QUEUING-LINEAR PROGRAMMING APPROACH TO SCHEDULING POLICE PATROL CARS

• NCJ Number: 19892
• Author(s): P J KOLESAR; K L RIDER; T B CRABILL; W E WALKER
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 25 pages
• Corporate Author: Rand Corporation
• Sale Source: Rand Corporation; National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A METHODOLOGY IS PRESENTED FOR CREATING NEW AND BETTER SCHEDULES BY PROVIDING BETTER MATCHUPS BETWEEN PATROL CAR AVAILABILITY AND CALLS FOR SERVICE.

Abstract

THE FUNDAMENTAL MODEL EMPLOYED RELIES ON MULTISERVER QUEUING THEORY WHICH ASSUMES THAT CALLS FOR SERVICE OCCUR RANDOMLY OVER TIME AND THAT, WHILE NOT RESPONDING TO A CALL FOR SERVICE, A PATROL CAR IS PRESUMED TO BE ON PREVENTIVE PATROL OR OUT OF SERVICE FOR SOME REASON. IN SEPARATE SECTIONS, THE INTEGER LINEAR PROGRAM USED FOR GENERATING SCHEDULES AND THE TIME DEPENDENT QUEUING MODEL USED TO ANALYZE THE RESULTING SCHEDULES ARE PRESENTED. THE AUTHORS PROVE THAT THE LINEAR PROGRAM HAS A SPECIAL STRUCTURE WHICH ENABLES THEM TO OBTAIN INTEGRAL SOLUTIONS ECONOMICALLY FOR LARGE PROBLEMS. THE FINAL SECTION CONTAINS AN EXAMPLE WHICH ILLUSTRATES THE METHODOLOGY AND ITS BENEFITS.