The Effects of Social Disorganization and Police Force Size on Police Performance

This study explores the effects of social disorganization and police force size on police performance, by paying particular attention to a typology of police performance that emphasizes the importance of capturing the various dimensions of performance in an organization. The author suggests that police performance should be categorized along two dimensions: the nature of the performance indicator (output or outcome) and the objective of policing strategy (crime reduction and citizen satisfaction). The author argues that outcome-related police performance is influenced by social disorganization and output-related police performance is influenced by police force size, and tests these hypotheses with data from the Social Capital Benchmark Survey, Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, and the Uniform Crime Report. Theoretical implications are discussed.