NCJ Number
78882
Date Published
1980
Length
27 pages
Annotation
Findings and implications are discussed from a study that examined the correlates or predictors of response time and the relationship of response time to clearances of calls for service, based upon data from the police department in York, Pa.
Abstract
The York police received about 31,000 calls for service in 1976, the base year of the analysis. Representative samples were taken of each of the 38 call classifications within each of the city's 16 census tracts. Response time data were obtained from the York Communications-Event Report, an instrument used by the police dispatcher to record information on the location and nature of the incident, the name of the complainant-requestor, and other incident-related information. A time clock was punched to record when the call was received, and when a unit was dispatched, when the dispatch was acknowledged, when the unit arrived on the scene, and when the unit was back in service. The variables examined in relation to response time were location, time of day, and type of call. The clearance variable reports whether an arrest or charge was made. Although the relationships between response time and the workload indicators (location, time of day, and type of call) were found to be weak, they do suggest possible approaches for improving response time; however, since the relationship between aggregate response time and clearance rates was so insignificant, across-the-board attempts to improve response time for all types of calls may waste scarce resources. The findings did show a relationship between response time and clearance for Part 1 and Part 2 crimes, so selectively focusing on reduction in response time for these calls may yield better results. Tabular data and 24 footnotes are provided.