Police As Problem Solvers

Problem-oriented policing is examined from the perspective of the daily work of police officers, with emphasis on the results of a problem-oriented experiment in Oakland, Calif. and on the applicability of this and related approaches to drug-related crime. The analysis focuses on the evolution of the problem-oriented approach, the role of the problem-oriented police officer, and experiments with the approach in several jurisdictions. It also examines problem-oriented policing as an example of work reform and shows how this approach is congruent with what industrial psychologists know about work motivation and how to raise it. Issues related to organizational change and resistance to change when innovations are introduced are also examined. The Oakland experiment is detailed in terms of its planning, the establishment of the peer review panel, and the development of family crisis teams and family crisis management. Concluding chapters focus on current trends, including community-oriented policing and combinations of policing concepts and their applicability to drug crime and the problems associated with it.

This book is about police and police reform and about a movement called "problem-oriented policing," which is sweeping the country. The problem-oriented approach has been labeled "a philosophical revolution" and "the cutting edge of policing" (Malcolm, 1989). Two observers, Wilson and Kelling (1989), have written that the approach "con stitutes the beginning of the most significant redefinition of police work in the past half century" (p. 48). Such an esteemed development matters, and one expects knowledgeable persons to observe it and think about it. Our mission in this book is different from that of some observers, those concerned with management practice and philosophy. Ours is a more person-centered book, which views the problem-oriented move ment from the trenches where battles, not wars, are waged. We are concerned with what an erstwhile colleague of ours dubbed the "nitty gritty" and what others have called the "human equation." This is so because the core of our interest is on the experience of being problem oriented and how one engenders this experience. Coincidentally, such grass roots analysis happens to fit problem-oriented policing, which delegates thinking and planning to those on the frontlines. In the battles won by problem-oriented policing, ordinary police officers become generals or, at least, strategists of policing. The jobs that such men and women do are expanded, and we shall center on this expansion of the job.

Community policing, as a philosophy, supports the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues, including crime, social disorder, and fear of crime—as opposed to responding to crime after it occurs. Community policing expands the traditional police mandate. It broadens the focus of fighting crime to include solving community problems and forming partnerships with people in the community so average citizens can contribute to the policing process. Originating during police reform efforts of the 1970s, the philosophy of community policing is currently widespread and embraced by many citizens, police administrators, scholars, and local and federal politicians. What sorts of collaborative partnerships have evolved between policing agencies and the individuals and communities they serve? How do police departments engage in systematic examination of identified problems to develop effective responses? How have police departments aligned their organizational structures to best support community partnerships and proactive problem solving? Just how effective have efforts at community policing been? These questions and more are explored within the pages of this new reference work. Features: A collection of 150 to 175 entries are organized in A-to-Z fashion in one volume available in both electronic and print formats. Signed entries, authored by significant figures in the field, each conclude with Cross-References and Suggestions for Further Readings to guide students to in-depth resources. Brief "What Works" case studies within appropriate entries profile community policing programs and strategies as tried in various cities and communities. Although organized in A-to-Z fashion, a thematic "Reader′s Guide" in the front matter groups related entries by broad topic areas (e.g., Foundations; Methods & Practices; Legislation & National Organizations; Changing Agency Culture; Planning & Implementation; Training & Curriculum; Assessment & Evaluation; etc.). Also included in the front matter, a Chronology provides students with historical perspective of the development of community policing. The entire work concludes with a Resources appendix listing classic books, journals, and associations, followed by a comprehensive Index.

COMMUNITY POLICING AND PROBLEM SOLVING: STRATEGIES AND PRACTICES, 6/e is about policing at its most important and challenging levels-in neighborhoods and communities across the nation and abroad. Unique in perspective, its focus is on community policing and problem solving-and the processes that are being implemented under COPPS to control and prevent crime, disorder and fear. Extremely applied, this text focuses on daily processes and tactics and how and why agencies are revolutionizing their traditional philosophy and operations. This sixth edition provides the latest on policing in an information age, how the economy is impacting policing practices and new information concerning COPPs initiatives across the United States.

"This revolution has implications not only for social policy and criminal justice but also for work reform because it expands the jobs of frontline workers (police officers), showing that authoritarian management is obsolete."--BOOK JACKET.

This new manual, written by two leading crime prevention experts, is intended for crime analysts and other police officials working on problem oriented policing projects. It covers the basics of problem-oriented policing and shows how many new concepts developed to analyze crime patterns can sharpen understanding of crime and disorder problems. It also shows how the 25 techniques of situational crime prevention can greatly expand the problem-solving capacity of police. Finally, it gives guidance on ways to assess the effectiveness of action taken, including ways of testing for displacement.

This book makes an important contribution to the literature on problem-oriented policing, aiming to distill the British experience of problem-oriented policing. Drawing upon over 500 entries to the Tilley Award since its inception in 1999, the book examines what can be achieved by problem-oriented policing, what conditions are required for its successful implementation and what has been learned about resolving crime and disorder issues. Examples of problem-oriented policing examined in this book include specific police and partnership initiatives targeting a wide spectrum of individual problems (such as road safety, graffiti and alcohol-related violence), as well as organisational efforts to embed problem-oriented work as a routine way of working (such as improving training and interagency problem solving along with more specific challenges like improving the way that identity parades are conducted. This book will be of particular interest to those working in the field of crime reduction and community safety in the police, local government and other agencies, as well as students taking courses in policing, criminal justice and criminology.