NCJ Number
53477
Date Published
1978
Length
92 pages
Annotation
THE PONTIAC, MICH., POLICE DEPARTMENT'S INTEGRATED CRIMINAL APPREHENSION PROGRAM (ICAP) PROJECT IS DESCRIBED AND EVALUATED.
Abstract
THE PONTIAC ICAP PROJECT HAD FOR GOALS: TO IMPROVE PRELIMINARY CRIME INVESTIGATIONS CONDUCTED BY PATROL OFFICERS, TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND THE CRIME ANALYSIS FUNCTION, TO COORDINATE THE CRIME ANALYSIS AND CRIME PREVENTION FUNCTIONS WITH PATROL IN ORDER TO DEVELOP PLANNING STRATEGIES AIMED AT INCREASING CRIMINAL APPREHENSIONS, AND TO COORDINATE THE INVESTIGATIVE AND PATROL FUNCTIONS IN ORDER TO IMPROVE CAREER CRIMINAL IDENTIFICATION AND APPREHENSION. NONE OF THE FOUR GOALS WAS ACHIEVED COMPLETELY. NO CHANGE WAS MADE IN PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS BY PATROL OFFICERS, AND THE ALREADY EXISTING CRIME ANALYSIS UNIT UNDERTOOK NO MAJOR NEW RESPONSIBILITIES. CRIME PREVENTION WAS NOT CLOSELY COORDINATED WITH PATROL AND CRIME ANALYSIS, ALTHOUGH THE LATTER TWO FUNCTIONS DID WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA OF PATROL TARGETS AND TACTICS. NO MAJOR NEW EFFORTS WERE UNDERTAKEN TO COORDINATE THE PATROL AND INVESTIGATIVE FUNCTIONS, AND CAREER CRIMINAL IDENTIFICATION AND APPREHENSION WAS NOT IMPROVED AS A RESULT OF THE ICAP PROJECT. SEVERAL PROJECT ACTIVITIES (E.G., A COURT ACTIVITIES COORDINATOR, A CRIME PREVENTION OFFICER, DIRECTED PATROL STRATEGY, D-RUNS, AND DETECTIVE ATTENDANCE AT PATROL ROLL CALLS) WERE CONTINUATIONS OF POSITIONS AND FUNCTIONS ESTABLISHED IN AN EARLIER PROJECT. (THE COORDINATOR'S PURPOSE IS TO ELIMINATE UNNECESSARY POLICE APPEARANCES IN COURT, THUS SAVING PATROL TIME AND EXPENSE. DIRECTED PATROL IS A PLAIN CLOTHES SATURATION STRATEGY BASED ON CRIME ANALYSIS. D-RUNS CONSTITUTE A UNIFORMED PATROL STRATEGY BASED ON CRIME ANALYSIS.) IN GENERAL, ICAP PROJECT PLANNING WAS NOT SUFFICIENTLY ATTENTIVE TO THE NEED FOR CLEAR OBJECTIVES AND PLANNED IMPLEMENTATION. PROJECT MANAGEMENT WAS LACKING IN DIRECTION AND CONTROL, POSSIBLY BECAUSE RESPONSIBILITY FOR VARIOUS PROJECT COMPONENTS WAS DELEGATED TO DIVISION COMMANDERS, SOME OF WHOM MAY HAVE LACKED EITHER COMMITMENT TO OR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROJECT. COMPARED TO THE NATIONAL ICAP MODEL, PONTIAC'S PROJECT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY INCOMPLETE. A CONTINUATION PROJECT IN PROGRESS RECTIFIES MOST OF THE DISCREPANCIES, AND IF SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED WILL BE MUCH CLOSER TO THE ICAP MODEL. DETAILS OF PROJECT ORGANIZATION AND OPERATION AND OF THE EVALUATION ARE PROVIDED, TOGETHER WITH SUPPORTING DATA AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)