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MODEL ACADEMIC CURRICULUM

MODULE 3

Introduction to Problem-Oriented Policing

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Module 3 Topics

• History of POP

• Defining a Problem

• Key Elements of POP

• Why Use POP Today?

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Early 1970s policing research determined that….

• Police deal with a range of community problems; many are not criminal in nature.

• Arrest and prosecution alone do not always effectively resolve problems.

• Giving officers discretion to design solutions is extremely valuable to solving problems.

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Early 1970s policing research also determined that….

• Police can use a variety of methods to redress recurrent problems.

• The community values police involvement in non-criminal problems and recognizes the contribution the police can make to solving these problems.

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Herman Goldstein, Professor of Law Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin, is one of the early founders of the problem-oriented approach. His book, Problem-Oriented Policing, explains the principles and methods of POP, provides examples of POP in practice, and discusses how a police agency can implement the concept.

6•The Origins of Problem-Oriented Policing: An Interview with Herman Goldstein (70 minutes).

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Problem-Oriented Policing and Problem Solving

• Problem-Oriented Policing describes a comprehensive framework for improving police capacity to perform their mission.

• Problem Solving is a more limited notion; it describes the research process that is at the core of problem-oriented policing.

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What is a “Problem”?

• One possible definition – “a group of incidents occurring in a community, that are similar in one or more ways [emphasis added], and that are of concern to the police and the public”

• Problems can be defined or described in many ways – based on an offense type, the people involved, where the problem occurs, when the problem occurs, etc.

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Key Elements of POP

• A problem is the basic unit of police work rather than a crime, a case, calls, or incidents.

• A problem is something that concerns or causes harm to citizens, not just the police. Things that concern only police are important, but they are not problems in this sense of the term.

• Addressing problems means more than quick fixes: it means dealing with conditions that create problems.

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Key Elements of POP• Police officers must routinely and systematically analyze problems before trying to solve them.

• Individual officers and the department must develop routines and systems for analyzing problems.

• The analysis of problems must be thorough, even though it may not be complicated.

• Problems must be described precisely and accurately and broken down into specific components.

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Key Elements of POP• Problems must be understood in terms of the various interests. Individuals/groups have different ideas.

• The way the problem is currently being handled must be understood and the limits of effectiveness must be acknowledged.

• Initially, all possible responses to a problem should be considered and should follow from what is learned during the analysis. Responses should not be limited to, nor rule out, making arrests.

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Key Elements of POP

• The police must proactively try to solve problems, rather than just react to the harmful consequences of problems.

• Departments must increase officer freedom to make or participate in important decisions. At the same time, officers must be held accountable for their decision-making.

• The effectiveness of new responses must be evaluated so results can be shared with other officers, and so the department can systematically learn what does and does not work.

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Why Use Problem-Oriented Policing?

It is scalable • It applies to problems with varying levels of complexity, from a single

problem address to a community-wide problem.

It is flexible• It applies to a variety of substantive problem types, from minor

quality of life issues to serious offenses.

It is applicable• Though it has roots in crime pattern theory, it is useful to the day-to-

day work of police officers on the street.

It is doable• Police officers and others can begin using these principles TODAY.

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Early POP Studies

• Madison PD – Drunk Driving and Repeat Sex Offenders (1981)

• Newport News – Large-scale evaluation of POP by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) in 1984, which led to the development of the SARA model.

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Problem-Oriented Policing Today

Video – The final chapter (POP Today) from The Origins of Problem-Oriented Policing: An Interview with

Herman Goldstein (10 minutes).