NCJ Number
171106
Journal
Policing Volume: 20 Issue: 3 Dated: (1997) Pages: 567-576
Date Published
1997
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This paper analyzes the theoretical concepts and testable hypotheses regarding the usefulness of the following four proposed models of police reform: (1) administrative orthodoxy, (2) public law litigation, (3) the civilian review board, and (4) community policing.
Abstract
Each model is designed to reduce police misconduct, improve police effectiveness, and increase citizen satisfaction with the police. Outcomes regarding police performance include citizen complaint responses, violence, associated costs of misconduct, crime rates, public satisfaction with police performance, and levels of police officer job satisfaction. Each model's components can be considered as independent variables and the outcomes as dependent variables. The main values in the administrative-orthodoxy model are efficiency, effectiveness, and economy. Public-law litigation focuses on due process, equal protection, cruel and unusual punishment, and individual accountability. The civilian review board emphasizes responsiveness, representativeness, and accountability, while community policing values responsiveness, participation, and coproduction. Reform proponents tend to argue that their model will achieve desired outcomes while other models will not. However, each model may be better at achieving some outcomes than others; under this hypothesis, the linear effect of each model would be additive and independent. Alternatively, a model's ability to achieve results may be contingent on the presence of other reform models operating interactively. Under this hypothesis, the presence of each reform model would improve outcomes as it worked interactively with other reform models. Analysis of each model suggests a framework for possible research to test these competing hypotheses. Chart