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ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC SYSTEMS

NCJ Number
16214
Editor(s)
A W DRAKE, R L KEENEY, P M MORSE
Date Published
1972
Length
542 pages
Annotation
RECENT STUDIES ON THE USE OF QUANTITATIVE FORMAL MODELS AS AIDS TO DECISION MAKERS FOR IMPROVED DELIVERY OF PUBLIC SERVICES.
Abstract
THE FIRST FOUR CHAPTERS CONSIST OF PERSPECTIVES ON THE INTERACTION OF PUBLIC SYSTEMS OPERATIONS, MANAGEMENT, AND ANALYSIS. OVERVIEWS AND PERSPECTIVES WRITTEN BY EDUCATORS WITH EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC SYSTEMS ANALYSIS COVER THE USE OF FORMAL ANALYSIS IN THE RESOLUTION OF ISSUES FACING PUBLIC AGENCIES, WITH EMPHASIS ON DECISION ANALYSIS. FOUR CHAPTERS ARE CONCERNED WITH THE ANALYSIS OF MUNICIPAL EMERGENCY SERVICES. A REVIEW IS GIVEN OF THE OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS OF URBAN EMERGENCY UNITS (POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS) THAT ARE RELATED TO THE DEPLOYMENT OF THEIR VEHICLES AND TO REPORT CURRENT PROGRESS ON MATHEMATICAL MODELING APPROACHES TO THESE PROBLEMS. A SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS OF A ONE-MONTH OPERATIONAL STUDY OF POLICE EMERGENCY TELEPHONE OPERATIONS IN THE CENTRAL COMMUNICATIONS ROOM OF THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ALSO PRESENTED. AN ANALYSIS OF A TOTAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IDENTIFIES THE DATA NEEDS AND THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS THAT WILL PERMIT ANALYSES OF THE CRIME CONSEQUENCES OF THE ACTIONS TAKEN. NUMEROUS CASE STUDIES MAKE UP THE REMAINDER OF THE BOOK. THESE RANGE FROM LARGE, VAGUELY DEFINED ISSUES, SUCH AS HOW CITIZENS COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR GOVERNMENTS, TO THE OPERATION OF PARTICULAR SYSTEMS. IN EACH INSTANCE, STUDIES INCLUDE MOTIVATION, MODEL FORMULATION, SOLUTION, IMPLICATIONS, AND STATE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF RESULTS.