Community policing study notes PDF

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1 Problem-oriented policing What is problem solving? Problem solving attempts to address the underlying causes of crime and social disorder Research studies have revealed that: a. Applying additional resources in response to individual crime appears to have little real impact Research studies findings Few incidents or crimes are isolated: most are symptoms of underlying problems, which means that many will recur predictably The causes of crime are multifaceted: affected responses should be those that coordinate police, government, and private citizens and businesses What is a “problem” Defined as a group or patterns of crimes, cases, calls, or incidents that are of concern to the public or police, or both, and that require a solution In community policing, a “problem” is the basic unit of police work; in contrast, traditional police work focused on single crimes, cases, calls, or incidents Collaborative problem solving The responsibility for defining problems includes the community and other non-police agencies and organizations Both police and the community must agree that a problem exists and what the dimensions of the problem are, and formulating and implementing a strategy to address it Problem-oriented policing (POP) Police taking a proactive approach to addressing the underlying causes of a particular problem Formulating a response designed to solve or alleviate the problem, More efficient approach to policing than traditional reactive approaches The iceberg or 80/20 rule Like an iceberg, no matter how large the part above the water is, 80% of the iceberg- or problem-lies below the surface

To eliminate a problem, it is necessary to attack the 80% that is not visible

Problem solving components Four components, referred to as SARA 1. Scanning 2. Analysis 3. Response 4. Assessment Scanning Preliminary inquiry to determine whether a problem really exists and whether further analysis is required Examination of calls for service, victim surveys, citizen complaints, data available from other agencies, media reports of citizens’ concerns, officer observations, and community surveys Analysis Determination of the cause, scope, and impact of the problem Who is being harmed by the problem? Is the harm inflicted on specific persons or groups? Can the problem be broken into specific elements or suspects of problems such that progress. - does the problem detract from the quality of life in an area and increase the fear or crime? Can be achieved on each subset until a positive result is obtained for the overall problem Response The analysis is used to develop an appropriate response tailored to the problem Arrest is often the primary response option in traditional police work However, in problem solving within a community policing framework it is only one of many options Other response actions a. Conveying info b. Mobilizing the community c. Using existing forms of social control d. Altering the physical environment to reduce opportunities for problems to reoccur e. Using civil law to control public nuisances, offensive behaviour, and conditions contributing to crime

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Concentrating attention on the individuals responsible for a disproportionate share of the problem Connecting with other government and private agencies Using mediation and negotiation skills rather than traditional police responses of arrest or aggressive targeted patrol

Assessment The police and the community examine the outcomes that have occurred as a result of the problem-solving response The intent is to measure the effectiveness of the response Does problem-oriented policing work? While problem-oriented policing has been found to be much more effective than traditional police practices, Scott (2000), who evaluated 20 years of POP in the US, found that the assessment stage often receives the least attention, although it is critical from the standpoint of effective use of resources Degrees of impact on the problem Eliminating the problem Reducing the number of incidents created by the problem Reducing the seriousness of the incidents created by the problem Designing methods for better handling the incidents created by the problem Removing the problem from police consideration Problem-solving model: Royal Canadian Mounted Police CAPRA Clients Acquire/analyze info Partnerships Response Assessment Problem solving process Problem identification: List perceptions of the problem Identify the perceived problem Examine the problem: ask the five Ws Consider info available

Analysis: generate information on the underlying causes or conditions of the problem;  analyze the: Impact of the problem Seriousness of the problem Complexity of the problem Strategic response: the police team develops a strategic response in collaboration with the community and partner agencies Responses should be SMART: Specific: role responsibilities are clear Measurable: qualitatively and or/quantitatively Attainable: the objective is achievable Realistic: related to goals and objectives Timely: following a schedule Evaluation: two types of evaluations of POP strategies; both are equally important: Process evaluation: involves how the strategy implementation went Impact evaluation: involves assessing the qualitative and quantitative outcomes or consequences of problem-solving strategies Conditions for successful problem solving Policing involves addressing a wide range of problems, not just crime These problems are interrelated and the priority given them must be constantly reassessed rather than ranked in traditional ways Each problem requires a unique response rather than a generic “one size fits all” response Criminal law is only one of several response options Police services can be successful by working to prevent problems, rather than just responding to incidents that are only symptoms of underlying problems Developing an effective response to a problem requires prior analysis rather than simply invoking traditional police practices Contrary to traditional image of the police, the capacity of the police to solve problems is limited The role of the police is best viewed as one facilitating, enabling, and encouraging the community in order to maintain problem-solving capacity, rather than as one that assumes full responsibility for the identification of and response to problems (Goldstein 1990:179)

3 Police management’s role in creating a problem-solving police organization Communicate to all department members why responding to and solving problems is more effective than responding to incidents, and why police services and patrol officers should engage in problem solving Provide incentives to those who engage in problem solving Reduce barriers to officers engaging in the process; make more time available: eliminate administrative practices that hinder initiative and creativity Provide examples of what constitutes good problem solving Barriers to effective problem solving Failing to plan is planning to fail Failure to conduct a thorough analysis of the problem or working on the wrong problem Failure to dedicate resources to the problem, leaving officers feeling ill equipped and undersupported Failure to follow up in the assessment stage Failure to initiate a process or take ownership of problem Problems in implementing an agency-wide program Police taking an expert role as opposed to a collaborative one Failure to communicate successes and results Difference in definitions between the community’s perception and the police service’s Problems in implementation at the: 1. Organizational 2. Front line 3. Community level Failure of police technology to identify problems beyond the police service Chapter summary Problem-oriented policing (POP) is one of the core components of community policing The process of identifying a problem requires collaborative efforts between the police and the community Crime and other problems in a community or neighbourhood are only the tip of the iceberg (symptoms of the problem)

Organizational requirements for community policing Community policing requires that police services re-examine all aspects of the organization, administration, and delivery of policing services This requires time, vision, commitment, planning, and an ability to question and assess outcomes constantly The management challenge Police leaders must abandon traditional command and control practices and decentralize power Creation of a more participatory organizational environment The ideas and requirements of line officers are incorporated into the decision-making process Managing a police service vs. leading a police service The manager administers; the leader innovates The manager is a copy; the leader is an original The manager maintains, the leader develops The manager focuses on systems and structure, the leader focuses on people The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust The manger has a short-range view, the leader has a long-range perspective The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why The manager has an eye on the bottom line; the leader has an eye on the horizon Mission, value, and vision statements Set out the general principles for providing policing services Statements generally incorporate the basic tenets of community policing and reflect the general orientation of the police service For example, The vision of the edmonton police service is: to make edmonton the safest major city in canada and for the edmonton police service to be recognized as a leader in policing Redesigning the organizational structure Decentralizing decision making and giving the line officers more authority and

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autonomy to work collaboratively with community residents Reducing the amount of bureaucracy that often hinders officer initiatives Reducing specialization in the police service and expanding the role of police constables as generalists “Flattening” the organizational structure by reducing the levels of management and supervision

Reorienting the organization: the police service as a learning organization The creation of learning organizations is key to the success of a community policing police service At the heart of the learning organization is continuous learning, which helps an organization to innovate, to learn from past experience, and to manage the change process rather than simply react to it Adopting a corporate model: strategies and measures The corporate model of policing complements the requirements of community policing Is designed to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of police services while responding to increased public demands for service, despite budgetary constraints Strategic planning The business plan, also known as the strategic plan, sets out the core business and function of the police service, and includes how it will provide adequate and effective police services In ontario the Adequacy and Effectiveness of Police Services Standards (section 20(1) and 30(2))  require all police service boards to produce a business plan for their police force at least once every three years Audits Police services across canada conduct regular self-audits Ontario’s adequacy standards require ontario police services to conduct audits of their administrative and operational activities as well as specific programs and policing initiatives

Environmental scans Environmental scans are studies that identify forces in the community (environment) that may affect the demands that will be made upon the police A typical environmental scan involves gathering information from a wide range of sources Service performance indicators “Competency- based” performance measures more accurately measure activities and accomplishments of the police service Competencies refer to observable knowledge, skills and aptitudes, or abilities Performance indicators are specific numerical measurements for each aspect of performance (i.e. output or outcome) under consideration Best practices Best practices refer to those organizational, administrative, and operational strategies that have proven successful in preventing and responding to crime and disorder First developed in the corporate sector and have been adapted for use in police services Best practices and benchmarking Best practices include implementing a policy, strategy, program, process, or practice that the organization does better than other agencies and may serve as a model The process of searching for best-practice organizations is called benchmarking Community surveys Community surveys generally seek info in relation to the following three areas: 1. Overall citizen satisfaction with police 2. Policing problems in the community, and 3. Questions related to criminal victimization, including perceptions of safety and the fear of crime Community policing teams Geographic assignment of officers is referred to as geopolicing Community policing teams require officers to work together to develop partnerships with the community

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To engage in problem solving To respond to incident that occur within the zone

Implementing community policing Structuring community policing organizations Most police organizations organize themselves around a “corporate model” to: Manage costs and resources more effectively and efficiently Demonstrate organizational effectiveness and efficiency Model the practices put in place by local government (which funds policing) Foster a highly motivated and empowered work environment, and empower police personnel Leadership and corporate models Nearly every new chief implements a revises or renewed corporate model You can recognize them by their phrases a. Balanced scorecard b. Learning organization c. Total quality management (TQM) d. “Six sigma” organization e. SWOT Edmonton police service Since 1988, re-organizational efforts focused on: Restructuring units Identification of hot spots Implementing a neighbourhood foot patrol program Implementing a “differential response model” to better respond to a growing number of calls for service Edmonton police service today In 2004, organizational renewal continues with ‘agenda for change’ maling 124 recommendations Engagement with “big 5’ community stakeholders resulted in formulation of five priorities Edmonton police service today Priorities include: Reduce victimization Improve service Improve effectiveness, efficiency, and innovative business processes

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Improve financial investment, sustainability, and accountability Enhance professionalism

Summary of the main stages Recognition of a performance gap Recognition of a need for organizational change Creating an organizational climate receptive reform Creating a community climate receptive reform Creating a new model of service delivery and call response Conducting ongoing analyses and evaluations of the service delivery model:essential requirement for any police service Montreal police service Launched the neighbourhood policing project in 1996 a. Organizational decentralization b. Establishment of 49 neighbourhood police stations and 4 major operations centres Improves citizen access to police services, and like Edmonton provided differential response options Surrey, British Columbia Canadian Mounted Police Detachment area broken into five districts based on workload Decentralized service delivery model designed to improve community access Crime reduction strategy based on best practices in crime and disorder management, ex: target prolific offenders, intelligence-led policing Three key elements: Community policing Intelligence-led policing Integrated policing Halton regional police service Implementation of community policing organizations in canada Community policing is adopted along with community-based tactics and strategies such as team deployment, proactive deployment, community conferencing, use of volunteers, and the creation of children’s safety village

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In 1984, the Village Constable Program is established which assigns police officers to geographic areas In 1993 a comprehensive organizational review project is undertaken to assess the state of community-based policing in Halton and seek organizational efficiencies Total Integrated Policing (TIP) (a corporate model ) is developed designed to empower police officers and establish greater accountability A Service Delivery Design Team is established to implement TIP

Lessons from HRPS Community policing is broader than simple programs, it is a version for service delivery Implementation of community policing is a slow, gradual process, shaped by ongoing interaction between the police and community Community policing requires changes in the organizational structure of the police service ex: flattened shape Community policing requires police services to take risks, learn from mistakes and establish ‘corporate memory’ to reduce the same mistakes from happening in the future Innovative community policing approaches should be developed by frontline police officers who know local conditions in the community Bottom-up rather than top-down approaches have a better chance of succeeding Durham regional police service Created an Organizational Renewal Project and retained the services of an external management research company An eight-point implementation plan was established which included two elements: a. What we intend to do b. How we intend to do it The established implementation plan follows well defined change management strategies utilized by the private sector Durham implementation steps Step 1: define community policing Step 2: make structural changes to build organizational capacity Step 3: develop both an interna; and external communication strategy

Nurture positive relationships with police associations (unions) Step 5: develop a leadership plan to take the organization forward into the future (succession planning) Step 6: establish a learning development and certification plan for each level of the organization Step 7: build a staffing plan for the following five years to ensure DRPS has the capacity to meet future demands and challenges Step 8: establish a change management strategy and audit it quarterly ensuring original recommendations from the Organizational Renewal Project  are being implemented and that there is compliance with the Adequacy Standards Regional police services and community policing Strategies for effectiveness and efficiency Build greater economies of scale through regionalization for provincialization Integrate similar services between police services Consolidate, amalgamate, merge, acquire, or divest similar functional groups having a common purpose Ottawa police service Amalgamated police services from Gloucester, Nepean, and Ottawa Established “service delivery principles” to the expanded community: 1. Problem oriented policing 2. Decentralized service delivery to districts 3. Front-load support for police officers through better analysis, technologies, and learning 4. Community partnerships 5. Commitment to administrative efficiencies Guelph police service The 2010-2012 business plan detailed the planning process carried out by a community policing police service Plan included the following: 1. Review of 2007 business plan, establishing business continuity from past to present 2. Analysis of the socioeconomic trends in the community, including population and development trends, crime patterns and projections, and community priorities

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Discussions of police resources and workload trends, labour market , and staffing issues, legislative changes, and changes in info and technology A trends summary and implications for policing Recommended corporate goals for 2010=2010 Appendices, including the results of surveys conducted in the community

Vancouver Police Department establishes a strategic plan in order to: 1. Set strategies with associated activities and targets towards achieving long-term strategic goals and other organizational priorities 2. Provides a basis for budgeting 3. Promote accountability 4. Inspires innovati...