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Econometric Method of Allocating Police Resources

NCJ Number
223553
Journal
International Journal of Police Science and Management Volume: 10 Issue: 2 Dated: Spring 2008 Pages: 192-213
Author(s)
Garth den Heyer; Margaret Mitchell; Siva Ganesh; Christopher Devery
Date Published
2008
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This study investigated an econometric resource allocation model for the New Zealand Police.
Abstract
The findings indicate that the econometric resource allocation model developed was more defensible than the allocation method currently used by the New Zealand Police or any allocation method used based solely on population. The study developed a model, the Police Resource Model (PRM) to use as a basis to investigate a resource allocation formula for the New Zealand Police. An examination was made through the presentation of the econometric method of Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) linear regression based on New Zealand social data. Traditionally, police agencies had allocated resources in response to their operational demands or requirements, with the majority of resources being distributed in response to political demands and public calls for service. The changing operating environment to a public service ethos of accountability and the notion of doing more with less means that historical methods of allocating police officers may not meet an agency’s strategic goals. The relationship between social, economic, and demographic factors with the number of police officers was said to be not well understood. The PRM used 1 dependent variable, that being the number of police officers, as a function of 25 different socioeconomic and sociodemographic variables believed to be relevant to allocating resources. The 25 independent variables used in this study were selected on the basis of their hypothesized relationship to the number of police officers. Tables, references