NCJ Number
65867
Journal
Kriminalistik Volume: 31 Issue: 6 Dated: (1977) Pages: 243-245
Date Published
1977
Length
6 pages
Annotation
THE REQUIREMENTS, POSSIBILITIES, LIMITATIONS, AND STRATEGIES OF WEST GERMAN POLICE PLANNING ARE ANALYZED.
Abstract
WEST GERMAN ORGANIZATIONAL AND LEGAL REGULATIONS NECESSITATE EXTENSIVE POLICE PLANNING TO GUARANTEE THE AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION, PERSONNEL, AND EQUIPMENT WHENEVER IT IS REQUIRED. ESPECIALLY IN DEALING WITH NEW CRIME PHENOMENA LIKE BANK ROBBERY COMBINED WITH HOSTAGE-TAKING TERRORISM, OR POLITICAL PROTEST TECHNIQUES, THE POLICE DEPEND ON SYSTEMATIC PLANNING TO REDUCE THE UNAVOIDABLE ELEMENTS OF IMPROVISATION AND INTUITIVE ACTION. THE MOST CAREFUL PLANNING, HOWEVER, IS LIMITED BY THE FACT THAT POLICE WORK DEALS WITH NUMEROUS UNCONTROLLABLE ELEMENTS AND WITH ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS WHICH CANNOT BE CHANGED ON SHORT NOTICE. A PLANNING PROJECT MAY BE SYSTEMATICALLY APPROACHED IN THREE PHASES. DURING THE ANALYTICAL PHASE A PROBLEM IS EXAMINED IN TERMS OF ITS COMPONENTS, ORIGINS, AND RESULTS AND THE GOALS OF POLICE ACTION. DURING THE RESEARCH PHASE RELEVANT INFORMATION FROM SUCH SOURCES AS STATISTICS, CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH, AND OPINION PAPERS IS GATHERED. THE ACTUAL PROBLEMSOLVING PHASE APPLIES THE METHODS OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH TO GENERATE A VARIETY OF SOLUTION MODELS. OF THE NUMEROUS POSSIBILITIES FOR OPERATIONS ANALYSIS ONLY SIMULATION MODELS AND NET PLANNING ARE SUITED TO POLICE WORK. SIMULATION MODELS WHICH COMBINE KNOWN FACTS AND FAMILIAR DATA WITH PRESUMED REACTIONS AND APPROXIMATIONS MAY FURNISH VALUABLE TACTICAL ASSISTANCE, HOWEVER, NO GUARANTEE EXISTS THAT ULTIMATELY THE BEST TACTICAL SOLUTION IS CHOSEN. NET PLANNING TECHNIQUES ARE ALSO CONSIDERED VALUABLE PROBLEMSOLVING TOOLS BECAUSE OF THE SIMPLICITY OF THE SYMBOLS, THE TRANSPARENCE OF THE LOGICAL PROCEDURES, THE EASY DETECTABILITY OF PROBLEM AREAS, AND LARGELY ERRORFREE FUNCTIONING. POLICE PLANNING TAKES PLACE IN PROJECT GROUPS (SHORT-TERM GROUPS DESIGNED TO STUDY A PARTICULAR PROBLEM) AND STAFFS FOR LONG-RANGE PLANNING. IN THEIR LONG-RANGE EFFORTS, THE POLICE MUST SET CAREFUL PRIORITIES AND KEEP CLOSE WATCH ON SOCIAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS TO MEET ITS PLANNING GOALS. --IN GERMAN. (SAJ)