NCJ Number
151270
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 42 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1994) Pages: 63-65
Date Published
1994
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The Philadelphia Police Department provides a successful example of the decentralization of investigative functions to enable investigators as well as administrators to personalize service and provide a localized link between the police and the citizens.
Abstract
The decentralization took place as part of the comprehensive 5-year plan established in 1990. In addition to implementing the decentralization process throughout the department, the plan included ideas for promoting continued efficiency and productivity in the investigative function. The detective headquarters was dismantled, and responsibility was spread among seven field divisions headed by a department called Command Inspection. As a result, the police department has experienced substantial progress in increasing interaction at the investigative level by embracing a client-oriented approach. A study by an independent organization, the Citizens Crime Commission of the Delaware Valley concludes that the investigative decentralization is a positive achievement. Officers and investigators are more directly involved and accountable to the communities they serve. Both internal and external communication has been enhanced. Investigative response time has also been shortened. Rescheduling shifts and assignments has also been explored. The decentralization process is an evolutionary one, because community policing involves flexibility and adjustments to the needs of the communities.