NCJ Number
92106
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 11 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1983) Pages: 410-419
Date Published
1983
Length
10 pages
Annotation
An evaluation of the Neighborhood Foot Patrol Program (NFPP) in Flint, Mich. showed that foot patrol officers performed many traditional police functions more cheaply and efficiently than other units, reduced fear of crime, and improved police-community relations.
Abstract
The NFPP was conducted in 14 Flint neighborhoods between January 1979 and January 1982. An evaluation by a research team from Michigan State University was based primarily on personal interviews, crime statistics and calls for service, monitoring a sample of foot patrol officers' reports, and a media content analysis. Problem areas in the NFPP included predictable difficulties between foot and motor patrol officers, reluctance by some foot patrol officers to make referrals to social agencies and work with juveniles, inadequate training in communications and interpersonal skills, and uneven supervision. However, the evaluation showed that overall the NFPP was well accepted by residents and beneficial for Flint. The percentage of citizens who said they felt safer in their neighborhoods as a result of the NFPP increased with each year of the evaluation. Reported crime in general was down 8.7 percent, although there were dramatic fluctuations in the data from year to year. For example, when patrol areas were expanded in the third year, crime rates followed the evaluators' predictions and rose sharply. Calls for service were down more than 40 percent over the evaluation period because foot patrol officers were handling minor complaints informally. Citizens rated foot patrol officers more effective than motor patrols by large margins in preventing crime, encouraging citizen self-protection, working with juveniles, and following up complaints. Tables and one reference are supplied.