Using the East Texas Violent Crime Task Force as an exemplar, this article examines the taskforce conceptas an exercise in intergovernmental cooperation. After defining the task force concept and examining its history, the authors identify problems of task force organization and operation, and they propose strategies for overcoming these problems through the application of the intergovernmental relations conceptual framework. The future of crime task forces is then examined.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Anderson, W. (1960. Intergovernmental relations in reviewMinneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
2.
Brooks, P.R., Devine, M.J., Green, T.J., Hart, B.L., & Moore, M.D. (1988). Multi-agency investigative team manualWashington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.
3.
Bureau of Justice Assistance. (1996). Multijurisdictional task forces: Use of overtime and related issues, FY 1994Washington, DC: Author .
4.
Bureau of Justice Assistance. (1998). Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance [Online] . Available: http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles/ebmfs98.txt
5.
Bureau of Justice Assistance. (1999). Center for Task Force Training [Online]. Available: http://www.iir.com/centf.htm
6.
Bureau of Justice Statistics. (1998). Census of state and local law enforcement agencies (NCJ Publication No. 164168Washington, DC: Author .
Dunworth, T., Haynes, P., & Saiger, A.J. (1997). National assessment of the Byrne formula grant program (NCJ Publication No. 162203. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice.
10.
Dunworth, T., & Mills, G. (1999). National evaluation of weed and seed (Research in Brief, NCJ Publication No. 175685Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice.
11.
Falcone, S., & Lan, Z. (1997). Intergovernmental relations and productivityPublic Administration Review, 57, 319-322
12.
. Federal Bureau of Investigation. (1997a). Crime in the United States, 1996 [Uniform Crime Reports, 1996]Washington, DC: Author.
13.
Federal Bureau of Investigation. (1997b). FBI violent crime initiatives [Online]. Available: http:flwww.fbi.gov/kids/gang/safest.htm
14.
Gage, R.W. (1990). Key issues in intergovernmental relations in the post-Reagan era: Implications for changeAmerican Review of Public Administration, 20, 153-169
15.
. Governor's Task Force on Hate Crimes. (1999 ). Agency overview [Online]. Available: http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/StopHate/about.htm
16.
Heymann, P.B., & Moore, M.H. (1996, January). The federal role in dealing with violent street crime: Principles, questions, and cautionsAnnals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 543, 103-115
17.
. Hyatt, W.D. (1991). Strike forces and fighting organized crime in the United StatesCorruption and Reform , pp. 61-73
18.
. Jefferis, E.S., Frank, J., Smith, B.W., Novak, K.J., & Travis, L.F. (1998). An examination of the productivity and perceived effectiveness of drug task forcesPolice Quarterly , 1(3), 85-107.
19.
Johnson, W.C. (1996). Public administration: Policy, politics, and practice (2nd ed.). Madison, WI: Brown and Benchmark.
20.
Lax, D.A., & Sebenius, J.K. (1986). The manager as negotiatorNew York: Free Press.
21.
Lewis, C.W. (1991). The ethics challenge in public serviceSan Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Orvis, G.P. (1996). Innovative prosecution of youth gangs by treating them as organized crime groups In J. M. Miller & J. P. Rush (Eds.), Gangs: A criminal justice approach (pp. 93-103). Cincinnati, OH: Anderson.
27.
Phillips, P.W. (1999). De facto police consolidation: The multijurisdictional task forcePolice Forum, 9(3), 1-6
28.
. Phillips, P.W., Nelligan, P.J., & Young, W.A. (2000, March). The federalization of criminal law and its impact on local law enforcementPaper presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, New Orleans, LA.
29.
Ruboy, M.A., & Coldren, J.R. (1992). Law enforcement task force evaluation projects: Results and findings in the statesWashington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.
30.
Skolnick, J. (1994). Justice without trial: Law enforcement in a democratic society (3rd ed.). New York: John Wiley.
31.
Starling, G. (1998). Managing the public sector (5th ed.). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace College.
32.
Stever, J.A. (1993). The growth and decline of executive-centered inter-governmental managementPublius: The Journal of Federalism , 23, 71-84
33.
. Texas Department of Public Safety. (1997). Crime in Texas, 1996Austin: Author .
34.
Texas Penal Code. Section 71.01 et seq. (West, 1999).
35.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (1999). Operation Safe Home [Online]. Available: http://www.hud.gov/progdesc/opsafe.html
36.
Walker, D.B. (1981). Toward a functioning federalismCambridge, MA: Winthrop.
Wright, D.S. (1997). Understanding intergovernmental relations In J. M. Shafritz & A. C. Hyde (Eds.), Classics of public administration (4th ed., pp. 578-594). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace College.
