POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS/COMUNITY CRIME PREVENTION - A PROGRAM EVALUATION OF TWENTY-THREE PROJECTS

• NCJ Number: 38937
• Author(s): H METZ; P ROBINSON
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 48 pages
• Corporate Author: Delaware Criminal Justice Planning Cmssn
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

REPORT SAYS THAT IMPROVING QUALITY OF SERVICE PROVIDED BY POLICE IS A MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO BRIGHTEN POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS.

Abstract

IN THIS STUDY, THE DELAWARE AGENCY TO REDUCE CRIME TAKES A LOOK AT THE PROGRESS OF 23 POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAMS IT HAS ASSISTED. IT FOUND THAT THE MAJORITY OF THESE PROJECTS WERE OVERLY CONCERNED WITH POLICE IMAGE, SUFFERED FROM A LACK OF ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITMENT, AND WERE BASED UPON UNCLEAR AND ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES. MANY WERE DISCONTINUED AFTER FEDERAL FUNDS TO POLICE DEPARTMENTS WERE CURTAILED. TO IMPROVE THESE PROGRAMS, THE STUDY RECOMMENDS, AMONG OTHER STEPS, THAT TRAINING PROGRAMS ENCOMPASSING THE NON-CRIMINAL ROLE OF THE POLICE BE ESTABLISHED, AND THAT EMPHASIS BE PLACED ON ASSESSING THE PERFORMANCE OF OFFICERS IN NON-CRIMINAL SITUATIONS. IT ALSO RECOMMENDS THAT DEPARTMENTS SET UP FORMAL METHODS FOR HANDLING COMPLAINTS FAIRLY, AND THAT DEPARTMENTS WORK MORE ACTIVELY WITH OTHER AGENCIES AND GROUPS CONCERNED WITH CRIME PREVENTION....BS