NCJ Number
65962
Date Published
1980
Length
357 pages
Annotation
THE POLICE FUNCTION, FROM THE JOB OF THE TOP EXECUTIVE TO THAT OF PATROL OFFICERS, AND THE ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURES OF THE DEPARTMENT ITSELF HAS CHANGED GREATLY WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF COMPUTERS AND AUTOMATION.
Abstract
THE NEW TECHNOLOGY PERVADES EVEN THE MANAGEMENT OF DEPARTMENTS AND DISTRICTS. THEORIES OF MANAGEMENT, FOR INSTANCE, INTRODUCED SCIENTIFIC METHODS OF DETERMINING WHO SHOULD BE MANAGING, HOW A DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE ADMINISTERED, AND HOW DECISIONS SHOULD BE MADE, THUS SCRUBBING THE EARLIER POLICE TRADITIONS OF PROMOTING PURELY ON THE BASIS OF SENIORITY OR POLITICAL APPOINTMENT. THE TECHNOLOGY HAS SPURRED USE OF SCIENTIFICALLY DESIGNED TESTS TO HELP SCREEN AND SELECT BOTH OFFICERS AND MANAGERS. NEW CONCEPTS IN ADMINISTERING DEPARTMENTS AND IN ACCREDITING DEPARTMENTS HAVE CENTERED ON EFFICIENCY AND BETTER PROTECTION ALONGSIDE REDUCED EXPENSES. SOME ALTERNATIVES BEING EXPERIMENTED WITH ARE A METROPOLITAN POLICE AUTHORITY, A FEDERATED POLICE SYSTEM, INTEGRATED POLICE AND FIRE SERVICES, CONTRACT LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND CITY-COUNTY CONSOLIDATION OF RESOURCES. BUT POLICE PROCEDURES HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN MOST ALTERED BY TECHNOLOGY. AUTOMATED POLICE RECORDS SYSTEMS AND COMPUTERIZED POLICE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS HAVE CAUSED GREAT REDUCTIONS IN NEED FOR AND TIME TAKEN UP BY CLERICAL ACTIVITY. IMMEDIATE TRANSMISSION AND INTERCHANGES OF INTELLIGENCE FROM STATION TO STATION AND FROM PRECINCT TO PATROL CAR, IMPROVED POLICE RECORDS MANAGEMENT AND QUICK ACCESS TO THESE RECORDS, ENHANCED CAPABILITY FOR ENSURING INDIVIDUAL PATROL OFFICER SAFETY ARE ALL BYPRODUCTS OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGY. SPECIFIC INNOVATIONS ARE THE NATIONAL CRIME INFORMATION CENTER AND OTHER SIMILAR INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR COLLECTING AND DISSEMINATING CRIMINAL RECORDS, DATA ON TYPES OF OFFENSES AND INFORMATION IN OTHER AREAS; AUTOMATED BURGLARY AND ALARM SYSTEMS; AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATON SYSTEMS; TWO-WAY RADIO SYSTEMS FOR AUTOMATED FLEET MONITORING; AUTOMATED FINGERPRINTING SYSTEMS; REMOTE COMPUTER TERMINALS IN PATROL CARS FOR COMPUTER-AIDED DISPATCHING; SOPHISTICATED POLYGRAPH INSTRUMENTS WITH MODULAR RECORDING CHANNELS, AND POLICE RADAR. DETAILS ON THESE SYSTEMS ARE PRESENTED IN THIS REFERENCE TEXT, AS IS INFORMATION ON RECRUIT SCREENING AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION TESTS, STANDARDS REGARDING OFFICER TRAINING AND EDUCATION, AND A TREATMENT OF THE EFFECT OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGY ON LINE PERFORMANCE. AN INDEX AND EXTENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE APPENDED. (AOP)