Measuring the efficiency of local police force

Abstract

This study proposed a methodology of analysis for estimating the efficiency with which the competences in matters of public and road safety are carried out. This proposal seeks to mitigate (i) the subjectivity in the selection of variables; (ii) the partiality inherent to the productivity indicators; and (iii) the generality of the analysis in previous studies. Applying the methodology proposed to the areas of public and road safety, individually and jointly, obtaining the main conclusions: the mean pure technical efficiency of the police force as a whole is 69.42, with eight towns (27.59%) showing efficient behaviour and, in the evaluation of the disparity between behaviour by activity and the overall result, the comparative shows a high degree of similarity between the ordering of the towns in the overall analysis and in public safety. This is not extendable to the road safety service, since they differ notably in the results obtained both with the area of public safety and with the overall action of the force.