POLICE PATROLMEN'S OFFENSE-REPORTING BEHAVIOR

• NCJ Number: 34747
• Journal: Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency Volume: 13 Issue: 1 Dated: (JANUARY 1976) Pages: 33-47
• Author(s): H E PEPINSKY
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 15 pages
• Corporate Author: National Council on Crime and Delinquency
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

REPORT OF A STUDY OF HOW PATROLMEN IN THE MINNEAPOLIS MODEL CITY PRECINCT EXERCISE THEIR DISCRETION IN REPORTING OFFENSES.

Abstract

DATA WERE COLLECTED BY A PAIR OF OBSERVERS ACCOMPANYING PATROLMEN ON SEVENTY EIGHT-HOUR UNIFORMED PATROLS IN TWO-MAN SQUAD CARS. A SAMPLE OF 373 RESPONSES TO ALL CALLS WERE EVALUATED ACCORDING TO A PRE-CODED, PRETESTED SCHEDULE OF 79 OBJECTIVE ITEMS AND ONE ITEM FOR RECORDING SUPPLEMENTARY SUBJECTIVE DATA. THE FINDINGS REVEAL THAT TO A LARGE EXTENT, THE PATROLMEN'S DECISIONS AS TO WHETHER TO REPORT OFFENSES WERE DETERMINED BY THE TERMS OF THE CALLS THEY HAD RECEIVED FROM THE DISPATCHERS. THE STUDY SUPPORTS THE SUGGESTION THAT THE ORGANIZATION OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS WOULD BE FOUND TO DETERMINE OFFICIAL OFFENSE-REPORTING PRACTICES AND THE MAIN FINDING THAT PATROLMEN'S OFFENSE-REPORTING PRACTICES MEET THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE TERMS OF THEIR DISPATCHERS IS INTERPRETED AS A FORM OF GOAL DISPLACEMENT.