CJA 235 All Assignments CJA 235 All Assignments | Page 4

50% of the population lives north of the railroad tracks; 50% lives south of the railroad tracks.
80% of the crime occurs north of the railroad tracks; 20% occurs south of the tracks.
20% of the tax base can be found north of the railroad tracks; 80% is south of the tracks (that
is, most of the money paying for town services is generated in the south).
Crime rates in town go up significantly at night; however, the population of the town goes up
significantly during the day (due to an influx of reverse commuters and vibrant retail activity).
On average, it takes ten minutes for an officer to arrive to a call when dispatched from the
south side of town to the north, or vice versa; however, on average it takes only five minutes to
arrive to a call when the officer is already on the correct side of the tracks for the call.
What You Need to Do . . .
Write a 3-4 page position paper for the chief's consideration which outlines your belief as to
how patrol resources should be allocated in Centervale. In other words, where and when would
you place your patrol officers in the community?
Further, justify your approach based on current research and existing literature about
preventive and directed patrol, notions of fairness and equity, the importance of response
times, and any other considerations you deem important.
In any case, cite at least two additional sources of information beyond the assigned readings.
Feel free to make additional assumptions about conditions within Centervale that are not
presented in the assignment (for example, the type of crime that is prevalent in the city).
However, if you do so, make sure you state those assumptions up front in your assignment as a
note to the instructor.
Assignment Criteria:
In your paper, be sure to demonstrate:
An understanding of current research regarding police patrol functions
The meaning of preventive patrol, directed patrol, broken windows, and/or other patrol
models
An understanding of competing legitimate interests within the community and a rational
approach toward reconciling these interests despite limited resources
Clear, concise writing which reflects critical thinking skills