NCJ Number
118683
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 37 Issue: 6 Dated: (June 1989) Pages: 26-31
Date Published
1989
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Cooperation between neighboring small police departments in several Phoenix, Ariz., suburbs has facilitated law enforcement.
Abstract
Phoenix crime problems affecting adjacent towns include drug trafficking, "commuter" burglaries, and illegal aliens. Police departments in the area have noted that criminals relocate their activities under law enforcement pressure. Intensifying patrols to forestall burglaries, for example, does not stop burglars; it merely drives them into the next town. Informal cooperation between neighboring and overlapping jurisdictions has been implemented in the Phoenix area. As well as backing each other up on felonies, area police officers assist each other in other ways such as searching for lost children and locating suspects. A task force has been established to control illegal drugs, and all member departments and agencies contribute undercover police officers and additional officers as necessary. While small police departments have limited resources individually, they have many more resources collectively. Likewise, small police departments do not have the specialized personnel that larger police agencies can support.