Survey Techniques and Procedures

Personnel making a crime prevention survey and those reviewing the survey report must constantly bear in mind that every detail peculiar to a particular area, activity, or establishment and relevant to the purpose of the survey be taken into consideration. Investigative fundamentals are applicable to a crime prevention _survey. The survey team should use normal investigative techniques of observation, interview, collection of evidentiary data, and methodical notation thereof, if a meaningful, useful survey report and analysis are to be accomplished. Photographs, for example, provide an excellent means of recording and describing what has been observed.

Sometimes the nature of activities being surveyed is technical or involves administrative or other procedures beyond the scope of training and investigative ability of the survey team. When that occurs, assistance should be requested from an agency that can provide such assistance. Examples of procedures that may require outside assistance are accounting, inventory control, fund management, and other similar procedures.

After completing the survey and analyzing the facts obtained, survey personnel prepare their formal survey report, including appropriate recommendations pertinent to crime prevention.

Good community relations through the maintenance of a professional image are prerequisites to success in crime prevention. The image to be maintained is an image of lawfulness, helpfulness, decorum, effectiveness, pride, esprit de corps, and efficiency. A good public image encourages public support, which, in itself, deters crime and opens up an inexhaustible source of information during the investigation of a crime. A professional image cannot be established in newspapers or through a sales campaign. It must be carefully built on the conduct and efficiency of each member of the unit.

STATISTICAL REPORTS

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Define the term law enforcement statistics and explain how statistics help develop plans and policies. List six preliminary questions that may be answered _{by crime statistics.} Explain how to calculate percentages and how to determine rates. Describe how statistical information is compiled and presented.

The term statistics means the science of the systematic collection, classification, tabulation, and interpretation of numerical facts.

The term law enforcement statistics pertains to statistics that are of concern to MAs in general and the commanding officer in particular. For example, numerical facts pertaining to absent-without-leave rates, alcohol factor in apprehensions, age distribution of offenders, motor vehicle accidents, motor vehicle thefts, or major crimes committed are of interest to the security department.

The proper collection, classification, tabulation, and interpretation of law enforcement statistics are of great importance to the commanding officer in enforcement and other activities.

There is a direct relationship, for example, between efficiency and effectiveness of law enforcement operations and the accuracy of analyses of general trends encountered during those operations. You can facilitate your findings of solutions to continuing problems, such as high incidence of crimes or accidents, by gathering and studying the pertinent facts. These facts are, or can be made, readily available in data that are contained in numerous records and reports.

By using statistics in one form or another in developing your plans, policies, and operations, you need to have an understanding of elementary statistical techniques in order to do the following:

l Establish standards for the evaluation of the results of your activity

l Summarize the results of prevention and enforcement activities in clear, concise, and meaningful form

l Draw general or specific conclusions of known reliability from law enforcement and other records and reports

l Support recommendations convincingly

l Determine selective enforcement requirements

l Determine laxity and inefficiency

l Be exact and definite in procedure and analysis

l Make valid comparisons of like and unlike data

l Analyze specific factors, such as type, location, and rate of crime

l Determine current trends, such as for crimes or traffic violations

l Make reasonable estimates of future trends

l Formulate short- and long-range plans

USE OF STATISTICS

You must be able to recognize situations in which you can use statistical techniques and concepts to the maximum in order to simplify your work and accomplish the mission.

Specifically, you can use statistics effectively for such purposes as the following: l Collating cofinement data l Projecting operating costs

Law enforcement statistics are not limited to their use in determining areas that require special enforcement attention or to recording and charting criminal occurrences. The preventive responsibilities of the MA also offer a field for the use of statistical techniques. Crime prevention, for example, is one aspect of the preventive field.

Since the purpose of a crime prevention program is to eliminate or nullify crime, the first step is to isolate specific aspects of the problem, such as the extent, character, location, and time of incidents. An accurate determination of these factors cannot be made by rule of thumb or by intuition. A detailed and systematic examination of the facts is required to obtain the essential elements of information for formulating a well-planned and efficient program of crime prevention.

USE OF RECORDED DATA

By a continuing analysis of law enforcement records and reports of criminal occurrences, you are able to detect trends and sensitive areas and to develop preventive measures. The most reliable data available is used in planning, using recorded data of past and current criminal occurrences to guide you in preparing estimates of the crime situation.

Your examination of crime statistics provides the commanding officer with answers to such preliminary questions as those that follow:

l Where are the sensitive areas?

l At what hours do most crimes occur?

l In what age groups does the bulk of the offenders fall?

l What types of crimes are committed most often?

l What is the average length of service of offenders?

l What units of the command have the highest crime rates?

The accuracy of the answers to these questions is closely related to the accuracy of the data examined and to the exactness of the analytical methods used.

You then examine the causative factors of the crimes ^{having high rates.} These factors may include an exposure to temptation coupled with a lack of l l l l l

Determining unit and individual capabilities

Making accurate and positive reports on the state of discipline in the command

Forecasting personnel requirements

Determining absent-without-leave rates and their causes

Categorizing apprehensions by nature of offense

Determining motor vehicle accident causes

Analyzing venereal disease data leadership, inadequate supervision, low morale, or poor law enforcement in civilian communities.