NCJ Number
66435
Date Published
1980
Length
303 pages
Annotation
BASED ON DATA COLLECTED FROM THE COLUMBUS POLICE DEPARTMENT (OHIO), A METHOD FOR OPTIMAL ALLOCATION OF POLICE PATROL VEHICLES USING THE UTILIZATION RATIO AS A KEY DECISION VARIABLE IS DEVELOPED.
Abstract
PRELIMINARY OUTPUT PROVIDED IS THE REQUIRED AMOUNT OF PATROL VEHICLE HOURS TO BE ALLOCATED TO EACH WATCH, DAY, AND PRECINCT TO ATTAIN DESIGNATED PERFORMANCE MEASURE LEVELS. A THREE-STAGE MODEL IS EMPLOYED: (1) STATISTICAL ANALYSIS TO COLLECT INFORMATION ON THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN GEOGRAPHIC-DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS AND THE CALL-FOR-SERVICE WORKLOAD IN A PARTICULAR DISTRICT (AND THUS TO DERIVE UTILIZATION RATIOS), (2) USE OF THE PATROL CAR UTILIZATION MODEL TO MODEL TRADE-OFFS BETWEEN UTILIZATION RATIO LEVELS AND LEVELS OF OTHER PERFORMANCE MEASURES, AND (3) APPLICATION OF FIRST AND SECOND STAGE INFORMATION TO DEVELOPMENT OF A GOAL PROGRAM MODEL BY CONSTRUCTING GOAL CONSTRAINTS AND SPECIFYING GOAL LEVELS FOR EACH SET OF CONSTRAINTS. THE ALLOCATIONS FOR THE PROGRAM DIFFERED FROM THE EXISTING REAL ALLOCATIONS IN WATCHES PER DAY, PER VARIOUS DAYS OF THE WEEK, AND PER PRECINCT. THE RESEARCH FACILITATES ALLOCATION OF VEHICLES ACROSS WATCHES, DAYS, AND PRECINCTS WITH REGARD TO HIGH VARIABLE WORKLOAD LEVELS AND A SET OF CONFLICTING NONHOMOGENEOUS GOALS, AND PROVIDES A MEANS OF ESTIMATING PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND SATIFYING REASONABLE GOALS. THE UTILIZATION RATIO IS IS ALSO ESTABLISHED AS A CONVENIENT MEANS FOR COMPARING DIFFERENT PATROL ALLOCATION TECHNIQUES ACROSS A COMMON MEASURE. THE RESEARCH COULD BE EXTENDED IN THE FUTURE TO MANPOWER SCHEDULING AND BEAT DESIGN DECISIONS. THE GOAL PROGRAM SHOULD BE SIMPLIFIED BY CONSOLIDATING VARIOUS PERFORMANCE MEASURES, AND THE RESULTS OF THIS METHOD SHOULD BE COMPARED TO THOSE OF OTHER SOLUTION TECHNIQUES. TABLES, GRAPHS, FIGURES, AND 81 REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. THE RESULTS OF FACTOR AND REGRESSION ANALYSES ARE APPENDED, ALONG WITH GOAL PROGRAMMING AND PERFORMANCE MEASURE RESULTS.