Measurement and Explanation in the Comparative Study of American Police Organizations

• NCJ Number: 185546
• Author(s): Edward R. Maguire, Craig D. Uchida, Criminal Justice 2000, Volume 4: Measurement and Analysis of Crime and Justice
• Date Published: January 2000
• Length: 67 pages
• Agencies: NIJ

Annotation

This chapter is a guide for theory and research on American police organizations, as it explores trends in the measurement and explanation of police organizations since their emergence in the early 19th century.

Abstract

The chapter explores trends in the measurement and explanation of police organizations since their emergence in the early 19th century. It has three parts that focus on measurement, explanation, and future prospects. Part 1 traces the evolution of measurement in the comparative study of American police organizations. This discussion spans the past 150 years, from crude early attempts to count police output to recent methodologically informed efforts to "measure what matters." Part 2 reviews the evolution of attempts to explain the variation in police organizations over time and space. This body of work was influenced heavily by research and theory in the sociology of organizations. Part 3 reviews some general themes and discusses concrete ways to better measure and explain police organizations. Among the pitfalls identified in the evolution of research on American police organizations are insufficient attention to conceptualization and theory, unrealistic measures, inadequate statistical methods, and an overall lack of appreciation for previous research. Classics in the research on police organizations provide a foundation, but countless avenues for refinement and rediscovery remain. Chief among these are the responsibilities of doing quality research that is based in new or existing theories and that contributes to the understanding or practice of policing. 2 exhibits, 29 notes, and 166 references