NCJ Number
102963
Date Published
1986
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This report describes how the Garden Grove Police Department (New Jersey) reinstated its differential police response (DPR) program after its operation had deteriorated following a successful field test.
Abstract
The DPR system classified citizen calls by priority and type of response. Compared to the previous system, it obtained more information from the caller, provided citizens with more information on type of police response, and provided patrol officers with more information on dispatched calls. After implementing the DPR program in 1981 due to a successful field test, the police chief discovered in 1985 that personnel were not following DPR guidelines. This was due to personnel turnover and lack of accountability for compliance with specified DPR procedures. To reimplement the DPR tasks, the department established an operations advisory committee to foster an exchange of information between shift personnel and reestablished the DPR committee to review and update DPR standards and procedures. The committee also provides orientation DPR training. Other reimplementation measures were assignment of DPR oversight to a technical services management team, development of a monitoring system to ensure standards compliance, collection of evaluation statistics, and use of certification tests for communications personnel.