Introduction to Community Oriented Policing

History Repeats Itself Dr. Phillip M. Lyons Sam Houston State University Texas Community Policing Institute

Texas Community Policing Institute: Phillip M. Lyons, Jr. --Assistant Professor SHSU Ph.D. (Forensic Psychology): Nebraska, 1997 J.D.: Nebraska, 1995 M.A.: (Forensic Psychology): Nebraska, 1995 B.S.: (Behav. Sci.) Univ. Houston-Clear Lake, 1988 A.A.S.: (Law Enf. & Pol. Admin): Alvin C.C., 1985 Former Detective: City of Alvin Police Department Predoctoral Internship: Fed. Med. Cntr., Fort Worth, TX Assistant Director, Texas Community Policing Institute

Community Policing Community Policing is a policing philosophy that promotes and supports organizational strategies to address the causes and reduce the fear of crime and social disorder through problem-solving tactics and community-police partnerships.

This is Nothing New

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This concept is as old as organized policing The London Metropolitan Police Force 1820’s Policing was a Prevention-based operation

Sir Robert Peel - 1829 The police are the public and the public are the police. The police being the only members of the public that are paid to give full time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen, in the interests of community welfare and existence.”

What Forces Change in Policing?

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Crime

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Problems

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Social Change

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Technology

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Revolution

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Progress

The Evolution of Modern Policing

Political Era

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Authority & resources derived from local political leaders

– Function was: • Crime Prevention • Control • Order Maintenance

Technology

call boxes Foot patrol; • •

Strengths

: – Citizen Support – Neighborhood service to a community – Prevented Crimes in Neighborhoods

Weaknesses

: – Political Corruption – Patronage System – Inefficiency

The Evolution of Modern Policing

Reform Era

• Rejection of political control • Civil Service • Proliferation of Rules • Limitation of Discretion • Mission: Control Crime through enforcement • Community Problems viewed as “social work ” • Technology: radios, cars, computers – Now: MDT’s, AFS, Optical Imaging, Forensic Advances • Performance Measures: response time, random patrol availability, UCR, arrests, adherence to rules

The Evolution of Modern Policing

Reform Era

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Impact to Community:

• “Anonymous, “professional” crime fighters.

– “Just the facts” • Removal of Beat officer • Reactive response to radio calls

Results of Reform

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We became “Apart” from the community rather than A Part of the community Loss of public confidence in ability to control crime

Policing Assumptions

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Random Patroling can prevent crime Rapid Response to Calls increases likelihood of solution Detectives assigned early to a case will increase apprehension

• • •

Random Patrol had little to no impact Rapid Response was seldom impactful in solution The information collected by arriving officer was most important

Incident Driven Policing

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Incident Driven Police Response (dial-a-cop / you-call we-haul) Reactive Limited Information Focus on single incidents Reliance on CJ system Efficiency Driven

Beginnings of Community Policing

• PCR Units – “Make friends” with the community – Window dressing to improve image – “Wave & Grin” squads – Monologue • Crime Prevention – Valid & tangible function for community – Limited to lectures & demonstrations – No dialogue on community problems

Beginnings of Community Policing

• Problems with PCR & CP Approaches • Told communities to get organized…. then did little in the way of follow-up • Little officer / community identification & ownership • Lack of supervisory & management encouragement of officer problem solving • Failed to recognize / legitimize “quality of life” / “community order” concerns

Community Oriented Policing

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We / They Partnerships Broken Windows Officer Expertise Citizen is a Resource Improved PCR Variety of Strategies / Tactics Decentralized Service Increased Officer Authority / Accountability

Two Key Elements

• Problem-Solving (Solution-Oriented Policing) • Community Partnerships

Key Elements to COPPS: Problem Solving

• • • •

Identifying

problems or priorities through coordinated police / community needs assessments;

Collecting and Analyzing

information concerning the problem in a thorough, though not necessarily complicated manner;

Developing or Facilitating Responses

that are innovative and tailor-made with the best potential for eliminating or reducing the problem;

Evaluating

the response to determine its effectiveness & modifying it as necessary.

Key Elements to COPPS: Community Partnerships This is a flexible term referring to any combination of neighborhood residents, schools, churches, businesses, community based organizations, elected-officials, and government agencies who are working cooperatively with the police to resolve identified problems that impact or interest them.

8 Steps in Building Community Partnerships

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Identify your partners Develop a community profile Initiate dialogue Organize community meetings Identify issues Formulate your plan Take action Maintenance

Community Policing Today

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Recognition that Peel was right - the police can not control crime; we MUST have community cooperation Innovative, Solution Oriented Policing becoming more accepted Understanding that COPPS is NOT “soft” on crime

3-Word Definition for Community Oriented Policing

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Consultation

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Adaptation

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Mobilization

Consultation

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Police Officers must consult with citizens to determine the policing priorities:

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Neighborhood Meetings

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Surveys

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Telephone

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One-on-One

Adaptation

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Police agencies and personnel:

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Must be willing to change

in order to address priorities identified in the Consultation process.

Challenge the Traditional.

New Methods.

Mobilization

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We must identify all of the stakeholders and resources and bring them to the table.

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Look both internally and externally .

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The police serve as a catalyst to drive them to action .

Texas Regional Community Policing Institute

• Academy Support – Infuse curriculum with problem-solving tactics and solution-oriented policing philosophy • Executive Leadership Training – Implementation issues and problems • Quantifying Quality / Crime-Specific Policing & Analysis – Software development • Community Role Enhancement in COPPS – Often discussed, seldom addressed

Texas Regional Community Policing Institute

• Centralized Computer Server – Access to curricula – Links to other COPPS info. sites – Information exchange (agencies) – Repository of solution oriented tactics

Texas Regional Community Policing Institute

• Newsletter / Bulletin – Modeled after TELEMASP – Provide resources and information – Identify effective crime-specific policing strategies • Nuisance abatement • Condemnation • Tenant Control

Summary

• Started Connected to the Community • Political Influence and Technology were catalysts for becoming Disconnected • Now we are returning to the “roots” of policing

Solution-Oriented Policing (Problem Solving)

Dr. Phillip Lyons Sam Houston State University Texas Regional Community Policing Institute

Traditional v. Problem Oriented

• TRADITIONAL • PROBLEM – Take a report ORIENTED – Take another report – Constantly review reports for patterns – Take yet another – Look for report commonalties that – Randomly patrol can be addressed – Look for root cause - construction, low lighting, low traffic

Solution-Oriented Policing (Problem-Oriented Policing)

• A department-wide strategy aimed at solving persistent community problems. Police identify, analyze, and respond to the underlying circumstances that create incidents.

Eck & Spelman (1987) • It not necessarily easier & takes more time, planning, resources, cooperation, & community interactions.

Goldstein’s 5 Concerns Leading To POP

• Police are preoccupied with management, internal procedures, and efficiency to the exclusion of appropriate concern for effectiveness in dealing with substantive problems.

• Police devote most of their resources to responding to calls from citizens, reserving too small a percentage of their time and energy for acting on their own initiative to prevent or reduce community problems.

Goldstein’s Five Concerns (Cont.)

• The community is a major resource with an enormous potential, largely untapped, for reducing the number and magnitude of problems that otherwise become the business of the police.

• Within agencies, police have readily available to them their rank and file officers, whose time and talents have not been used effectively.

Goldstein’s Five Concerns (Cont.)

• Efforts to improve policing have often failed because they have not been adequately related to the overall dynamics and complexities of the police organization. Adjustments in policies and organizational structure are required to accommodate and support change.

Efficiency v. Effectiveness

• EFFICIENCY - doing things RIGHT.

• EFFECTIVENESS Doing the RIGHT things.

Ideally, both efficiency and effectiveness are present in policing.

Central Principles of Problem Solving

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Thoughtful analysis Creative response in non-traditional sense

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Uses solutions outside the criminal justice system

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Encourages community to take responsibility for problems and solutions

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Effectiveness vs. Efficiency

What is a “Problem”

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Two or more incidents related in one or more ways causing harm or likely to cause harm or involving a public expectation of action

Ways to Identify Problems

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Businesses

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National Organizations

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Newspaper

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Community Groups

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Internal Units

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Churches, Schools, etc.

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Crime analysis

Problem Prioritization

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Level of Community Concern

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Broken Window?

Position of Jeopardy

Addressing Problems

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Group incidents as problems.

Focus on substantive problems as the heart of policing.

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Effectiveness is the ultimate goal.

Need for systematic inquiry.

Disaggregation & accurately labeling problem.

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Analysis of multiple interests in problems.

Addressing Problems

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Capturing & critiquing the current response.

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An uninhibited search for a tailor-made response.

Adopting a proactive stance.

Strengthening the decision-making process and increasing accountability.

Evaluating results of newly implemented responses.

6 Ways Problems are Linked

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Location

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Suspects

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Victim Group

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Behavior Pattern

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Time

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Evidence

“Circle of Concern” v. “Area of Influence” Circle of Concern Area of Influence

SARA Eck & Spelman (1987)

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Scanning

- identifying the problem

Analysis

- learning the problems causes, scope, and effects •

Response

- acting to alleviate the problem, that is selecting the alternative solution or solutions to try •

Assessment

- determining if the response worked

Two Questions for Analysis

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What do I need to know?

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Where do I get the Information?

The Crime Triangle

Location Victim Suspect

3 “Response” Limitations

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Moral

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Legal

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Ethical

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Adhere to Community Norms

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Use Common Sense

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Be Creative

5 Potential Outcomes

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Eliminate It

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Reduce the Scope

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Reduce the Harm

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Improve the Process

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Shift responsibility to the correct source

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Suggestions for implementation Focus on problems of

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Group like incidents public concern together - address as a common problem Effectiveness as primary concern

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Avoid overly broad labels/categories-ID Be Proactive separate problems as Be committed to such systematic inquiry

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Broad & uninhibited Use rigorous methods search for solutions during inquiry

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Commit to take some Fully use police files & personnel’s experience risks in responding

Crime-Specific Planning

• Although a part of problem-oriented policing, it is more specific in that it approaches the criminal justice problem by considering underlying problems that are categorized by the

type of offense.

• Crime-specific planning uses solution oriented policing to identify priorities.

Common Mistakes in POP

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Too much energy on unimportant details Failing to resolve important issues Be less-than-forthcoming about true feelings Having a closed mind Not expressing ideas Inability to decide Procrastination -analysis paralysis Failing to set deadlines Using unreliable sources of information

Mental Locks that Inhibit Finding Creative Solutions

• The “right” answer • “That’s not logical” • Follow the “rules” • It must be “practical” • Avoiding ambiguity • To Err is “wrong” • That’s not my Area • I’m not Creative KILLER PHRASES judgments, critical statements that are put downs & stifle creativity – It too radical – It’s contrary to policy – That’s not our job – That's too much hassle – It will never work – It’s too expensive – Get REAL!

We’ve Got to Solve Problems With New Thinking Exercise:

* * * * * * * * *

New Ideas for Old Problems

• Lose the “cuff’em and stuff’em” attitude • Address the cause, not the symptom • Is the REAL problem what is listed as the arrest title or the title on the offense report?

• What alternative solutions can be derived?

“A problem well stated is a problem half solved”

Solution-Oriented Policing

There are several complaints regarding noisy teens who gather outside a particular teen’s house everyday after school.

• • • •

Scanning

- identifying the problem

Analysis

- learning the problems causes, scope, and effects

Response

- acting to alleviate the problem, that is selecting the alternative solution or solutions to try

Assessment

- determining if the response worked

Solution-Oriented Policing

Several complaints of speeding have occurred on a busy street in the business district.

• • • •

Scanning

- identifying the problem

Analysis

- learning the problems causes, scope, and effects

Response

- acting to alleviate the problem, that is selecting the alternative solution or solutions to try

Assessment

- determining if the response worked

Solution-Oriented Policing

Ongoing vandalism at a parking lot adjacent to a swimming pond. The view of the lot is obscured by a nice grove of trees on a small hill.

• • • •

Scanning

- identifying the problem

Analysis

- learning the problems causes, scope, and effects

Response

- acting to alleviate the problem, that is selecting the alternative solution or solutions to try

Assessment

- determining if the response worked

Solution-Oriented Policing

Several black labs have attacked a neighborhood resident.

• • • •

Scanning

- identifying the problem

Analysis

- learning the problems causes, scope, and effects

Response

- acting to alleviate the problem, that is selecting the alternative solution or solutions to try

Assessment

- determining if the response worked

The Challenge of Problem Solving

Organizational Impediments :

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Resistance to change

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Dependent on outside Agency Cooperation

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Lack of Internal Organizational Support

The Challenge of Problem Solving

Supervisory Impediments:

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Lack of Management Support

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Supervisors Resist Change

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Fail to Keep Officers Focused

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Supervisors Lack Leadership Skills

New Approaches to Policing

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Seeing the Connection

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Creative Solutions Innovative Strategies Evaluating Our Efforts

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Involving the Resources of the Community

Thank You

• Conclusions & Discussion