A Policing Strategy to Reduce Crime: Problem Oriented Policing
The implementation of focused oriented programs in areas of increased criminal activity reduces crime and deters criminal behavior by deploying resources to problematic areas.
In the paradigm shift from the reform era to the community policing era in early 1980’s, it was found that the standard policing practices of that time were not effective on crime. Moreover, these practices included “rapid patrol car response to calls for service” (Kansas Police Department, 1977) or “preventive patrol”, which was an experiment conducted in Kansas City that is similar, to the modern day “beat patrol”. Research suggested that departments were more focused on management and staffing issues
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In the first step of scanning, law enforcement officials gather information within a community and identify potential problems and criminal behavior. Once information is gathered and a problem is identified, the second step is to analyze. This involves analyzing data about the problem that has been identified. Additionally, it includes figuring out why the problem is occurring and trying to narrow the scope of the problem. Furthermore, in this step, information is gathered to make the most effective decision in reference to the problem. In the third step, law enforcement officials make their selection on what to respond to or what area to focus on utilizing the analysis which has been gathered. At this point, an outline is made up of the specific objectives that the response is intended to achieve and the responsibilities of all parties involved. The fourth and final step is the assessment, which involves an evaluation and assessment of the response plan and whether or not the goals and objectives were accomplished. In addition, a critique can be done to suggest improvements and recommend changes to the response