NCJ Number
29529
Date Published
Unknown
Length
29 pages
Annotation
THE AUTHOR REVIEWS THE CASE FOR POLICE CONSOLIDATION AND FINDS THAT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE IDEA THAT CONSOLIDATION LEADS TO IMPROVED OR LESS COSTLY POLICE SERVICES.
Abstract
THE ARTICLE TRACES THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONCEPT OF THE TOTAL CONSOLIDATION OF LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS FROM THE 1967 PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION. IT FINDS THAT ALTHOUGH THE BELIEF THAT THE MERGER OF SMALL LOCAL AGENCIES WILL LEAD TO IMPROVED EFFICIENCY AND PROVIDE MORE COST-EFFECTIVE POLICE SERVICES IS WIDE-SPREAD AND OFTEN QUOTED, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THIS CONTENTION. USING THE RESULTS OF A NUMBER OF EARLIER STUDIES CONDUCTED BY THE AUTHOR AND HER ASSOCIATES, THE AUTHOR INDICATES THAT THE EVIDENCE IS THAT SMALLER POLICE DEPARTMENTS PROVIDE GENERALLY BETTER POLICE FIELD SERVICES FOR LESS COST THAN LARGE DEPARTMENTS, AND THAT THERE IS SOME EVIDENCE THAT MEDIUM-SIZE DEPARTMENTS ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND LEAST COSTLY FOR THE QUALITY AND AMOUNT OF SERVICES RENDERED. SHE CONCLUDES THAT CERTAIN ECONOMIES OF SCALE MIGHT RESULT FROM THE CONSOLIDATION OF CERTAIN SUPPORT SERVICES IN SMALL LOCAL DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS CRIMINALISTICS, BUT THAT THERE IS EVERY INDICATION THAT THE CONSOLIDATION OF FIELD SERVICES WILL REDUCE THE QUALITY OF SERVICES RENDERED, AND MAKE THEM MORE COSTLY.