NCJ Number
114394
Date Published
1988
Length
141 pages
Annotation
Research was conducted in 1987 to examine the central features of contemporary practice in fiscal management of Australian police departments and to assess the capacity and options for further development in this area.
Abstract
Results indicate that the principle environmental demands and supports that affect police budgets are force size and service area, resource allocation, economy of scale and efficiency, size and scope of support staff, prospects for future growth, changes in manpower, crime trends, and workloads. While results suggest favorable budgetary treatment of police forces over the past several years, this finding is diminished when increased workloads are taken into account. In addition, indications are for tighter reviews of police budget requests and more restricted growth in police expenditures than has previously been the case. Current budget practices show some improvements, but some shortcomings continue. Several developments hold great promise for improving budget planning and resource management, particularly decentralized fiscal management schemes. The prerequisites of effective decentralization and what can and cannot be decentralized are examined. Additional developments and options are described, including cost and expenditure monitoring systems, staff support, fiscal management training, workload monitoring and analysis, computerized financial information systems, and performance monitoring. The need to develop performance measures, adopt a decision-package approach to expenditures, make programmatic allocation decisions, and adopt full-cost expenditure analysis models is discussed. 18 exhibits and approximately 160 references.