NCJ Number
159195
Journal
Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 64 Issue: 11 Dated: (November 1995) Pages: 17-20
Date Published
1995
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The Phoenix (Ariz.) Police Department has improved its responses to property crimes while reducing the number of property crime detectives by making three operational changes: (1) making the most of automation, (2) centralizing the work of the six patrol precincts into two resource bureaus, and (3) creating a specialized investigative support detail (ISD) to review all property crime reports and relieve detectives of as much routine paperwork as possible.
Abstract
The ISD in each resource bureau consists of two detectives and two civilian police assistants. The detail reviews more than 50,000 crime reports a year. ISD personnel print and review daily reports from each precinct. An ISD detective and the police assistant for the precinct evaluates each case to gauge its solvability and to assign it to the next team detective in the rotation. Using case management automation, ISD personnel can provide a wide range of information to victims who call to check on the status of their reports. ISD personnel also conduct criminal history checks, research and analyze crime trends, and enter property crime reports into the National Crime Information Center system. The department has also reduce low-priority calls by encouraging victims to exhaust all civil actions before filing a police report. The ISD has also launched programs to educate citizens and businesses about what they can do to prevent thefts. Through these measures, the Phoenix Police Department has improved service in a time of fiscal restrictions. Photograph and chart