NCJ Number
53310
Journal
ACTA CRIMINOLOGIAE ET MEDICINE LEGALIS JAPANICA Volume: 29 38-41
Date Published
1978
Length
6 pages
Annotation
RESEARCH AND PLANNING ARE DISCUSSED AS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE CRIME PREVENTION AND LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY SERVICE.
Abstract
POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARE PRIMARILY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, AND POLICE OFFICERS NEED NEW TOOLS AND NEW ORIENTATIONS TO PERFORM THEIR WORK PROPERLY. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A POLICE PLAN NECESSITATES THAT LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS CREATE A PERMANENT AND ONGOING RESEARCH AND PLANNING UNIT WITHIN THE STRUCTURE OF THEIR DECISIONMAKING PROCESSES. RESEARCH SHOULD BE ORIENTED TOWARD LOCAL NEEDS AND BE DIRECTED TOWARD SOCIAL AND EVALUATIVE ASPECTS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COMMUNITY SERVICE. POLICE SERVICE RESEARCH AND PLANNING IS DIVIDED INTO TWO COMPONENTS, LAW ENFORCEMENT NEEDS AND COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE SERVICE NEEDS. THE LAW ENFORCEMENT COMPONENT ENCOMPASSES ARMED ROBBERY, ASSAULT, RAPE, BURGLARY, HOMICIDE, AND THEFT. CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR OF ALL KINDS INVOLVES FOUR BASIC ELEMENTS: REINFORCEMENT AVAILABLE FROM THE CRIMINAL ACT, RISK INVOLVED IN THE COMMISSION OF CRIME, PAST CONDITIONING OF THE INDIVIDUAL INVOLVED, AND OPPORTUNITY STRUCTURE TO COMMIT THE CRIMINAL LAW. APPROXIMATELY 90 PERCENT OF POLICE WORK IS NOT RELATED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. THE COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE COMPONENT CENTERS AROUND PROVIDING LOCKOUT ASSISTANCE, VACATION SURVEILLANCE, ASSISTING MOTORISTS, REGISTERING AND LICENSING ANIMALS, ASSISTING ILL OR INJURED PERSONS, ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION, LOCATING LOST CHILDREN, AND SIMILAR TASKS. THE QUALITY OF INTERNAL MANAGEMENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN POLICE DEPARTMENTS CAN BE ENHANCED BY APPLYING THE RESULTS OF RESEARCH DIRECTED AT SUCH PROBLEMS AS IMPROVING EMPLOYEE MORALE, ESTABLISHING REALISTIC PROGRAM AND BUDGET PRIORITIES, AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY AND TRAINING OF PERSONNEL AND WORKING CONDITIONS. (DEP)