PATROL TACTICS TO MINIMIZE RESPONSE TIME

• NCJ Number: 17253
• Author(s): M A NERENSTONE
• Date Published: 1970
• Length: 19 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

FOR A RANDOM DISTRIBUTION OF SERVICE CALLS OVER AN URBAN AREA, THE AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME OF A POLICE PATROL CAR IS MINIMIZED IF IT REMAINS STATIONARY AT THE CENTROID OF THE DISTRIBUTION WHILE AWAITING CALLS FOR SERVICE.

Abstract

THIS PAPER PRESENTS AN ANALYTIC STUDY OF THE EXPECTED VALUE OF RESPONSE TIME FOR CALLS WHICH FOLLOW A UNIFORM RANDOM DISTRIBUTION OVER AN URBAN SERVICE AREA. IT CONCLUDES THAT RESPONSE TIME IS MINIMIZED IF THE SERVICE UNIT REMAINS STATIONARY AT THE CENTER OF THE SERVICE AREA UNTIL CALLED, RESPONSE TIME IS MAXIMIZED IF THE SERVICE UNIT REMAINS STATIONARY AT THE FARTHEST CORNER AWAY FROM THE CENTER OF THE SERVICE AREA UNTIL CALLED, AND RANDOM PATROL WITHIN THE SERVICE AREA RESULTS IN AN AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME WHICH IS INTERMEDIATE BETWEEN THOSE TWO VALUES. SIMILAR CONCLUSIONS ARE VALID FOR RANDOM CALL DISTRIBUTIONS WHICH ARE NOT UNIFORM AND FOR SERVICE AREAS OTHER THAN STREET NETWORKS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)