NCJ Number
34659
Date Published
1976
Length
17 pages
Annotation
APRIL 15, 1976 REPORT ON THE APPROPRIATENESS OF EXISTING SALARY AND MANPOWER LEVELS AND THE OVERALL ORGANIZATION OF THIS POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVING A TOTAL STRENGTH OF 29 FOR A POPULATION OF 16,500 COVERING 2.7 SQUARE MILES.
Abstract
POLICE STRENGTHS, POLICE PERSONNEL/POPULATION RATIOS, SALARIES, AND FRINGE BENEFITS WERE COMPARED TO THOSE OF SIMILAR CITIES WITHIN AN APPROXIMATE 40-MILE RADIUS. THE AVERAGE RATIO FOR THESE NEARBY CITIES WAS 2.54 POLICE EMPLOYEES PER 1000 POPULATION COMPARED THE MARTINSBURG RATIO OF 1.76 PER 1000. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT EXISTING POLICE SALARIES IN MARTINSBURG WERE NOT AT A SUFFICIENTLY HIGH LEVEL TO EFFECTIVELY RECRUIT AND RETAIN SUITABLE APPLICANTS. A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN MANPOWER LEVELS (FROM 29 TO BETWEEN 35 AND 40) IS RECOMMENDED ALONG WITH SIGNIFICANT SALARY INCREASES FOR EACH RANK OF SWORN PERSONNEL. THE RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WAS EVALUATED AS PROVIDING APPROPRIATE CUSTODY AND STORAGE OF VITAL POLICE RECORDS, AND THE EXISTING ORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT WAS JUDGED TO BE SOUND. ONLY MINOR CHANGES IN THE RECORDS SYSTEM AND A FEW INTERNAL ADJUSTMENTS IN DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATION ARE SUGGESTED.