USING PERFORMANCE REPORTING TO OPERATIONALISE POLICE STRATEGY

In the 1990s New Zealand's strategic road safety planning framework was recognised as international best practice, but this achievement had not been matched by frontline enforcement. In response, New Zealand Police adopted a new approach based on the theory of general deterrence. It was thought that a new performance reporting system would be the means of implementing the general deterrence strategy. This outcome-focused system prioritised key measures around trauma-promoting offences, such as excessive speed, driving while intoxicated, and failure to wear restraints. The result was a reporting system that analyses and compares district performance but is also applicable at an area, unit, and individual level. The system ensures police remain focused on trauma reducing activities despite the demands of reactive policing. Crucially, it allows both high and low performance to be identified and the causes of each to be analysed, allowing problems to be addressed while promoting competition and the replication of success. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E210298.