NCJ Number
119608
Date Published
1989
Length
14 pages
Annotation
Police in West Germany are unspecified agents used by citizens for a range of purposes which exceeds by far the very specific duties set down in the criminal, procedure, and police codes. A study was made to determine how many people call the police, how many patrol dispatches are run, and what the different kinds of emergencies are. Data was received from the police offices of 31 cities with more than 200,000 inhabitants.
Abstract
Results indicate that the demand for help or intervention by the police constantly rose until the beginning of the 1980s. The rise of criminal offenses was only partly responsible for this; the readiness or ability of people to settle conflicts by means of communication decreased. Victims were less ready and able to help themselves. On the other hand, the police were less and less capable of accomplishing the task of keeping order and settling conflicts adequately and for the benefit of the victims concerned. Changes in the structure of police work and the police system, as well as political decisions, complicated the police officers' job unnecessarily. 6 figures, 3 tables, and bibliography