NCJ Number
71029
Date Published
1980
Length
82 pages
Annotation
This police report describes innovative police programs carried out in five target cities over a 6-month period; it suggests that the programs should be models for changes in the Philadelphia Police Department.
Abstract
The survey was conducted in Kansas City (Mo.), Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, and Philadelphia. The purpose was to describe the practices and operations of the five urban police departments, all having different philosophical orientations and varied innovative programs. The areas studied included departmental structure, staff services, internal affairs, community relations, operations, and training. The innovations entailed printing announcements of the police officer examination in both English and Spanish in Philadelphia, training police in family crisis intervention in New York City, and establishing a prevention/citizen assistance unit in the Kansas City Police Department. The research included field visits to the individual departments as well as a review of published and unpublished materials. Interviews were conducted using a questionnaire with both brief-response and open-ended items. Demographic characteristics, ratios of police to population, and crime rates of the five cities were collected as background information for the report. Data analysis showed that all five departments had similar organizational structure despite styles and philosophies of policing ranging from watchmen (downplaying the police presence and placing emphasis on maintaining order) to legalistic (focus on high arrest rates and fixed behavior). The Kansas City department is notable for its innovative manpower deployment--the directed approach--while all departments but Philadelphia have experimented with new approaches in deployment. Philadelphia has the highest number of specialized units, and New York has the greatest variety of divisions, including tactical, mounted, harbor, aviation, and street crimes. Recruitment requirements are similar across departments, and each has instituted some kind of program to recruit minorities and women. Other findings are presented in the report. Appendixes contain a sample questionnaire used for comparative evaluations of the departments and a profile of a development project. Notes are included.