Re-assessing measurement error in police calls for service: Classifications of events by dispatchers and officers.

Rylan Simpson,Carlena Orosco,Bryan L Sykes

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0260365

Abstract

Police calls for service are an important conduit by which officers and researchers can obtain insight into public requests for police service. Questions remain, however, about the quality of these data, and, particularly, the prevalence of measurement error in the classifications of events. As part of the present research, we assess the accuracy of call-types used by police dispatchers to describe events that are responded to by police officers. Drawing upon a sample of 515,155 calls for police service, we explore the differences among initial call-types, cleared call-types, and crime-types as documented in crime reports. Our analyses reveal that although the majority of calls for service exhibit overlap in their classifications, many still exhibit evidence of misclassification. Our analyses also reveal that such patterns vary as a function of call- and crime-type categories. We discuss our findings in light of the challenges of the classification process and the associated implications.

Highlights

In February 2021, police in Morris County, New Jersey received a call about an unattended child at a public park
Calls can change over time, and the reasons for requiring a police response can vary as a call evolves
We understand the frustration that can be felt when attempting to use calls for service data as part of analyses, recognizing that the trajectory of a call from its outset to its Measurement error in police calls for service closure is often unclear, providing little explanation to those who are examining the data without additional context or insight

Summary

Introduction

In February 2021, police in Morris County, New Jersey received a call about an unattended child at a public park. Just a month later in Surrey, British Columbia, officers were dispatched to a report of a woman in distress inside of a vehicle driven by a male occupant. Upon locating the vehicle’s occupants, officers determined that the distraught woman had attempted to exit the moving vehicle after discovering a spider inside of it [2]. The convenience and ease of access of 911 has increased the reliance that citizens and police exhibit on each other [13, 14]. It has increased the overall number of contacts between the public and the police, leading to growing numbers of calls being filtered through the 911 system each year. Given that dispatchers are tasked with managing 911 calls and initiating the associated response, their role has become increasingly important over time

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