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New Day, New Challenges: Looking for Solutions in All the Right Places

NCJ Number
220634
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 34 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2007 Pages: 12,14,16,18,20
Author(s)
Carole Moore
Date Published
October 2007
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article describes ways in which various law enforcement agencies have maintained and/or upgraded their performance within limited budgets.
Abstract
One of the challenges for law enforcement agencies is to recruit qualified personnel, both sworn officers and civilian personnel, in competition with private enterprises that pay more than law enforcement agencies. Some effective recruitment efforts that have been used are lateral entry programs through which large departments hire from smaller departments, recruitment at military bases that targets men and women at the end of their military careers, improving chances for advancement, and using retired officers part-time. In order to secure expertise in such areas as computer sciences and forensic sciences, some law enforcement agencies are partnering with the private sector in order to expand their capabilities under limited budgets. Another area where law enforcement agencies have achieved cost reductions is in civil liability. Technological advances that have improved the outcome of liability cases include digital video cameras that record officer actions during traffic stops, as well as geographic information systems (GIS) that monitor the locations of each patrol officer. Departments are also saving money by buying high-tech equipment that does not require the hiring of experts for their operation; for example, the Piscataway Police Department (New Jersey) purchased a GIS that does not require a GIS expert to interpret the data. This is an important feature when choosing software packages and technological upgrades.