NCJ Number
74210
Date Published
1980
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The use of two computer programs for analyzing police patrol car deployment from 1975 through 1979 is reviewed.
Abstract
The Patrol Car Allocation Model (PCAM) is used to determine the total number of patrol cars a department needs and how they should be allocated geographically over time, and the Hypercube Model serves in the designing of patrol car beats. Both models were designed so that local police agencies with little or no outside technical assistance could use them. The documentation for each includes an explanation of applications; a program description for installing the model, constructing a data base, and making modifications; and a user's manual that describes the operation of the model. A 1977 survey showed that 28 police departments had received PCAM; 15 of these were using it. Thirty-nine agencies had received the Hypercube Model, and 20 were using it. In 1978-1979, about 18 additional police departments received the PCAM program. Current PCAM users include San Diego; Atlanta; New York City; Portland, Oreg; Sacramento, Calif; Tucson, Ariz; Los Angeles, and Charlotte, N.C. The PCAM has been successful in decreasing the number of calls for service being held by dispatchers, decreasing the average travel time, and in improving the allocation of police personnel. The Hypercube Model has been effective in reallocating manpower by times of day, in establishing a priority system for calls, and in allocating patrol resources. Also, procedures for yearly updates and graphical methods for displaying PCAM's output have been developed to show the advantages of various manpower combinations. An evaluation of both models by the National Institute of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice in its Managing Patrol Operations program is expected to lead to recommendations for improvements. Twenty-one references and an appendix containing a list of PCAM program recipients are included.