Book Description

This report provides suggestions for overall improvement in delivery of police services for greater protection against crime. The National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals considers the patrolman the primary force in reducing and preventing crime and thus directs its report recommendations toward increasing police effectiveness. Suggestions for improvements in police functions are presented in the areas of community, planning and organization, technology and support services, fiscal management, and coordination with other criminal justice agencies. These proposals appear in the form of more than 120 specific standards and recommendations that spell out where, why, and how these improvements can and should be made in the police segment of the criminal justice system. Report on police is a reference work for the practitioner -- patrolman to police chief -- as well as for the interested layman. Before implementing any of the changes advocated, police departments are advised to detail the legal limits of police authority and develop guidelines for the exercise of that authority. In order to improve cooperation between the police and the community it is suggested that police agencies establish a specialized unit for maintaining communication with citizens. Each police department should encourage and participate in neighborhood security programs and establish procedures to facilitate processing of complaints. Suggestions for more effective utilization of manpower include continued consolidation, stricter personnel requirements, increased employee benefits, and the employment of more women, minorities, and civilians in police work.