NCJ Number
79432
Date Published
1981
Length
0 pages
Annotation
Patrick V. Murphy discusses myths of police administration in this videotaped presentation.
Abstract
A prevalent belief proven false by an experiment in Kansas City, Kansas, is that police presence and visibility can prevent and deter crime. In addition, the idea that police can solve the crime problem if only more police are hired, persists. However, in Kansas City, more visible police on the street did not deter crime and fewer police officers on the street did not cause crime to increase. The myth that policing is a man's job has been proven false in recent years by the successful performance of women as patrol officers. The idea that most crimes are solved by detectives has been shown to need revision. Studies indicate the importance of uniformed officers in solving crimes. Other myths examined in detail include the use of deadly force and the police's inability to deal with the crime problem. The speaker emphasizes the importance of gathering information as a police function and that police must understand better the value of information obtained in neighborhoods.