CALLING THE POLICE: THE EVALUATION OF POLICE SERVICE.

This article proposes a methodology of conducting a citizen evaluation on the public's satisfaction with police service. Police have traditionally relied on crime statistics as an indication of how well they are carrying out their duties. Preventing crime and apprehending criminals are, of course, primary goals of a police force. But to assess performance by this single standard is to discount many other services which police departments provide, services which help to maintain order but contribute only indirectly to crime control. For some time now, the Inspectional Services Unit (ISU) of the Baltimore Police Department had been performing a routine check on the response to calls for service. The Baltimore Police Department's efforts to monitor its performance with a quality control check raised the possibility of standardizing the procedure for use by other departments in the country. After several months of working closely with ISU, a method was developed that would provide a simple basis for comparison over time or among different departments. The major task was to construct an interview schedule, which included most of the features of the unstructured interview then in use.