NCJ Number
34715
Date Published
1976
Length
96 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT EVALUATES AND DESCRIBES THE CHARACTERISTICS AND OPERATIONS OF THE ROCHESTER (NY) COORDINATED TEAM PATROL (CTP) PROGRAM THAT ENABLED THE TEAM TO CLEAR MORE CRIMES AND MAKE MORE ARRESTS THAN NONTEAM PERSONNEL.
Abstract
EARLY IN 1971 THE ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, POLICE DEPARTMENT INITIATED AN EXPERIMENT CALLED COORDINATED TEAM PATROL (CTP), A VARIANT OF NEIGHBORHOOD TEAM POLICING, IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THAT CITY. THE GOAL OF THE EXPERIMENT WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE CTP SYSTEM COULD IMPROVE THE DEPARTMENT'S INVESTIGATIVE AND APPREHENSION OPERATIONS. THE TWO TEAMS CONSISTED OF ABOUT 30 PATROL OFFICERS PLUS SIX DETECTIVES, ALL RESPONSIBLE TO THE PATROL TEAM COMMANDER. THE TEAMS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING MOST PATROL AND INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES TO THEIR ASSIGNED AREAS OF THE CITY. A PREVIOUS REPORT ON THIS EXPERIMENT, AUDITING CLEARANCE RATES, CONFIRMED THE DEPARTMENT'S OWN BELIEF THAT PATROL OFFICERS AND INVESTIGATIVE PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN CTP WERE MORE PRODUCTIVE THAN NON-CTP PERSONNEL IN DEALING WITH THE TARGETED CRIMES OF BURGLARY, ROBBERY, AND LARCENY. THE PRESENT REPORT FURTHER CONFIRMS THESE EARLIER RESULTS AND DESCRIBES THE ELEMENTS OF THE ROCHESTER SYSTEM, WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO ITS SUCCESS AND CAUSED THE ROCHESTER POLICE DEPARTMENT TO EXPAND ITS USE TO ALL PARTS OF THE CITY IN 1975. SOME OF THESE ELEMENTS, ALONE OR IN COMBINATION, ARE BELIEVED TO BE PROMISING METHODS OF IMPROVING POLICE OPERATIONS IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS. INNOVATIONS OF GREATEST VALUE WERE 'EARLY CASE CLOSURE', WHICH AIDED IN PREVENTING WASTED EFFORT OR UNPRODUCTIVE INVESTIGATIONS AND 'CENTRALIZED CASE MANAGEMENT'. THE MOST NOTEWORTHY PROBLEM UNCOVERED BY THIS EVALUATION WAS THE COMPARATIVE FAILURE OF THE TEAMS TO OBTAIN PROSECUTION FOR THEIR ON-SCENE ARRESTS. THE FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS COMPARATIVE LACK OF TEAM SUCCESS HAVE YET TO BE FULLY DETERMINED, AND STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN BY THE DEPARTMENT BOTH TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND TO TEST CORRECTIVE MEASURES.