Police & Community Study Guide

I Introduction to Police Effectiveness

A. Measurement Issues

What is police effectiveness?

Measures of police performance: outcomes and outputs

  1. Outcomes


Definition/Description:



Examples:




  1. Outputs

Definition:



List and describe four (4) traditional measures:




B. Crime Policy Evaluation

Three (3) types of evaluation used to evaluate crime prevention interventions, strategies, and policies

  1. Impact


Definition/description:


Examples:

Obstacles/Limitations:

  1. Process

Definition/description:



What factors do process evaluations consider?



  1. Cost-Benefit Analysis

Definition/description:



Problems with conducting cost-benefit evaluations of CJ programs/policies:


II Standard Model of Policing

A. Response Time

  1. Define the following:

Response Time

Rapid Response



Citizen Reporting Time



Police Dispatch Time



Police Travel Time



Total Response Time




  1. Kansas City Response Time Analysis

Conclusion:




Police response time has an effect on what other factors, and how?





  1. Police Executive Research Forum Study


Main findings:

III Compstat

What is Compstat?

Description of Compstat (Visible Components of Compstat):


List and describe key elements (What Compstat promises):


Strengths of Compstat:

The Police Foundation Survey

Findings (Actual Implementation):

  1. Traditional “bureaucratic” or “paramilitary” organizational structure




  1. Internal contradictions

Limitations:

  1. Reaction versus Reform (Weisburd et al.’s Argument)

  1. Evaluation of Compstat

  1. Data manipulation

  1. Linked to Aggressive or Zero-tolerance policing strategies


IV Place-Based Prevention

A. Neighborhood Prevention

  1. Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED)


What is CPTED?


Examples:


What are some potential limitations of CPTED?


  1. Neighborhood Crime Prevention


Description/Purpose:



Describe the following neighborhood crime prevention programs:


Neighborhood Watch programs



Citizens on Patrol



What obstacles inhibit neighborhood organization?


B. Importance of Place

  1. Random Preventative Patrol


What is random preventative patrol?




Kansas City Preventative Patrol Study

Why was the Kansas City Preventative Patrol Study important?


Main findings:


  1. Hot Spots


Definition/Description:


Examples:


Minneapolis Hot Spots Patrol Experiment

Main findings:


Why was the Minneapolis Hot Spots Patrol Experiment important?


C. Theoretical Importance of Place


Theories that explain crime events - 3 core theories:


Rational Choice

What is rational choice theory?

Routine Activities (RAT)

Explain routine activity theory.



Problem Triangle - Illustrate, and list (and describe) the components



Crime Pattern Theory (CPT/Environmental Criminology)

Describe crime pattern theory.



How do CPT and RAT differ?

V Partnerships and Community Policing

A. Partnerships and the Police

Describe partnerships for crime prevention

    1. Purpose, and how they function

    1. Participants

List and describe weaknesses of partnership programs.

What are the key factors for building successful partnerships?