Enhancing Police Efficiency in Detecting Crime in Hong Kong

Abstract

In this study we examine how the process of crime detection by frontline and investigative police can be modifed so that the same level of policing inputs (i.e. police strength) can produce more outcomes (i.e. crime detection rate). A pooled frontier analysis method is used to measure the relative efciency of 18 police districts in Hong Kong from 2007 to 2015 (n=18 districts×9 years=162 decision making units (DMUs)), demonstrating variable returns-to-scale. Findings reveal that 95 of the 162 DMUs were found to be inefcient compared to the benchmark DMUs (those police districts identifed by the Free Disposable Hull (FDH) approach as efcient) with an average FDH efciency score of 95.37 out of a possible score of 100. Efcient districts provide an exemplar on how an inefcient district could achieve an optimal input–output translation for the detection of crime. This evidence can be used to shape police policy at the district level. This study represents the frst frontier analysis of police efciency in the detection of crime in Hong Kong using the most recent efciency technique. We produce evidence that can inform police policy regarding the deployment of fnite resources that improve the efciency of detection without compromising other institutional targets. Show more