Police and Crime Prevention Essay Final PDF

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DESCRIBE AND CRITICALLYDISCUSS PROBLEM-ORIENTED POLICING.Renee Wells (16945227), Police and Crime Prevention(CRIM780)WORD COUNT EXCLUDING REFERENCE LIST: 2397Lecturer: Kirsten HannaDue Date: 3 April 2019, 12pmProblem-oriented policing is a style of policing which arose in the late 1970’s as a result...

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DESCRIBE AND CRITICALLY DISCUSS PROBLEMORIENTED POLICING. Renee Wells (16945227), Police and Crime Prevention (CRIM780) WORD COUNT EXCLUDING REFERENCE LIST: 2397

Lecturer: Kirsten Hanna Due Date: 3 April 2019, 12pm

Renee Wells

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Problem-oriented policing is a style of policing which arose in the late 1970’s as a result of gaps in traditional policing styles. This essay will be discussing the factors which lead to the rise of problem-oriented policing, a description of the policing style, its key elements and some of the most well-known tools incorporating problem solving. It will also seek to provide some insight through empirical data into the effectiveness of the policing style, as well as critiques and problems with the paradigm. Approaches to dealing with crime have long been a focus of police and researchers alike and there were a number of factors which gave rise to the ‘problem-oriented policing’ approach widely known today [CITATION Ant08 \l 5129 ]. Policing in the 1960’s and early 1970’s saw a particular focus on the ‘reactive policing’ style to fighting crime, which entailed community members and citizens reporting crime with police responding as quickly as possible [ CITATION Gil16 \l 5129 ]. As the reactive policing style focussed so heavily on response times and resolving individual incidents, it meant that police would respond to recurring crime but not investigate or solve the problems underlying the repetitive incidents. The encouraged policing style gave police incentive to respond and leave incidents as fast as possible (Goldstein, 1979). Another issue which gave rise to problem-oriented policing was the ‘means over ends’ syndrome, which is described as the phenomenon where police have a high level of operating efficiency but are not as focussed or concerned with the end result (Goldstein, 1979). The condition can be said to be one which is put down to the operational and organisational strategies of the police, where the focus is largely on factors such as staffing, management and professionalism rather than the end result of having an impact on crime. Thus, while internal management of policing may be at a high level, this is not reflected in the results of the police and their ability to solve crime (Goldstein, 1979). This was further exhibited in the 1974 “Kansas City Preventative Patrol Experiment.” The experiment was undertaken to test the effectiveness of strategies used by police, in particular the reactive policing style [ CITATION Geo74 \l 5129 ]. It found that rather than preventative patrolling being an effective policing strategy, it instead showed police value in responses had become misplaced, officers time was non-committed about 60% of the time, and police were heavily tied to organisational strategies within their institutions (Kelling et al., 1974). Essentially, this all reflected on the underlying issue – that 1

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there were real problems with the current model of policing and organisational structures, and change was imminent (Goldstein, 1979). These factors all contributed to the rise of the “problem-oriented policing” style, which arose as a solution to correct the issues with the reactive policing style. In order to understand the importance and the role of problem-oriented policing, a “problem” must first be defined. The role of police is something which has long been debated, however the fundamental purpose of police is seen to be dealing with a broad range of problems, both social and behavioural (Goldstein, 1979). Thus, in order to fulfil their role, police must be able to satisfy their duty of “problem solving”, hence the development of a “problem-oriented” policing approach [CITATION Han05 \l 5129 ]. The word “problem” has numerous definitions, however, in this essay, a “problem” will be defined as connected groups of incidents deriving from a common underlying cause and are incidents which disturb or harm not only the police but the public also [CITATION Ant08 \l 5129 ]. This definiton will form the basis for the discussion around problem-oriented policing. Problem-oriented policing is a systematic approach to identifying and exploring problems at a great depth in order to produce more effective strategies to deal with these by addressing the underlying causes. The strategy provides police with a step by step thought process in the hopes of increasing efficiency in police departments and fixing the gaps left by the reactive policing style (Goldstein, 2003). Problem-oriented policing is made up of several ‘core’ elements, which are also reflected in the most well-known tools for problem solving. The first element of problem-oriented policing is to focus on a specific problem / problems [CITATION Ari19 \l 5129 ]. The importance of the specificity of the problem should be emphasized, as this is key to breaking the problem down and understanding it on a deeper level. It also allows for more accuracy in police work as problems are often not what they appear to be on face value (Goldstein, 2018). The second key element to problem-oriented policing is analysing and understanding the problem. By analysing and understanding the problem it encourages police to think about how the problem affects different groups of people, and the differences in how people think a problem should be handled. These thought processes are what give police a deeper grasp on the problem before coming up with a response [CITATION Kar03 \l 5129 ]. The third and most crucial element is coming up with a creative and effective response to the problem. 2

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This is often the most difficult, and requires police to consider all possible responses to the problem so as to not miss over any potentially suitable approaches. It should also be noted that at this stage, the current response to the problem should be considered so police can analyse its strenghts, weaknesses, and use this to their advantage when creating a new response [CITATION Ari19 \l 5129 ]. The fourth key element requires police to monitor the changes they have made and the solution they have implemented – this may mean collecting data, reviewing the use of the response and any other means needed to gain an idea of whether or not the response is working and its effectiveness [CITATION RAN19 \l 5129 ]. Lastly, police departments should evaluate the implementation of the response. This allows for a systematic approach to be taken towards deciding what does or does not work in relation to problem solving. This will not only benefit those that undertook in the problem solving but also other police officers and organizations [CITATION Ari19 \l 5129 ]. Through these elements, the problem-oriented policing style encourages police to focus on preventative actions, that are not dependent entirely on the justice system, and positively impact and engage the wider community and other government agencies (Goldstein, 2018). The most well-known tools used by the police to solve problems incorporating the key elements of the problem-oriented policing approach are the crime triangle and SARA. The crime triangle, also known as the problem analysis triangle, is an appraoch to thinking about crime and disorder problems [CITATION Ari191 \l 5129 ]. There are many variations of the crime triangle, however, the basis for the crime triangle consists of three factors (or “sides” of the triangle). These are the offender, the victim / target and the place. Without any one of these things, the crime will not occur. Thus, by eliminating one of the factors, the crime will not occur [ CITATION Fox19 \l 5129 ]. The crime triangle provides a visual tool for police to understand and prevent crime and is based on the theory of crime clustering at certain places, times and to repeat victims. Another tool that is used by the police which incorporates the problem-oriented policing appraoch is SARA. SARA is a common problem-solving method which involves scanning, analysis, response and assessment in order to prevent crime from reoccuring [CITATION Ari19 \l 5129 ]. Similar to the key elements of problemoriented policing as earlier discussed, the first element is to ‘scan.’ This means, 3

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identifying the problem specifically including the time, place etc. It is important here to identify the recurring problem, as this forms the basis for the SARA model. Secondly, the analysis must take place, which is the most critical step. In the analysis, the problem is narrowed down and a range of factors are looked at including how the problem is currently being addressed, relevant data which needs to be collected in order to prevent or solve the problem, and researching what is known about the problem type already. This is crucial to the next step, which is the response to the problem. At this step, a plan is outlined for what will take place next to address the problem, and this plan is implemented. Lastly, once the response has been executed, it will be assessed. The assessment stage is a reflection which involves collecting data, evaluating whether the plan worked, whether it was fair, and any changes that need to made to increase effectiveness. This is important to continue ongoing management of the problem, and to determine whether the goal and aim was achieved [CITATION Ari19 \l 5129 ]. It is evident that both the SARA model and the crime triange are timely processes, which take commitment and dedication from the police. Time must be dedicated to effective use of the tool, which can be difficult for police departments. It appears that within police forces, investigation of already occurred crime tends to be prioritised over crime prevention, which can increase the difficulty of setting time aside to work on problem-oriented policing tools (College of Police and Security Studies, 1996). The crime triangle and SARA can also be difficult tools to integrate into policing. These tools require police to firstly acknowledge that there is a recurring problem, which often receives resistance from internal management and organisational branches of the police [CITATION Lay17 \l 5129 ]. Researchers have also found that police struggle to shift from traditional policing ideas to incorporate problem-solving tools such as the crime triangle and SARA into their work. In order to determine whether or not problem-oriented policing is an effective method of policing, it is important to look to research and empirical data to reflect on its impact on crime. Perhaps the most well known and regarded study in this area, is a meta-analysis of 10 of the best quality studies which used the SARA method. The studies, taken from 8 different cities in total, found that overall “problem-oriented policing has a modest but statistically significant impact on reducing crime and disorder,” [CITATION Dav08 \l 5129 ]. Their study found that the effectiveness of problem-oriented policing depended on a number of factors 4

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such as the commitment level of the police departments and the realism of the expectations of problem-oriented based programmes. When police were fully committed to the programmes and tools, had realistic goals and understood the importance of using a focussed approach to problems, there was a much better success rate (Weisburd, et al., 2008). This study has received praise from many researchers for its indepth and objective approach to studying problem-oriented policing, whilst using high quality statistics and data to support their conclusions [ CITATION Mic10 \l 5129 ]. Another report reflecting on the use of problem-oriented policing to target crime and deviance in urban parks, had generally positive results [ CITATION Jim09 \l 5129 ]. One example used, were three parks in California with the worst rates of crime and deviance. To target the problem, police informed convicts with narcotic violations in the area that as a condition of their parole, they would be immediately arrested if found in parks. The strategy was known as “parolee free parks.” By targetting a specific problem in the parks, police saw positive results and calls for police service at the parks dropped 72% within the first year [ CITATION Jim09 \l 5129 ]. In another example, police had been responding to recurring calls about drunk people in a park in Wisconsin. After implementing a number of different strategies to curb the use of alcohol in and around the park, it was found that alcohol-related calls had been reduced by 89%, and general police calls by 38%. Through these statistics, it is evident that by targetting a specific problem using problem-oriented policing styles and tools, it may have a positive impact on crime and deviance. Statistics and research generally tend to show a reduction crime levels and recurrances of specific problems, however, to look into this at a further depth, more empirical data would need to be analysed [ CITATION Mic10 \l 5129 ]. Whilst many studies reflect positively on the use of problem-oriented policing, there are some critiques to the style. A significant issue which impacts the effectiveness and ability for problem-oriented policing to suceed, is the structure of police institutions. When the public do not understand the role that police play in the community, it creates poor work conditions for the police due to ‘overpromising’ to the public. If the police duty is too broad, resources are poorly distributed, and rather than analysing and targetting the root causes of crime police find themselves attending recurring crime. With police departments being structured this way, 5

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problem-oriented policing is unable to have any impact. As a result of this, the implementation faces problems because of competing demands for things such as time and external pressures (Goldstein, 2018). Another insitutional problem faced when trying to implement problem-oriented policing methods is the structure of the police being semi-military. This means that many police wanting to use more creative or initiative based tools for policing are limited by their control over their work. Whilst many officers may want to partake in these types of problem solving methods, they are not able to voice these desires and ideas for alternative methods to traditional justice (Goldstein, 2018). It is clear from these factors that problemoriented policing tends to have a positive impact on crime, however, in reality has problems with implementation which make it difficult for many organisations to incorporate the tools and methods into their work . Problem-oriented policing began in the 1970s as a result of the gaps being left in crime prevention and solutions with the ‘reactive policing’ method. Problemoriented policing is a systematic approach to policing, and is based on identifying and exploring problems at a great depth. SARA and the crime triangle are two well known examples of problem-oriented policing tools and both provide approaches to thinking about problems and how to deal with them. It is evident through empirical data and research that problem-oriented policing is an effective way to solve problems, and does have a positive impact on crime and deviance in the community. However, there are barriers limiting the effectiveness of this policing style which make it difficult for its full potential to be reached. With structural and organisational changes made to the police force, the paradigm could have a significant impact on policing and crime.

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References Arizona State University. (2019, March 20). The Key Elements of Problem-Oriented Policing. Retrieved from Centre for Problem-Oriented Policing: https://popcenter.asu.edu/content/key-elements-problem-oriented-policing-0 Arizona State University. (2019, March 10). The Problem-Analysis Triangle. Retrieved from Centre for Problem-Oriented Policing: https://popcenter.asu.edu/content/problem-analysis-triangle-0 Braga, A. A. (2008). Problem- Oriented Policing and Crime Prevention. New York: Criminal Justice Press. Bullock, K., Tilley, N., & Erol, R. (2003). Problem-oriented Policing and Partnerships. Abingdon: Taylor & Francis Group. Cockbain, E., & Laycock, G. (2017). Crime Science. Oxford Encyclopedia of Criminology, 1-33. College of Police and Security Studies . (1996). Policing in Central and Eastern Europe: Comparing Firsthand Knowledge with Experience from the West. Ljubljana. Fox Valley Technical College. (2019, March 13). Crime Triangle. Retrieved from National Criminal Justice Training Center: https://ncjtcstatic.fvtc.edu/Resources/RS00002721.pdf Gillooly, J. (2016). Reactive Policing, Social Disorder, and Neighbourhood Context. Michigan: American Sociological Association. Goldstein, H. (1979). Improving policing: a problem-oriented approach. Crime & Delinquency, 236-269. Goldstein, H. (2003). On further developing problem oriented policing: The most critical need, the major impediments, and a proposal. Crime Prevention Studies, 13-47. Goldstein, H. (2018). On problem-oriented policing: the Stockholm lecture. Crime Science, 7-13. Hilborn, J. (2009). Dealing With Crime and Disorder in Urban Parks. Albany: Center for Problem-Oriented Policing. Kelling, G. L., Pate, T., Dieckman, D., & Brown, C. E. (1974). The Kansas City Preventative Patrol Expirement: A Summary Report. Washington: Police Foundation. RAND Corporation. (2019, March 18). Problem-Oriented Policing in Depth. Retrieved from Better Policing Toolkit: 7

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https://www.rand.org/pubs/tools/TL261/better-policing-toolkit/allstrategies/problem-oriented-policing/in-depth.html Scott, M. S. (2010). Evaluating the effectiveness of problem-oriented policing . Criminology & Public Policy, 135-137. Toch, H., & Grant, D. J. (2005). The Idea of Problem-Oriented Policing. Washington: American Psychological Association. Weisburd, D., Telep, C. W., Hinkle, J. C., & Eck, J. E. (2008). The Effects of Problem-Oriented Policing on Crime and Disorder. Oslo: The Campbell Collaboration.

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