NCJ Number
113690
Journal
Canadian Police College Journal Volume: 12 Issue: 2 Dated: (1988) Pages: 86-98
Date Published
1988
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This article describes how the Merseyside Force, the sixth largest of the 51 forces on the United Kingdom mainland, revised its management policies in response to Home Office circular 114/83, which advised that bids for future personnel increases would be considered only if it could be shown that current personnel were being used as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Abstract
The Merseyside Force involved the community and all members of the force in the planning of agency goals, followed by the planning of management goals and performance review to determine progress toward goals. The constable was included in the decisionmaking process for the first time. Performance reviews were instituted for all job levels. Community forums were established to provide the police ready access to local opinion and provide police a channel of communication to interpret objectives. The new planning process facilitates forming police strategies and operations based on police-citizen perceptions of community problems. One of the lessons learned was the need to prioritize objectives so as to focus police efforts within the parameters of time and resources. An example shows how the Merseyside Force addressed the problem of domestic burglary using the new management strategy. 4 references.