Modern law enforcement agencies engage in a broad spectrum of work, including key functions such as crime prevention, promoting traffic safety and responding to vehicular accidents, monitoring and preventing drug sales and use and other types of social disorder, and building strong partnerships with interest groups in communities. Knowing how agencies are performing in these realms is important to municipal councils, mayors, and other entities to which law enforcement agencies are accountable. In a time of tight budgets and deep cuts in municipal services, local officials are likely to demand measurable evidence of quality improvement to justify budget requests.

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