NCJ Number
15679
Date Published
Unknown
Length
27 pages
Annotation
AN EVALUATION OF A POLICE RESTRUCTURING AND REORGANIZATION PROJECT IN WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA.
Abstract
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE POLICE RESTRUCTURE PROJECT WERE FOUR. THE FIRST WAS TO UPDATE AN ANTIQUATED CHAIN-OFCOMMAND ALONG FUNCTIONAL LINES. THE SECOND WAS TO MODERNIZE SELECTED EQUIPMENT ITEMS, MOST NOTABLY COMMUNICATIONS ITEMS, UTILIZED BY THE FORCE. THIRD, MANPOWER OF THE DEPARTMENT WAS TO BE INCREASED BY SEVEN FIELD OFFICERS TO BE ASSIGNED TO THE MODEL NIEGHBORHOOD AREA (MNA). AND FOURTH, THE COMBINATION OF THE ABOVE FACTORS WAS TO EFFECTIVELY REDUCE CRIME AND DELINQUENCY RATES IN THE MNA BY 5 PERCENT DURING THE YEAR. ACCORDING TO THE WILKES-BARRE POLICE CHIEF, THE NEW MILITARISTIC ORGANIZATION OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS RESULTED IN AN EFFICIENCY INCREASE OF 35 PERCENT. UNFORTUNATELY, THE THE MANPOWER AND EQUIPMENT SCHEDULES WERE NOT MET BY THE BEGINNING OF THE EVALUATION PERIOD, SO THEIR FULL EFFECT CANNOT BE ACCURATELY GAUGED. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE WILKES-BARRE MNA, ALTHOUGH BLIGHTED, WAS A LOW-CRIME AREA IN COMPARISON WITH NATIONAL AVERAGES FOR CITIES BETWEEN 50,000 AND 100,000 POPULATION. VERY LITTLE REDUCTION IN CRIME WAS NOTED THEREFORE. ONE FACET OF THE EVALUATION REVEALED THAT WILKES-BARRE HAD A MUCH LOWER CLEARANCE RATE FOR PROPERTY CRIMES THAN THE NATION AS A WHOLE AND RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE ACCORDINGLY. A CITIZEN EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE IS APPENDED.