NCJ Number
129776
Date Published
1990
Length
14 pages
Annotation
Two research projects conducted by the Bundeskriminalamt in West Germany during the last 15 years have focused on problems of routine police work and the relationship between the German public and the police.
Abstract
The first project focused on how two police departments transferred case information to the KPMD, a national computerized database. Three weeks of observations revealed that many data were lost or distorted because they did not fit the database's classification categories or because the police officers made misjudgments during the transfer to the electronic medium. Findings suggested several possible improvements for the KPMD and also showed that the complex rational and intuitive thought processes of a capable detective cannot be matched by any electronic system. The other study gathered data from 1,800 randomly selected residents of Bochum focusing on their crime reporting behavior and their satisfaction with the police. Results confirmed a 1975 survey that showed that 8 unreported crimes occur for every reported crime, that 40 percent were satisfied with the police, and that 14 percent were dissatisfied. Figures and 26 references