIZATION, APPLICATION, AND IMPACT ON CITIZENS ARE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, THE CONCLUSION IS DIFFERENT. SUPPORTING DATA AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)