ON THE FATE OF 'LILLIPUTS' IN METROPOLITAN POLICING

• NCJ Number: 34006
• Journal: Public Administration Review Volume: 36 Issue: 2 Dated: (MARCH/APRIL 1976) Pages: 192-200
• Author(s): E OSTROM; D C SMITH
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 9 pages
• Grant Number(s): 5 R01 MH 19911
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: American Soc. for Public Admin
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE AUTHORS REFUTE THE ARGUMENTS OF THOSE WHO MAINTAIN THAT SMALL POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARE INEFEECTIVE AND INEFFICIENT, AND OFFER EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE INDICATING EQUAL OR SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE BY THESE SMALL AGENCIES.

Abstract

IT IS ARGUED THAT NO EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE HAS BEEN FOUND TO SUPPORT THE PROPOSITION THAT LARGER SIZE OF THE DEPARTMENT IS ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER COSTS FOR LOCAL POLICE PROTECTION SIMILARLY, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT SMALLER AGENCIES PROVIDE A LOW QUALITY OF SERVICE. THE AUTHORS PRESENT THE RESULTS OF A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF POLICE PERFORMANCE IN THE ST. LOUIS METROPOLITAN AREA. SMALL, MEDIUM, AND LARGE DEPARTMENTS WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. POLICE PERFORMANCE WAS MEASURED IN THIS STUDY BY A VARIETY OF INDICATORS DERIVED FROM A CITIZEN SURVEY, FROM INTERVIEWS WITH POLICE OFFICIALS, AND FROM POLICE AND PROSECUTORIAL ACTIVITY RECORDS. THE PATTERN ACROSS A NUMBER OF INDICATORS WAS CLEAR: THE VERY SMALL DEPARTMENTS CONSISTENTLY PERFORMED AT HIGHER LEVELS THAN THE TWO LARGEST POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN THE ST. LOUIS METROPOLITAN AREA. THE PER CAPITA COSTS OF SMALL DEPARTMENTS WAS ALSO MUCH LOWER. BASED ON INTERVIEWS WITH POLICE FROM SMALL, MEDIUM, AND LARGE DEPARTMENTS, IT WAS FOUND THAT SIZE OF DEPARTMENT WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH YEARS OF COLLEGE EDUCATION OR WITH ATTITUDES TOWARD DEMOCRATIC VALUES. THE AUTHORS DISCUSS POSSIBLE REASONS FOR THE COMMON PERCEPTION THAT LARGER DEPARTMENTS ARE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN SMALLER DEPARTMENTS.