Title: A case study of the effects of the service population on crime and the officer ratio in Orlando, Florida

Authors: Jeffrey W. Goltz

Addresses: Criminal Justice Institute, Valencia Community College, 8600 Valencia College Lane, Orlando, Florida 32825, USA

Abstract: Crime reflects the character of society and annual crime rates published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the uniform crime report (UCR) in the USA are a basic indicator of safety in a community. Additionally, the police-residential population ratio is the traditional measure of the level of police protection in a community. Although these historical measures are widely accepted, the literature is void of one very important dimension that influences these measures in many communities: service population. Succinctly, service population considers several characteristics outside of a community|s residential population such as homelessness, tourism, and daily commuting of workers into a city. In one of the top tourist destinations in the USA, Orlando, Florida, the service population has a profound effect on annual crime rates and the sworn officer ratio. This article highlights and discusses Orlando|s service population formula while illustrating the significant differences between residential population and service population measures. The scientific confirmation of the population|s effects on police organisations is illustrated in a structural equation model and a strong argument is made for the necessity to begin the discussion of a standard service population formula when analysing crime rates and officer ratios.

Keywords: uniform crime reports; UCR; officer ratios; service population; structural equation modelling; Florida; USA; United States; police protection; homelessness; tourism; daily commuting; crime rates; residential population; population effects; police officers.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPP.2010.035132

International Journal of Public Policy, 2010 Vol.6 No.3/4, pp.307 - 317

Published online: 05 Sep 2010 *

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