NCJ Number
26522
Date Published
Unknown
Length
67 pages
Annotation
REPORT ON A STUDY DESIGNED TO DETERMINED THE LAW ENFORCEMENT COSTS WITH RESPECT TO TIME AND MONEY FOR 42 SPECIFIC OFFENSES AND CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES FOR FIVE MAJOR STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
Abstract
THE CRIMES SELECTED FOR THE STUDY INCLUDED PREMEDIATATED MURDER, FRAUD, BAD CHECKS, ADULTERY, PRIVATE GAMBLING, PEDDLING HARD NARCOTICS, KIDNAPPING, AND HIT AND RUN WITH PROPERTY DAMAGE. COST WAS CALCULATED BY MULTIPLYING THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS OCCURRING TIMES A DETERMINED AMOUNT OF MANPOWER PER INCIDENT TIMES THE BUDGETED MANPOWER COST PER HOUR. THE STATE AGENCIES INVOLVED IN THE STUDY WERE THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, THE MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, THE PIMA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, THE PHOENIX POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THE TUCSON POLICE DEPARTMENT. IT WAS FOUND THAT WITHIN THE PHOENIX, TUCSON, AND PIMA COUNTY DEPARTMENTS, 66 PER CENT OF ALL TIME AND EFFORT WAS EXPENDED IN THE ENFORCEMENT OF THEFT AND BURGLARY, COMPARED TO ROUGHLY PERCENT IN MARICOPA COUNTY. THE CRIMES SELECTED FOR STUDY ACCOUNTED FOR ONLY ABOUT 1.5 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY MAN-HOURS WORKED IN LINE FUNCTIONS. A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WAS SHOWN BETWEEN THOSE CRIMES COSTING THE MOST TO ENFORCE AND THOSE CRIMES ABOUT WHICH ATTITUDINAL CONCERN IS HIGH. A TABULAR TIME AND COST ANALYSIS BY AGENCY OF THE DATA COLLECTED AND PROCESSED FOR THIS STUDY IS PRESENTED. THE DATA PRESENTED FOR EACH STUDY CRIME TYPE IS A TOTAL OF THE PATROL AND INVESTIGATIVE LINE FUNCTION INVOLVEMENT FOR EACH CRIME TYPE.