Community and Problem-Oriented Policing

Community and Problem-Oriented Policing Seventh Edition Chapter 5 Problem Solving: A Process Model

Learning Objectives 5.1 How and why problem solving was developed for the police, and how it changes the role of the street officer. 5.2The four steps in the SARA problem-solving, including their role, tools, and methods. 5.3 The potential difficulties with problem-solving efforts. 5.4The different types of neighborhoods, and tailoring strategies for each.

Introduction • Community oriented policing and problem solving are complementary core components with each other • Important adjuncts to community policing include: • Situational crime prevention, crime prevention through environmental design, technologies, crime analysis, and mapping

Problem Solving: Rationalization and Application: Early Beginnings (1 of 2) • Problem solving is not new to police • But they did not have an in-depth understanding of the nature and underlying causes of those crime problems, didn’t receive much guidance, support, or sophisticated methods • Routine problem-solving efforts can be effective in reducing or resolving problems and police officers can use it throughout their day • Problem-oriented policing is a strategy that puts the philosophy of community policing into practice

Problem Solving: Rationalization and Application: Early Beginnings (2 of 3) • Goldstein first coined problem-oriented policing in 1979 • Argued for radical changes to improve policing • Police need to clearly define and understand the problems they are expected to handle • Police must commit to analyzing problems • Police must be encouraged to conduct a search for the most effective response to each problem

Problem Solving: Rationalization and Application: Early Beginnings (3 of 3) • Scanning, analysis, response, and assessment (SARA) is a practical tool and process for analyzing and responding to recurring problems • Developed by John Eck and William Spelman • First tested in Newport News, Virginia • Showed a positive response

Problem Solving Comprises One of the Three Key Components

Basic Principles • First step is problem solving is to move beyond handling each incident separately (incident-driven policing) • Recognize that incidents are overt symptoms of problems • Police officers must acquaint themselves with conditions and factors that cause the problems • Problem-oriented policing is primarily a planning process

A Broader Role for the Street Officer • POP officers are given more discretion and decision-making ability, and is trusted with more responsibilities • More effectively uses the potential of college-educated officers • Officers have a new sense of identity and self-respect

SARA: The Problem-Solving ProcessScanning: Problem Identification (1 of 2) • Scanning means problem identification • Problem is a group of two or more similar incidents that are causing harm • May require skilled analysis • High crime call periods • Repeat offender lists • Repeat victim lists

SARA: The Problem-Solving ProcessScanning: Problem Identification (1 of 2) • Community surveys to identify problems can use a system called CHEERS: • Community • Harmful • Expectation • Events • Recurring • Similarity • CHEERS tends to be questions asked during scanning

Aggregating Incidents • Incidents may be similar in various ways: • Behaviors • Locations • Persons • Times • Events • Many policing problems could be expanded or contracted in scope so as to incorporate more than one type of troublesome behavior • Important to determine the length and breadth of the problem at the onset

Analysis: The Heart of Problem Solving • Analysis is the heart of the problem-solving process and is critical to the success • Effective tailor-made responses cannot be developed unless people know what is causing the problem • Information is gathers from inside and outside the agency

Principles of Analysis • Analysis should not be circumvented and obvious natures of problems in order to seek a quick solution should not be implemented • Considerations for analysis: • It is based on common sense • There is no one way to do analysis • Individual problems require individual analysis • It requires creativity and innovation • It does not need to be complex

Tools for Analysis • Crime analysts • Records management system • Mapping/geographic information systems • Technical assistance • Resident/business surveys

Seeking “Small Wins” • Some problems are too deeply ingrained or too rooted in complex social problems to be eliminated • Small wins involves breaking problems down into smaller, less complex problems that can be solved • A series of small wins can have a substantial impact • Prioritizes problems and collaborates with the community, outside agencies, and police to work together

Using the Problem analysis Triangle (1 of 2) • Problem analysis triangle: Problem must have an offender, place, and target/victim • Helps officer visualize the problem and understand the relationships • It helps the officer analyze the problem, understand where more information is needed, and assists with crime control and prevention • Removing one of the three elements from the triangle can stop the pattern and prevent future harms

Using the Problem analysis Triangle (2 0f 2) • Police also need to be aware of three types of third parties that can help or hinder the problem-solving effort: • Handlers • Guardians • Managers

Response: Formulating Tailor-Made Strategies • Response is an effective way of dealing with the problem • Responses should not be premature • Responses need to be tailored to the problem • Solutions can be: • Total elimination of the problem • Reducing the number of incidents the problem creates • Reducing the seriousness of the harms • Dealing with a problem better • Removing the problem from police consideration

Assessment: Did Responses Diminish the Problem? (1 of 2) • Assessment involves the evaluating the effectiveness of their responses • Did the problem decline? • Did the response cause the decline? • Did the response occur as planned? • Should the effort end? • Measures: numbers of arrests, levels of reported crime, responses times, clearance rates, citizen complaints, and workload indicators • There are other nontraditional measures as well

Assessment: Did Responses Diminish the Problem? (2 of 2) • If responses are not effective, new information may need to be collected before new solutions can be developed and tested • Evaluation is the scientific process for determining if a problem declines and if the solution cause the decline • Assessment is the final stage of the evaluation and problem solving

The Problem-Solving Process and Evaluation

Difficulties with Problem-Solving Efforts • Possible reasons why problem solving might not always be successful: • Police officers do not have the analytical skills required to analyze problems • Police mangers and supervisors do not know how to foster problem solving • Police agencies resist change • Police workloads prevent anything but superficial analysis • There is too little involvement of communities • Little is known about what works under what circumstances

Tailoring Strategies to Neighborhoods: Which Strategy Where? • Application of problem-oriented policing working in different types of neighborhoods • “Collective efficacy” • Neighborhoods have three identifiable stages • Dependence • Conflict • Interdependence

Differing Types of Neighborhoods • Four types of neighborhoods: • Strong • Vulnerable • Anomic • Responsive • Effective policing involves not only reducing crime and disorder, but also facilitating neighborhood development • Low levels of crime and disorder and high levels of integration and collective efficacy

You Be the Problem Solver: The Case of the Late-Night Delivery Robberies • Review case study and application of the SARA process on pages 102-104

Community and Problem-Oriented Policing