NCJ Number
11911
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 1 Issue: 4 Dated: (DECEMBER 1973) Pages: 459-467
Date Published
1973
Length
9 pages
Annotation
ASPECTS OF POLICE PRODUCTIVITY MEASUREMENT AND ENHANCEMENT ARE DISCUSSED WITH ATTENTION TO INPUT AND OUTPUT MEASURES AND CATALYSTS FOR PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT.
Abstract
PRODUCTIVITY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT ORGANIZATIONS, AS IN OTHER PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS, IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INPUTS AND OUTPUTS. INDICES OF POLICE PRODUCTIVITY ARE THE RATIOS OF OUTPUTS, SUCH AS ARRESTS, TO INPUTS, SUCH AS CAPITAL AND LABOR. RESOURCE INPUTS AVAILABLE TO POLICE ORGANIZATIONS ARE MEASUREABLE IN TERMS OF THE COMMON DENOMINATOR OF DOLLARS OR UNITS OF TIME IN THE CASE OF LABOR RESOURCES. THUS, THE MAJOR OBSTACLES TO JUDGING POLICE PRODUCTIVITY INDICES ARE: (1) INTERNAL OUTPUT, WHICH RANGES FROM INTERNAL INVESTIGATION TO CLERICAL, TRANSPORTATION, AND TRAINING; (2) EXTERNAL OUTPUT, WHICH CAN BE DEFINED AS THE END PRODUCTS OF THE ORGANIZATION (I.E., THOSE GOODS AND SERVICES RENDERED FOR USE OUTSIDE THE ORGANIZATION ITSELF); AND (3) EFFECTIVENESS OF OUTPUT -- THE UTILITY, SOCIAL BENEFIT, IMPACT, OR CLIENT SATISFACTION DERIVED FROM THE EXTERNAL OUTPUTS. OUTPUT QUANTIFICATIONS AND INDICES POSSESS AN INHERENT MANAGEMENT UTILITY IN THE AREA OF PRODUCTIVITY ENHANCEMENT. ONCE DEFICIENCIES OR AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED, OUTPUT MEASURES CAN BOTH DICTATE AND ASSESS THE ROLE OF CERTAIN PRODUCTIVITY CATALYSTS. FIVE PRIMARY CATALYSTS ARE: (1) PRODUCTIVITY BARGAINING (I.E., THE PROCESS OF NEGOTIATING INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY WITH POLICE EMPLOYEE UNIONS OR FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS); (2) CAPITAL INVESTMENT; (3) AWARENESS OF INNOVATION; (4) INDEPENDENT MANAGEMENT AUDITS; AND (5) MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES. OF THE FIVE, PRODUCTIVITY BARGAINING HAS RECEIVED THE MOST ATTENTION. CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND INNOVATION AWARENESS RECEIVE LIMITED ATTENTION, AND AUDITS AND MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES LITTLE OR NO ATTENTION AT ALL. SOME OTHER POSSIBLE CATALYSTS RANGE FROM ECONOMIES OF SCALE AND THE USE OF UNARMED CITIZEN VOLUNTEERS TO THE ELIMINATION OF LEGAL CONSTRAINTS ON POLICE WORK SCHEDULES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF IMPROVED LEGISLATIVE CAPABILITY TO EVALUATE POLICE PROBLEMS. (KBL)