Dial-a-Cop: A Study of Police Mobilisation

P.F. McKenna was librarian at the Police Academy, Brampton, Ontario.

Dr. Shearing is one of the key members of the faculty at the Centre of Criminology in Toronto. Over the years he has produced a substantial body of research analysing and investigating matters that fall under the general rubric of criminology. This interdisciplinary study focusses on a diverse range of topics that includes criminal law, penology, and police science as well as political and social theory. An experienced and competent researcher and professor, Dr. Shearing presents his early study of citizens’ telephone requests for police assistance in Metropolitan Toronto. As Prof. J. Ll. J. Edwards indicates in the Foreword to this report. a considerable amount of time (nearly 13 years) has elapsed since the conducting of the research and the publication of this book. The reasons for such a delay are not immediately relevant, and the book’s value as an example of careful empirical research remains intact.

This work presents a complete study of the receipt of, and response to, calls for assistance received by police switchboards, plus a number of recommendations for the improvement of police responses to calls for assistance. The work begins with a brief presentation of the theoretical underpinnings of the study, pointing out that previous, equivalent studies have not clearly examined the process by which police actually make decisions. (Dr. Shearing’s statistics reveal that the Metropolitan Toronto Police receive approximately 9 million calls a year.) The study goes on to examine the role of complaint officers and switchboard operators, the nature of police-citizen telephone exchanges, the process of dispatcher decision-making, and police patrol activity. Following the final chapter containing his recommendations, Dr. Shearing has added two appendices: the first relates the methodology applied in the collection of data, while the second presents, in some (now outdated) detail, the organization of the Communications Bureau of the Metro Police. The book concludes with a list of relevant bibliographic references.

The insights and observations contained in this study are both interesting and informative. With the tension and pressure building to a high level in the switchboard room it is not surprising that it is referred to as “ulcer alley”. However, Dr. Shearing could have provided more details about certain observations. For example, how did he arrive at his definition of “working class” complainants? Also, at a number of points, Dr. Shearing concedes that his findings are in accord with what common sense would dictate. This parenthetical concession relates to his desire to put the police “under the social scientist’s microscope.” One is reminded of the observation of a very great teacher and critic of political science who noted that we ought not distrust common sense to such an extent that we come to believe only what is proven scientifically. Common sense can often speak authoritatively without the support or endorsement of scientific method.