Overview of the SARA Model: Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment

1. Overview of the SARA Model: Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment

2. Characteristics of Traditional Responses • Police are reactive to incidents • Driven by citizen referrals • Driven by public demands for change • Limited information from community • Limited partnerships with community

3. Traditional Responses, Cont. Leadership is focused on internal operations: • Budget • Staffing • Citizen complaints • Politics • Policies and procedures

4. Traditions Responses: Cont. • Officers follow orders - have little encouragement to be innovative in solving problems • Evaluations based on “incidents”: • Arrests • Citations • Patrols

5. Traditions Responses: Cont • Police largely operate in silos • Police have few external partnerships when it comes to violence • Police view themselves and are viewed as hierarchical

6. Traditional policing strategies are limited in effectiveness 1. KC Patrol Experiment (1972-73) • 15 beats (2x, 1x 0x) • Crime data, survey data showed no difference in crime, fear, public perceptions. No displacement. 2. Response Time (Spellman & Brown, 1984). • Premise is increased response time would increase clearance rates, deter crime, and incapacitate criminals • Fast response times only effect 2.9% of CFS • In most cases the public just wants to know when they will be there. 3. Investigations (Rand Corp, 1975). • Examined investigations in 29 departments • Found most detective work was routine and non-productive • Only about 3% of cases are solved because of special investigative techniques (Fingerprints, etc.). Most solved because of a witness.

7. Today’s policing is shaped by two insights into the past • The police are unable to solve crime problems alone and need the community’s assistance to control crime, fear, disorder, and neighborhood decay • Current policing strategies are too reactive and need to be reconstructed in such a way to proactively address problems which generate crime

8. Rethinking Your Job • Herman Goldstein - a Problem Oriented Approach to Violence. • Responding to incident is only the 1st step in a strategy • Find permanent solutions to problems that lead to incidents

9. Goldstein Theorized: • Underlying conditions create problems • Problems in turn lead to incidents • Many incidents are reported to administration • Incidents appear to be isolated

10. Incidents • They can arise from a single common source • Police officials usually only deal with the most obvious symptom of the problem: • Drug use • Vandalism • Homicide • Burglaries, robberies, etc.

11. Problem oriented policing A routine method for: • Identification of problems • Analysis of problems • A response to problems • An evaluation of effectiveness

12. The SARA Process • SCANNING • ANALYSIS • RESPONSE • ASSESSMENT

13. Problem Solving • Problems • A problem is a basic unit. • Problem Solving • The process of devising and implementing a strategy for finding a solution or for transforming a less desirable condition into a more desirable one.

14. Our Definition of a Problem • Any condition that alarms, harms, threatens, or has potential for disorder in the neighborhood, particularly incidents that may appear as isolated, but— • ...Share certain characteristics such as common pattern, victim or geographic location.

15. How incidents are related • Police officers look for common elements that link this particular problem to other problems.

16. The Crime Triangle Location Perpetrator Victim

17. Seeking the Underlying Conditions • Police officers often deal with symptoms of a problem • Characteristics of people who live or enter into a neighborhood • How people feel about their neighborhood • The condition of the neighborhood.

18. Expected Outcomes of Problem Solving: • Eliminate the problem entirely • Reduce the number of occurrences of the problem • To reduce the degree of harm caused by the problem • To improve the way the problem is being dealt with. • Change the environment (CPTED)

19. SARA Problem Solving Model Scanning Analysis Response Assessment

20. SA R A

21. SARA Scanning Identify crime & disorder problems

22. SARA Analysis Understand conditions that cause problems to occur Scanning Identify Neighborhood crime & disorder problems

23. S A R A Response Develop & Implement Solutions Analysis Understand conditions that cause problems to occur Scanning Identify Neighborhood crime & disorder problems

24. S A R A Response Develop & Implement Solutions Assessment Determine the Impact Analysis Understand conditions that cause problems to occur Scanning Identify Neighborhood crime & disorder problems

25. S A A R S A R A

26. Principles of Problem Solving • Don’t take anything for granted. • Old patterns may hinder solutions. • Trial and error may work as well as logic. • Pay attention to the way the group works.

27. Principles of Problem Solving • Look at problems from different angles. • Anticipate obstacles to problem solving. • Take the emotion out of problems. • Learn from losing.

28. Common Errors in Problem Solving • The problem is not clearly defined and or the group does not have enough information to understand the problem. • The problem is stated too narrowly. Real problem will not be resolved. Only a symptom is affected.

29. Common Errors in Problem Solving • Tentative solutions are chosen too early in the process (before the problem is understood). • The range of information gathered is too narrow. • Some major constraints to solving the problem are ignored.

30. Common Errors in Problem Solving • Traditional solutions are preferred despite lack of effectiveness. • Priorities among problems are not established. • A plan stating who will do what when, is not developed or is not well thought out.

31. Common Errors in Problem Solving • Resources needed to carry out a solution are not clearly specified or obtained early enough in the process. • The costs of a solution is not weighed against the potential benefits.

32. Common Errors in Problem Solving • Feedback and evaluation procedures are not built into the solution, therefore, no mechanism exists to monitor progress and determine effectiveness.

33. Scanning

34. Scanning • Identifying recurring problems • Prioritizing the problems • Developing broad goals • Confirming that the problems exist • Determining how often the problem occurs and how long it has been a concern • Selecting problems for closer examination

35. What is a Problem • Two or more incidents: • Similar in nature • Causing harm • Of concern to your organization • Unlikely to diminish on its own • Stakeholders expect a response

36. Similar in Nature by: • Behaviors • Theft, drug sales, homicide • Location • Shopping center near school, street corner • Persons • gang members, older students, homeless • Time • Before/after school, Saturday nights • Events • Football games, holidays

37. Is There Really a Problem? • Incidents may appear to be similar in nature, causing harm, and of concern to neighborhood, police, and public. • Scanning looks for patterns of incidents to establish them as a problem.

38. Who Identifies Problems? • Police officers • Supervisors • Commanders • Public • Business • Offenders

39. Methods of Identifying Problems • Analyzing agency records for patterns and trends involving repeat locations, victims and offenders • Mapping specific crimes by time of day, proximity to locations, and other similar factors • Consulting officers, supervisors, teachers, mid-level managers.

40. Methods of Identifying Problems • Reviewing offense reports/diary • Surveying the public • Reviewing citizen complaints • Reviewing information from neighborhood associations and nonprofit organizations • Consulting social service/governmental agencies • Following media coverage and editorials

41. Identifying Stakeholders • Local service/government agencies with jurisdiction or an interest in the problem. • Victims of the problem, and/or groups representing victims • Neighbors and friends of victims or students affected by the problem

42. Identifying Stakeholders • Agencies or people that have some control over offenders • Commercial establishments adversely impacted by the crime or disorder problem • National organizations or trade associations with an interest in the problem.

43. Analysis • Identifying and understanding events and conditions that precede and accompany the problem • Identifying relevant data to collect • Researching what is known about the problem type • Taking inventory of how the problem is being addressed and any strengths/limitations of the current response

44. Analysis • Narrowing the scope of the problem • Identifying resources that may be of assistance in developing a deeper understanding of the problem • Developing a working hypothesis about why the problem is occurring; is it really occurring?

45. Reasons Why Analysis is Sometimes Overlooked/Skipped • The nature of the problem sometimes falsely appears obvious at first glance. • There may be some tremendous internal and external pressure to solve the problem immediately. • The pressure of responding to calls does not seem to allow for time for detailed inquiries into the nature of the problem.

46. Reasons Why Analysis is Sometimes Overlooked/Skipped • Investigating/researching the problem does not seem like “real” police work. • Supervisors may not value analytical work that takes time but does not produce arrests, citations or other traditional measures of police work. • In many communities a strong commitment to the old ways of handling problems prevents looking at the problem in different ways.

47. Resources for Analyzing Problems Depends on the problem, but here are some general examples of resources: • Crime analysts • Resident/business surveys • Crime environment surveys • Interviews with victims and offenders • Systems for tracking repeat victimization

48. Response • Brainstorming for new interventions • Searching for what neighborhoods with similar problems have done • Choosing among the alternative interventions • Outlining a response plan and identifying responsible parties • Stating the specific objectives for the response plan • Carrying out the planned activities

49. Response Reminders • The responses should be directly linked to the results of your analyses • Try not to limit responses to the police. Other agencies may need to be involved and take some responsibility • Responses should be manageable given the resources, available time, and urgency in solving the problem • A variety of potential responses may be more effective than a single response in some situations.

50. Assessment • Collecting pre- and post-response qualitative and quantitative data • Process Evaluation • Determining whether the plan was implemented • Determining whether broad goals and objectives were attained • Identifying any new strategies needed to augment the original plan • Better handling of incidents and improved response to the problem • Conducting ongoing assessment to ensure continued effectiveness