NCJ Number
18870
Date Published
1974
Length
132 pages
Annotation
STUDY DESIGNED TO CONSTRUCT A PARADIGM FOR THE APPLICATION OF POLICE COMMAND POST OPERATIONS IN AN URBAN SETTING AND TO IDENTIFY CRITERIA FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION AND TERMINATION OF THESE OPERATIONS.
Abstract
THE SPECIFIC POLICE RESPONSES TO EIGHT NON-STANDARD SITUATIONS (EACH IN A DIFFERENT CITY) DURING THE PERIOD 1965 THROUGH 1973 ARE EXAMINED AND COMPARED. (HERE 'NONSTANDARD FUNCTIONS' REFERS TO THE UTILIZATION OF POLICE PERSONNEL DURING TEMPORARY PERIODS OF UNUSUAL STRESS, SUCH AS RIOTS, CIVIL DISTURBANCES, DISASTERS, ETC.) AN EXAMINATION OF THE RIOTS IN LOS ANGELES, NEWARK, DETROIT, AND CLEVELAND DISCUSSED A GENERAL LACK OF CONTINGENCY PLANNING AND TRAINING FOR NON-STANDARD OPERATIONS. NEW ORLEANS WAS SHOWN TO HAVE RECOGNIZED ITS SIMILAR SHORTCOMINGS AND TO HAVE TAKEN THE NECESSARY CORRECTIVE MEASURES. THE CASES OF TOLEDO, NEW HAVEN, AND NEW YORK CITY ARE NOTED AS EXAMPLES OF POLICE REACTION TO NONSTANDARD SITUATIONS WHICH RESULTED IN A POSITIVE OUTCOME. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT WHEN A POLICE ORGANIZATION DOES NOT PRE-PLAN FOR NON-STANDARD EVENTS, TRAIN PERSONNEL, CONDUCT PERIODIC REVISIONS OF THE 'PLAN', OR PARTICIPATE IN GAMING EXERCISES FOR COMMAND AND STAFF PERSONNEL, THEN 'ORGANIZATIONAL SHOCK' WILL PROBABLY SET IN AND PARALYZE THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE POLICE AGENCY WHEN A NON-STANDARD SITUATION DOES DEVELOP. A MODEL FOR POLICE RESPONSE IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS IS PRESENTED WHICH CENTERS AROUND THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS (STAFF SERVICES, LIAISON, COMMUNICATIONS) OF A POLICE COMMAND POST. THIS MODEL IS BASED ON DATA INDICATING 'GOOD' AND 'BAD' PRIOR POLICE RESPONSES. A TEN-PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF BOOKS, ARTICLES, UNPUBLISHED MATERIALS, AND PERSONAL INTERVIEWS IS INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED) TOLEDO, NEW HAVEN