Management Studies

Survey Objectives

• Evaluate the degree to which police philosophy, objectives and operations conform to expectations of government officials and the public.
• Assess a department's readiness to cope with the rapidly changing cultural and technological environment of policing.
• Assess degree to which a department is incorporating and/or experimenting with contemporary philosophical and programmatic innovations.
• Identify crimes, victims and police services that require more effective response.
• Evaluate how efficiently a department is organized to conduct operations.
• Evaluate how productively personnel and other resources are used to conduct current operations.
• Identify policies, procedures and operations that do and do not comply with professional police standards.
• Project future workload and service demands.
• Specify appropriate levels of personnel needed to conduct current and future departmental operations.
• Identify functions performed by a department that can be performed more effectively by alternative means and/or agencies.
• Identify proper police functions that are not being performed by the police.
• Analyze operations and management issues of special concern to municipal officials and the police department.

The surveys produce an extensive set of practical, prioritized recommendations to upgrade the effectiveness, productivity and professionalism of municipal police services.

The recommendations enable the department to cope successfully in the future with emerging conditions or trends, placing special emphasis on actions to ensure that the department is accountable to elected officials and the public. To promote successful implementation of recommendations, IACP provides an extensive series of products, services and training.

Survey Scope

• Community trends analysis
• Policing style
• Mission, goals, objectives, values
• Accountability
• Crime, service and workload requirements
• Quality management/customer-oriented programming
• Organization
• Staffing
• Patrol allocation, deployment, scheduling
• Labor-management relationships
• Management, leadership and supervision
• Quality assurance and risk management
• Citizen complaints and internal affairs
• Management support services
• Public information
• Crime prevention and police/community engagement
• Personnel management
• Career development
• Patrol, traffic and investigations records
• Communications
• Evidence and property management
• Fleet management
• Facilities and space utilization
• Data and information processing
• Interagency relationships
• Performance indicators review
• State-of-the-art programming and technology review
• Effectiveness and productivity review
• Work force survey

Survey Products

• State-of-the-art programs, practices and technologies
• Productivity improvement and cost-reduction techniques
• Program and practice improvement recommendations
• Recommended organization and staffing patterns
• Patrol staffing requirements, assignments and schedules
• Structured and prioritized implementation plan
• Implementation support package
• Professional seminar enrollment
• Continued access to IACP professional staff and services
• Special issues and practice analysis

IACP's technical assistance and problem-solving services complement the management survey program. Our professional staff is available to help police agencies deal with problems or needs in any of the individual areas covered during management surveys or others that are unique. This service is especially useful in emergency situations and/or when funds are limited.

For more information, contact Jerry Needle at IACP headquarters, 1-800-THE IACP.