NCJ Number
57356
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 27 Issue: 5 Dated: (MAY 1979) Pages: 22,24-26,33
Date Published
1979
Length
5 pages
Annotation
THE RESULTS OF USING MICROCOMPUTERS TO PLAN POLICE FIELD OPERATIONS AND SCHEDULE POLICE OFFICER WORK SCHEDULES IN MADERA, CALIF., ARE PRESENTED.
Abstract
ALTHOUGH COMPUTER SYSTEMS HAVE PROVEN TO BE EFFECTIVE IN THE PLANNING OF POLICE SCHEDULES AND IN THE DEPLOYMENT OF PATROL PERSONNEL, THE COST OF SUCH SYSTEMS HAS RESTRICTED THEIR USE TO LARGER POLICE DEPARTMENTS. THE DEVELOPMENT OF LESS EXPENSIVE DEVICES PERMITS SMALLER POLICE AGENCIES TO MAKE OPTIMUM USE OF THEIR MANPOWER THROUGH COMPUTER-ASSISTED ANALYSIS, WITH ONLY A SMALL INVESTMENT. THE PROJECT IN MADERA, FUNDED BY THE LEAA AND THE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC PROGRAM ANALYSIS, UTILIZED COMPUTERIZED POLICE/PLAN AND SCHEDULE/PLAN PROGRAMS. INFORMATION ABOUT SERVICE CALL ACTIVITIES WAS COMPILED FROM THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT'S EVENT CARDS. THE POLICE/PLAN PROGRAM COMPUTES THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF PATROL UNITS FREE TO ACCEPT DISPATCH ASSIGNMENTS, THE PATROL INTERVAL, THE PERCENT OF TIME DURING WHICH ALL PATROL UNITS ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY BUSY, AND THE AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME. CAPABILITIES OF THE SCHEDULE/PLAN PROGRAM ARE THAT IT CAN FIT THE NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS AVAILABLE FOR A GIVEN SHIFT AGAINST THE WORKLOAD DISTRIBUTION FOR EACH DAY OF THE WEEK, IT CAN COMPUTE EITHER 8-HOUR OR 10-HOUR SHIFTS, AND IT CAN OFTEN INFORM THE USER ABOUT TRADEOFFS TO BE CONSIDERED IN PROBLEM RESOLUTION. THE TEXAS INSTRUMENTS MODEL-59 HANDHELD CALCULATOR, COSTING $300, SUCCESSFULLY HANDLED BOTH COMPUTER PROGRAMS IN PLANNING FOR THE DEPLOYMENT OF POLICE CARS AND IN DESIGNING POLICE OFFICER WORK SCHEDULES. ILLUSTRATIONS ARE PROVIDED. (DEP)