LOCAL POLICING - A THREE DIMENSIONAL TASK ANALYSIS

• NCJ Number: 27237
• Journal: Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: (SPRING 1975) Pages: 1-15
• Author(s): W P BROWN
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 15 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare; National Science Foundation; Academy for Contemporary Problems
• Corporate Author: Pergamon Press, Inc
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS STUDY ANALYZES THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN COMMUNITY NEEDS, POLICE RESPONSES, AND THE POLICE PROCESS IN ORDER TO DEVELOP A USABLE AND COMPREHENSIVE MODEL OF THE LOCAL POLICING TASK.

Abstract

PRIOR ATTEMPTS TO DISCUSS THE NATURE OF POLICE WORK ARE SUMMARIZED AND A DESCRIPTIVE MODEL IS DEVELOPED, BASED ON A MATRIX ANALYSIS INVOLVING THREE DICHOTOMIES: PUBLIC NEED (INDIVIDUAL VICTIMIZATION, COMMUNITY NEED), OFFICIAL RESPONSE (CONTROL, SERVICE), AND PROCESS (INCIDENT, ISSUE). THE RESULT OF THE ANALYSIS IS A THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODEL OF THE POLICE TASK AS CONSISTING OF FOUR DISTINCT AND MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE ELEMENTS: VICTIMIZING CRIME, VICTIMIZING EMERGENCY, REGULATION, AND COMMUNITY SERVICE. EACH OF THESE FOUR KINDS OF POLICE WORK IS DEFINED IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY NEED AND POLICE RESPONSE, AND CAN BE FURTHER ANALYZED IN TERMS OF THE PROCESS (INCIDENT-ISSUE) DIMENSION. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)