Survey Of State Law Enforcement Agency Organization PDF Download

The major research conclusions of this survey of 101 police agencies in California on the extent to which they are organizing full-time, in-house systems analysis staffs to upgrade their planning capabilities are as follows: 1. Top management in local law enforcement throughout the state generally has a positive, supportive attitude towards the systems approach and the value of its methods to police planning. 2. Environmental preconditions necessitating the adoption of systems analysis methods by local law enforcement are widespread throughout the state. 3. 31 percent of all local police agencies surveyed have what may be considered an organized full-time systems analysis staff of one or more. 4. Unwarranted complacency among law enforcement agencies regarding the current adequacy of the qualifications of police planners is detrimental to the wider adoption of more sophisticated planning methodologies such as systems analysis. 5. Research findings developed in non-law enforcement contexts, primarily business and industry, that specify the details of the implementation process associated with organizing for systems analysis are directly relevant to police programs in this area. 6. The two greatest problems experienced by police agencies in acquiring a systems staff are lack of local funding and difficulties in recruiting qualified analysts. 7. Achievement of a mature, effective systems analysis staff requires at least two years of development effort for most police agencies. 8. The need to employ an outside consultant to assist in organizing an in-house systems staff, thus making it effective more quickly, is inadequately recognized by most agencies. 9. Most agencies support the upgrading of police planning through recruitment of non-sworn professional analysts as recommended by several national commissions and experts in the field. 10. Lack of adequate recruitment guidelines for system analysts appears to be a major stumbling block in upgrading the police planning function in California. 11. Sheriff's departments appear to differ significantly from municipal police departments. 12. The overall effort to organize for systems analysis among law enforcement agencies in California is currently haphazard, deficient in methodology, underfunded, and ineffectively promoted by the state's Office of Criminal Justice Planning which is overseeing the disbursal of federal planning grants.