NCJ Number
26573
Date Published
1974
Length
67 pages
Annotation
EVALUATION OF ST PETERSBURG'S (FL) HELICOPTER UNIT, WHICH IS DEPLOYED BOTH IN PREVENTIVE PATROL AND RAPID RESPONSE MODES.
Abstract
EVALUATION MEASURES WERE DIFFICULT TO FIND BECAUSE, SINCE THE AVIATION UNIT WAS IMPLEMENTED ON A CITY-WIDE BASIS, THERE WAS NO NATURALLY-OCCURRING CONTROL GROUP. TO OVERCOME THIS DEFICIENCY, THE EVALUATORS ASSUMED THAT DOWN-TIME OCCURRED WITHOUT REGARD TO CRIME PATTERNS AND THEREFORE COULD BE USED AS AN INDEPENDENT VARIABLE. A CORRELATION ANALYSIS WHICH RELATED FLIGHT TIME TO CRIME STATISTICS WAS PLANNED TO APPROXIMATE THE USE OF A CONTROL GROUP. OTHER MEASURES INCLUDED A LITERATURE REVIEW, A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF OTHER AGENCIES USING HELICOPTERS, A REVIEW OF DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES, AN OBSERVATIONAL ANALYSIS, INTERVIEWS WITH AVIATION UNIT MEMBERS, A QUESTIONNAIRE DISTRIBUTED TO PATROL OFFICERS, AND, A CITIZEN SURVEY. SEE ALSO NCJ-26574.