SCHEDULING AND ROUTING OF RANDOM POLICE PATROLS

• NCJ Number: 16467
• Author(s): M ROSENSHINE
• Date Published: 1971
• Length: 16 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PAPER PRESENTED AT THE AAAS PHILADELPHIA MEETING, DECEMBER 27, 1971

Annotation

A TECHNICAL AND THEORETICAL DISCUSSION OF THE POTENTIALITY OF ACHIEVING A RANDOM POLICE PATROL SCHEDULE SO THAT THE PREDICTIVE ABILITY OF AN OBSERVER IS NOT ENHANCED BY A KNOWLEDGE OF PREVIOUS PATROL ACTIVITIES.

Abstract

THE AUTHOR SHOWS THAT A PRACTICAL SYSTEM OF PATROL SCHEDULING WHICH PROVIDES PATROLS THAT ARRIVE AS RANDOMLY AS POSSIBLE APPEARS EASILY ATTAINABLE. THE REQUIREMENT FOR A PATROL SYSTEM WHICH OPERATES WITH A NEARLY CONSTANT NUMBER OF CARS SO AS NOT TO LET CARS AND PATROLMEN SIT IDLE INTRODUCES SOME NON-RANDOM EFFECTS WHICH ARE REMOVED BY THE VARIABLE LENGTH DELAYS THAT THE PATROLS ENCOUNTER AS THEY TRAVEL THE STREET NETWORK. WHILE IT IS CLEAR, FOR THEORETICAL REASONS, THAT DELAY DISTRIBUTIONS AND PROBABILITIES CAN BE CHOSEN EXPRESSLY TO CONTRADICT THE CONCLUSIONS REACHED, IT IS NOT FELT THAT THESE REFLECT THE DISTRIBUTIONS OF DELAY TIMES THAT WOULD BE ENCOUNTERED IN ACTUAL PATROL SITUATIONS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)