NCJ Number
69474
Date Published
1968
Length
60 pages
Annotation
THE POLICE MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE CONDUCTED AT THE HARRISBURG AREA COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN PENNSYLVANIA IS EVALUATED.
Abstract
THE SUBJECT-MATTER CONTENT OF THE INSTITUTE FOCUSED ON THE MAJOR MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS RELATED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND PROVIDED INSIGHTS INTO PROCEDURES BEING DEVELOPED TO COPE WITH CHANGING DEMANDS ON LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. BETWEEN OCTOBER 1967 AND JANUARY 1968, FOUR ONE-WEEK SEGMENTS OF INSTRUCTION WERE SEPARATED BY 1-MONTH PERIODS DURING WHICH READING AND WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS WERE PERFORMED. EXPERIENCED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SERVED AS LECTURERS, AND WORKSHOP-TYPE ACTIVITIES CONCENTRATED ON SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF THE MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS CONSIDERED IN THE LECTURES. A BASIC TEXT SUPPLEMENTED BY RELATED READINGS WAS USED. FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEWS OF ALL 24 PARTICIPANTS SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE INSTITUTE FOCUSED ON THE PARTICIPANTS' PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR EXPERIENCES, THE CHANGES THEY INTRODUCED IN THEIR DEPARTMENTS AS A RESULT OF THEIR PARTICIPATION, AND SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS FOR FUTURE INSTITUTES. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE FULLY SATISFIED WITH THE INSTITUTE AND INDICATED THAT THROUGH NEW OR RENEWED CONTACTS WITH COLLEAGUES THEY WERE CONTINUING TO EXCHANGE IDEAS, AND THAT THEY HAD INITIATED MEANINGFUL CHANGES IN THEIR DEPARTMENTS AS A RESULT OF THEIR EXPERIENCES. SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDED (1) THE PROVIDING OF PRE-INSTITUTE INFORMATION AND MATERIALS; (2) THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMMON TERMINOLOGY AT THE OUTSET OF THE INSTITUTE; (3) THE ORGANIZATION OF THE INSTITUTE INTO A SOLID BLOCK OF TIME; (4) THE INVOLVEMENT OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE PLANNING OF INSTITUTE ACTIVITIES; AND (5) THE PERFORMANCE OF ACTUAL TASKS, SUCH AS BUILDING AND PRESENTING BUDGETS. THE INSTITUTE IS RECOMMENDED AS AN EFFECTIVE MODEL FOR PLANNING SIMILAR PROJECTS IN THE FUTURE. APPENDIXES CONTAIN INTERIM REPORTS, BUT REFERENCES AND DATA TABLES ARE NOT PROVIDED.