crime-related issues that disrupt the peace and well-being of local people, including issues of fear and disorder.
When attending to these issues, you must
effectively blend reactive and proactive approaches, as appropriate
Problem solving in the community policing
context differs from traditional policing.
It shifts its focus from traditional solutions
to problems (arrests, increasing number of cars and officers in problem areas) to more creative solutions, which have an impact on preventing crime and disorder, and eliminating fear.
Problem solving is a pro-active,
preventative process that: looks at crime and disorder problems, understands the conditions that give rise to these problems, draws from a range of solutions (not just criminal law and arrest) to address the root causes of problems, and assesses and reassesses the effectiveness of the applied solutions.
What do you think the benefits of this
approach are?
Class exercise page 5-2
Some of the benefits include:
Clearer understanding of causes of community problems Better working relationships with community partners Better use of community resources Reduction in demand for police services Increased public satisfaction with police services
Less fear of crime
Improvement in quality of life Better understanding of the communitys perspective/ viewpoint on delivery of police service Developing and maintaining trust within the community
In order to solve problems of concern to
both police and communities, it is
necessary to think strategically about addressing these problems. Strategic thinking involves looking at problems in long-term creative ways, moving from a traditional mindset to one that will offer more effective solutions. In order to do this, various factors should be considered. These factors include:
In problem solving, it is necessary to look
for patterns. The focus should be on: the people, places, and activities that are related to certain crimes and problems.
Do you know of offenders who continually cause
problems in your community? Do you know of locations that repeatedly require police How can you get information to assist you in determining where problem incidents are concentrated? If you cannot easily access this information, what other means can you use to get this data? How can you get information to assist you in determining where problem incidents are concentrated? If you cannot easily access this information, what other means can you use to get this data?
Class exercise page 5-3
When searching for solutions to a problem
it is often helpful to identify guardians that may assist in fixing the problem. Guardians can be: people, institutions, laws or codes, fixtures, traffic signs, traffic lights, etc.
Guardians can do something about the
problem and stay behind once the police have gone. They exercise control over each side of the crime triangle to make communities safe and more resistant to crime.
Triangles are often used to understand
and visualize crime and disorder problems; three elements must be present in order for a crime to occur. It can be compared to a fire triangle in order for a fire to occur, the three Elements of fuel, heat and oxygen must be present. This is the same for crime and disorder. If any one of the triangle elements is missing, crime and disorder will not occur.
Example 1
Offender
Victim
Crime and Disorder
Location
Example 2
Desire
Ability
Crime and Disorder
Opportunity
You can form synergistic partnerships
With community members, groups, organizations, NGOs, and government agencies to solve community problems. When solving problems concerning communities, it is important to include those people in the process who will benefit from the outcomes.
COP uses a model for problem solving
that offers you a framework for approaching crime and disorder problems.
The model used is an easy four-step
model (known by many as the SARA model).
The steps involved in this approach are as
follows:
1. 2. 3. 4.
Scanning: Identifying and
Prioritizing the Problem Analysis: Understanding Root cause of Problem Response: Designing and implementing Strategies Assessment: Evaluating effectiveness of Solutions
When assessing the solutions, what types
of questions can you ask to determine if there is increased public satisfaction with the police response? How can you determine if there is a reduced fear of crime?