NCJ Number
113997
Date Published
1988
Length
36 pages
Annotation
The director of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) discusses two elements vital to effective police management today and in the future: a professional research and sound policy decisions.
Abstract
The National Institute of Justice has spearheaded policy relevant research for the last 15 years. The research has yielded the Kelvar bullet-resistant vest, better ways to police neighborhoods, and the establishment of a clear link between drug abuse and crime. Good and relevant research enables law enforcement managers to make effective policy decisions regarding policing and police tactics. Using systematic and professional research, police managers can define their roles in and duties to communities. As the result of bad management decisions and poor policy choices in the past, the public may fear crime and reach out for substitutes for police, such as burglar alarms, neighborhood watch programs, and private security systems. In the future, research needs to be conducted on how public and private police can work together to keep the peace. Random control and rapid response, once keystones in law enforcement, are being reexamined. Information now drives law enforcement systems. In the future, even the revolver will be replaced.