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Chapter 3 ANALYSIS OF CURRENT POLICE PERFORMANCE <br />Measuring the performance of law enforcement agencies has always been <br />problematic. Crime prevention has always been one of the most sought after <br />goals of any police agency. But because we are unable to count what did not <br />occur, we end up measuring what we can and making inferences to actual <br />perFormance. Law Enforcement today performs a myriad of tasks which are <br />outside the traditional boundaries of law enforcement but have taken on these <br />duties because the police are frequently the only available governmental <br />representative when a citizen calls. The police today provide a variety of <br />services and are expected to act within legal and constitutional parameters. The <br />relative importance and mix of these services and how they are performed <br />changes with the political winds. As a city identifies new problems, the police <br />department must reshuffle priorities. <br />While police agencies perform many services, those commonly <br />recognized objectives are: <br />1. To prevent and control conduct widely recognized as threatening to <br />life and property. <br />2. To aid individuals who are in danger of physical harm, such as the <br />victim of a physical attack. <br />3. To protect the constitutional guarantees, such as the right of free <br />speech and assembly. <br />4. To facilitate the movement of people and vehicles. <br />5. To assist those who cannot care for themselves: the intoxicated, <br />the addicted, the mentally ill, the physically disabled, the old and <br />the young. <br />6. To resolve conflict, whether it be befinreen individuals, groups, or <br />between individuals and their government. <br />Page 14 <br />