NCJ Number
42227
Date Published
1972
Length
280 pages
Annotation
FINAL REPORT OF A PHASE II STUDY WHICH PROVIDED AND TESTED A PERFORMANCE AND COST DECISION-MAKING SYSTEM FOR THE FIELD POLICING FUNCTION.
Abstract
DEVELOPED TO PROVIDE A METHODOLOGY FOR STRENGTHENED MANAGERIAL AND OPERATIONAL PLANNING, CONTROL, AND EVALUATION, THE SYSTEM CONSISTS OF 14 ANALYTICAL TASKS, WHICH RANGE FROM FORECASTING THE VOLUME OF COMMUNITY GENERATED CASELOADS TO ANALYZING THE BENEFITS AND COSTS OF ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING FIELD POLICING SERVICES. THE PURPOSE, METHODOLOGY, TASK COMPLETION RESPONSIBILITY, AND IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS WHICH AFFECT DECISION-MAKING IN EACH OF THESE ANALYTICAL TASKS ARE DESCRIBED IN DETAIL. THE APPLICATION AND USEFULNESS OF THE BENEFIT AND COST METHODOLOGY WAS TESTED BY EVALUATING ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES IN THE PASADENA POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR ATTAINING A REDUCED RESPONSE TIME SERVICE LEVEL. THE BENEFITS AND COSTS OF VARIOUS ALTERNATIVES WERE EVALUATED, INCLUDING: MONITORING RESPONSE TIMES AND MAKING THESE RESULTS KNOWN; ADDING FIELD UNITS; CHANGING DISPATCHING POLICIES; ESTABLISHING WORK OUTPUT STANDARDS FOR CONTROL CENTER PROCESSING; AND COMBINING SEVERAL ALTERNATIVES. IT WAS FOUND THAT CHANGING DISPATCHING POLICIES SO THAT ANY FIELD UNIT IN EITHER THE NORTH OR SOUTH HALF OF THE CITY COULD BE DISPATCHED TO A CALL IN THAT AREA (RATHER THAN USING QUADRANT DISPATCHING) WOULD PROVIDE THE BEST BENEFIT AND COST RATIO, AS MEASURED BY THE LOWEST ANNUALIZED COST FOR EACH ESTIMATED MINUTE OF AVERAGE RESPONSE DELAY REDUCED. THE APPLICATION AND POTENTIAL USEFULNESS OF THE PERFORMANCE-COST DECISION-MAKING SYSTEM IN DETERMINING POLICE SERVICE LEVELS AND RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS (EXCLUDING BENEFIT AND COST ANALYSIS) WAS TESTED IN THE CITIES OF PASADENA (AN INDEPENDENT CITY) AND COMMERCE (A CONTRACT CITY) IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY. WITHIN EXISTING DATA LIMITATIONS, POLICING WORKLOADS WERE FORECASTED, TENTATIVE FIELD SERVICE LEVEL OBJECTIVES ESTABLISHED, AND FIELD POLICING RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS DETERMINED. IN ADDITION, SEVERAL CANDIDATES FOR BENEFIT AND COST ANALYSIS WERE IDENTIFIED. THIS STUDY ALSO SUMMARIZES THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE PERFORMANCE-COST DECISION-MAKING SYSTEM FOR CITIES IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY WHO CONTRACT WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT FOR POLICE SERVICES. APPENDED MATERIALS INCLUDE A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)