SYSTEMS APPROACH TO THE RESOURCE ALLOCATION PROCESS IN POLICE PATROL

• NCJ Number: 51020
• Author(s): D F KOCAOGLU
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 352 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

THIS STUDY FIRST DISCUSSES THE ALLOCATION OF LIMITED RESOURCES WITHIN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, THEN GIVES AN OVERVIEW OF THE RESEARCH USED TO DEVELOP A POLICE PATROL ALLOCATION MODEL FOR BUFFALO, N. Y.

Abstract

FOLLOWING A DETAILED DISCUSSION OF THE PROBLEMS OF RESOURCE ALLOCATION IN ALL BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT AND THE ROLE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AS A SYSTEM WITHIN OTHER SYSTEMS, THIS PAPER DESCRIBES THE MATHEMATICAL AND DATA DEVELOPMENT WORK FOR A POLICE PATROL MODEL. DATA FOR THE COMPUTER MODEL WAS GATHERED THROUGH DIRECT OBSERVATION, THROUGH A SERIES OF MEETINGS WITH SUPERVISORS, AND FROM A SERIES OF QUESTIONNAIRES RANKING PATROL TASKS. THE STRUCTURE OF THE MODEL, ITS PARAMETERS, ITS DECISION VARIABLES, AND ITS LIMITATIONS ARE DESCRIBED. USE OF THE MODEL TO SOLVE ACTUAL PATROL PROBLEMS IS ILLUSTRATED. THE FINAL SECTION DISCUSSES RESISTANCE TO COMPUTERIZATION OF THE PATROL DECISIONMAKING TASK AND HUMAN FACTORS INVOLVED IN INTRODUCING THE MODEL. THE QUESTIONNAIRES USED TO RANK PATROL CALLS AND DETERMINE TYPE OF RESPONSE IS INCLUDED. THE MATHEMATICAL WORK BEHIND THE MODEL IS EXPLAINED IN DETAIL AND APPENDIXES GIVE FURTHER MATHEMATICAL SUPPORT DATA. CHARTS, TABLES, GRAPHS, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. (GLR)