NCJ Number
12261
Date Published
1973
Length
85 pages
Annotation
ISSUES AND SUGGESTIONS RELATED TO MEASURING AND IMPROVING POLICE PRODUCTIVITY IN THE SPECIFIC AREAS OF PATROL, CRIME PREVENTION, AND HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT.
Abstract
THE ADVISORY GROUP ON PRODUCTIVITY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSION OF PRODUCTIVITY AND GIVEN THE TASK OF DEVELOPING THE TOOLS AND MEASURES WITH WHICH POLICE DEPARTMENTS CAN THEMSELVES IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY. VARIOUS EMPIRICAL AND ANALYTICAL APPROACHES TO THE PROBLEM OF POLICE PRODUCTIVITY WERE EMPLOYED. THE ADVISORY GROUP'S REPORT BEGINS BY BRIEFLY DEFINING THE CONCEPT OF PRODUCTIVITY AS IT MIGHT BE APPLIED TO POLICE SERVICES. THE NEED TO VIEW POLICE PRODUCTIVITY IN TERMS OF A PROCESS INTEGRALLY RELATED TO OVERALL POLICE MANAGEMENT IS EMPHASIZED. THE PROBLEM OF MEASURING POLICE ACTIVITY IS DISCUSSED. SOME PITFALLS OF MEASURES CURRENTLY IN USE ARE IDENTIFIED, THE PRINCIPLE ELEMENTS OF MEASUREMENT ARE ANALYZED, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF USING MEASURES WITHIN THE OVERALL MANAGEMENT CONTEXT IS POINTED OUT. THE BULK OF THE DOCUMENT IS COMPOSED OF THREE CHAPTERS WHICH APPLY THE PRODUCTIVITY CONCEPT TO THREE SUBSTANTIVE TARGET AREAS - PATROL, CRIME PREVENTION, AND HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT. IN EACH CASE, DETAILS ARE PROVIDED TO ASSIST DEPARTMENTS IN MOVING RAPIDLY TO USE THE IDEAS IN THEIR OWN SITUATIONS. ALTHOUGH SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS FOR PRODUCTIVITY MEASUREMENT AND IMPROVEMENT ARE INCLUDED, THE DISCUSSION SUMMARIZES KEY POINTS IN A MANNER BROAD ENOUGH TO INCREASE THEIR GENERAL APPLICABILITY. BARRIERS TO PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT ARE EXAMINED, INCLUDING BOTH THE IMPEDIMENTS TO CHANGE EXISTING IN MANY POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND THE FACTORS THAT DETERMINE THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF NEW PROGRAMS. A FINAL SECTION PRESENTS THE ADVISORY GROUP'S SUGGESTIONS FOR NATIONAL SUPPORT TO ASSIST STATE AND LOCAL POLICE AGENCIES IN DEVELOPING THEIR OWN CAPABILITIES FOR IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY.