SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY PROFILE - FINAL REPORT

• NCJ Number: 30160
• Author(s): J E BOYDSTUN; M E SHERRY
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 160 pages
• Corporate Author: Police Foundation
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS AN EVALUATION OF THE COMMUNITY PROFILE PROJECT, A SUMMARY OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S EXPERIENCE WITH THE PROJECT, AND A PRESS RELEASE ANNOUNCING THE DEPARTMENT'S SHIFT TO COMMUNITY POLICING.

Abstract

THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE SAN DIEGO POLICE DEPARTMENT'S (SDPD) COMMUNITY PROFILE APPROACH WAS PRESENTED AS AN ATTEMPT TO IMPROVE POLICE PATROL PRACTICE BY (1) INCREASING THE INDIVIDUAL PATROL OFFICER'S AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMMUNITY THE OFFICER SERVICES, AND (2) MAKING OFFICER RESPONSE TO AREA PROBLEMS MORE EFFECTIVE THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW OFFICER-INITIATED PATROL STRATEGIES. FROM AN EXPERIMENTAL STANDPOINT THE COMMUNITY PROFILE PROJECT WAS CONCEIVED AS A VEHICLE FOR: (1) EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SPECIAL TRAINING, SUPERVISION, AND A DIFFERENT PATROL PHILOSOPHY AS CATALYSTS FOR CHANGING PATROL OFFICERS' ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES; (2) TESTING THE ACCEPTABILITY OF A COMMUNITY SERVICE ORIENTATION TO A POLICE DEPARTMENT AND PATROL FORCE SCHOOLED IN TRADITIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TECHNIQUES AND STRATEGIES; AND (3) TESTING THE INTERNAL EFFECTIVENESS AND APPROPRIATENESS OF ALTERNATIVE OPERATIONAL POLICIES AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES. TO ASSESS PROGRAM IMPACT, THE GROUP OF 24 EXPERIMENTAL COMMUNITY PROFILE OFFICERS WAS COMPARED TO A CONTROL GROUP OF OFFICERS USING A MORE TRADITIONAL PATROL APPROACH. THE EVALUATION RESULTS SHOWED THAT THERE WAS NO NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THE ARREST PERFORMANCE OF EXPERIMENTAL OFFICERS. FURTHERMORE, THESE OFFICERS SHOWED AN EXPANDED CONCEPT OF THE ROLE (RESPONSIBILITY AND USE OF DISCRETION) OF A BEAT PATROL OFFICER; AN INCREASE IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THEIR INDIVIDUAL PATROL AREAS AND LOCAL PROBLEMS; AN INCREASED LEVEL OF NON-LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTACT WITH CITIZENS; AN INCREASED KNOWLEDGE OF AVAILABLE COMMUNITY RESOURCES; A HIGHER OPINION OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS ACTIVITIES; AND GREATER CONFIDENCE IN THE COMMUNITY'S SUPPORT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT. IN SUMMARY, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE PROJECT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN CHANGING THE OFFICERS' SELF IMAGES OF THEIR ROLE AND IN OVERCOMING THEIR NATURAL TENDENCY TO USE TRADITIONAL PATROL METHODS WHEN NOT PERFORMING A PRECISELY DEFINED NEW TASK. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)