PORTLAND (OR) POLICE STRIKE FORCE SUBPROJECT - EVALUATION REPORT NUMBER 1 - 1ST 18 MONTHS - SUBPROJECT DESCRIPTION AND PRELIMINARY OUTCOME ASSESSMENT

• NCJ Number: 18510
• Author(s): N INSKEEP
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 42 pages
• Grant Number(s): 74-NI-10-0002
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Oregon Law Enforcement Council
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AN ASSESSMENT OF THIS PROJECT WHICH USED IMPACT-PROVIDED RESOURCES TO IMPROVE COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF CRIME INFORMATION, APPREHENSION EFFORTS, AND THE DETECTION AND INTERDICTION OF TARGET CRIMES.

Abstract

THIS SUBPROJECT IS PART OF THE THREE-YEAR, FIVE MILLION DOLLAR PORTLAND POLICE HIGH IMPACT PROJECT. OF THE TWO AND ONE-HALF MILLION DOLLAR DIRECT COST BUDGET FOR THE SUBPROJECT, 47 PERCENT PROVIDED 21.5 ADDITIONAL, FULLTIME PERSONNEL; 33 PERCENT PROVIDED ROUGHLY 67,000 OVERTIME MANHOURS; 10 PERCENT PROVIDED NEW EQUIPMENT INCLUDING A $145,000 INTRUSION ALARM SYSTEM, NINETEEN UNMARKED CARS, TWO VANS AND SURVEILLANCE EQUIPMENT; AND 9 PERCENT PROVIDED SUPPLIES AND OPERATING EXPENSES, INCLUDING $100,000 FOR INFORMATION PURCHASE AND OTHER UNDERCOVER ACTIVITIES. THE EVALUATION OF THE POLICE STRIKE FORCE SUBPROJECT FOCUSED ON THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS: STRIKE FORCE OVERTIME MISSIONS, SPECIALIZED SURVEILLANCE TEAM, THE DETECTIVES DIVISION MANPOWER AUGMENTATION AND OPERATIONAL CHANGES, THE INTELLIGENCE DIVISION MANPOWER AUGMENTATION, THE CRIMINALISTICS DIVISION MANPOWER AND EQUIPMENT AUGMENTATION, AND THE ULTIMATE OUTCOMES OF THE SUBPROJECT. IT WAS FOUND THAT MOST MISSIONS HAVE INVOLVED SURVEILLANCE AND MOST WERE FIELDED IN RESPONSE TO BURGLARY OR FENCING ACTIVITIES. OVERTIME MISSIONS APPEARED TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE IN TERMS OF TARGET ARRESTS. THE SPECIALIZED SURVEILLANCE TEAM WAS FOUND TO PROVIDE HIGHLY PROFICIENT USE OF SURVEILLANCE EQUIPMENT AND PROVIDES WELL-COORDINATED, HIGHLY SKILLED INTERCEPTION OF ARMED CRIMINALS. THE FENCE DETAIL WAS FOUND TO BE SUCCESSFULLY INTERDICTING FENCING OPERATIONS, DISRUPTING COMPLACENT ATTITUDES OF BUSINESSMEN TOWARD CASUAL PURCHASE OF STOLEN MERCHANDISE, AND PROPAGATING A REGIONAL INTELLIGENCE NETWORK. ADDITION OF KEY PERSONNEL SEEMED TO BE PRODUCING DESIRED RESULTS. INCREASES IN THE NUMBER OF CASES ACCEPTED FOR PROSECUTION BY THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY INDICATED GREATLY IMPROVED ROBBERY CASEWORK AND SLIGHTLY IMPROVED BURGLARY CASEWORK BY THE POLICE, PARTICULARLY BY THE DETECTIVES DIVISION. IMPROVED EQUIPMENT AND ADDED MANPOWER IN THE CRIMINALISTICS DIVISION RESULTED IN GREATLY INCREASED SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS AT CRIME SCENES AND SIGNIFICANTLY MORE SUSPECT IDENTIFICATIONS FROM LATENT PRINTS.