Transcript Youth-Based Programs

Community Policing
Implementation Models
David L. Carter
Michigan State University
NOTE: The original research and funding for development of the material contained herein was provided by the Police Research
Center, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, Dr. Larry Hoover, Director; and the Texas Law Enforcement Management
Institute.
The information in this presentation was prepared for the WSU Regional Community Policing Institute, by
David L. Carter, Ph.D., National Center for Community Policing, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
48824. The information may be reproduced with attribution to both the WSU RCPI and the author.
Neighborhood Oriented
Programs
Fundamentals
Neighborhood Oriented Programs
• PREDOMINANT POLICING PROBLEMS
 Disorder
 Public Nuisance
 Burglary
• CHARACTER OF THE PROBLEMS
 Represent a large number of calls for service
 Represents a disproportionately large source of…
+ Heightened fear of crime
+ General citizen complaints
+ Lower quality of life
Fundamentals
Neighborhood Oriented Programs
• INTENT OF CRIME-SPECIFIC POLICE
RESPONSES
 Arrest offenders
 Influence citizens to report crimes/problems
 Use citizens as information/intelligence resource
 Motivate citizens as partners to help monitor and
resolve problems
• GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
 Greatest obstacle: Keeping citizens involved
 Key strategy: Blend community partnering with
tactical policing
Fundamentals
Neighborhood Oriented Programs
• KEY FACTORS
 Communications between neighborhood residents
and police must increase
 Communications between residents must increase
 Residents must have a sense of ownership for the
entire neighborhood, not just their property
 Problems must be addressed on a neighborhood
basis, not on artificial boundaries
 Police must recognize that problems which may
seem minor are serious to residents
Corsicana, Texas
Turn Around Texas
• SITE DESCRIPTION
 28,000 Documented
Resident Population
 14 Square Miles
 45 Sworn Officers
 12 Non-sworn
• ORGANIZATION OF
TURN AROUND TEXAS
 A community-based
organization
 Supported by the police
department
 Police provide security
and general assistance
Corsicana, Texas
Turn Around Texas
• PURPOSE
To provide “a targeted confrontation,
mobilization and education process” led by
citizens in conjunction with and support from
the police department intended to intimidate
drug dealers and drug buyers to stop displace
drug transactions.
Corsicana, Texas
Turn Around Texas
• PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 Police department identifies drug targets
 Citizens go through a training program
 Police provide transportation and security to
marchers
 Marchers stand in front of target’s house and chant
with intent to intimidate
 Marchers sometimes paint “crack house” with arrow
on street
 Citizen involvement and weekly marches are
necessary
Corsicana, Texas
Turn Around Texas
• CRITICAL FACTORS
 A commitment by police administration to the
program, including a willingness to participate,
devote resources, take risks, and permit flexibility
for officers to participate.
 Officers must be present at all marches for safety,
security, and support.
 Officers working with Turn Around Texas must
have flexibility.
Corsicana, Texas
Turn Around Texas
• PROGRAM EFFECTS
 Virtual elimination of open air drug markets after
about one year.
 A large number of drug dealers have been
displaced outside of Corsicana’s city limits.
 Some reduction in violent crime.
 Very positive support for the police from the
community (including political support.)
 The police department has received increased
information about drug distribution from
neighborhood sources who were previously
reluctant to talk with the police.
Garland, Texas
Apartment Managers Group
• SITE DESCRIPTION
 200,000 Resident
Population
 57 Square Miles
 287 Sworn Officers
 119 Non-sworn
• ORGANIZATION
 The AMG is the
responsibility of the
day shift Patrol
Lieutenant
Garland, Texas
Apartment Managers Group
• PURPOSE
The Apartment Managers Group (AMG) was
formed in 1992 to serve as a problem
identification, communications, and resource
tool to reduce crime problems in apartment
complexes.
Garland, Texas
Apartment Managers Group
• PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 All managers of apartment complexes are welcome
to join
 Monthly meetings are held at the police department
+ Give AMG members crime analysis data
+ Discuss crime issues, problems and trends
+ Guest speaker at each meeting
 Monthly newsletter for AMG published by the
police department
 Police department has a dedicated telephone “hot
line” with voice mail for AMG members
Garland, Texas
Apartment Managers Group
• CRITICAL FACTORS
 Having meetings on a regular basis, regardless of
the number of people who attend.
 Providing information which is of practical use to
the managers at the meeting, even if it falls outside
of the law enforcement purview, per se.
 Holding monthly AMG meetings at the police
department; provides reinforcement that the police
are concerned and involved in problems faced by
the apartment managers.
Garland, Texas
Apartment Managers Group
• CRITICAL FACTORS
 Regular contact with the police has increased the
quality of the relationship with apartment
managers--particularly evident through NPOs
 Having constant and open avenues of
communications between the AMG members and
the police department
 Providing information on crime and calls for
service to apartment managers.
 Help the apartment managers to see the need to
communicate with and cooperate with the police.
Garland, Texas
Apartment Managers Group
• PROGRAM EFFECTS
 Crime reduction has been recorded in...
+ Auto burglary
+ Residential burglary
+ Drug trafficking in apartment complexes
 Most recently, auto theft has increased and a
strategy is being developed to address this problem
 While not specifically directed toward quality of
life issues, they have nonetheless improved.
 Some reduction in calls for service, most likely as a
result of eviction or displacement of problem
residents.
Dallas, Texas
SAFE Team
• SITE DESCRIPTION
 1,100,000
Documented
Resident Population
 462 Square Miles
 2,886 Sworn Officers
 700 Non-sworn
• SAFE = Support,
Abatement, Forfeiture,
Enforcement
• ORGANIZATION
 SAFE Team is in the
Investigations Bureau,
Special Operations
Division
 Commanded by a
Lieutenant who reports
to an Assistant Chief
 19 sworn officers
 7 civilians (includes
attorneys and code
enforcement)
Dallas, Texas
SAFE Team
• PURPOSE
To reclaim, restore, and revitalize Dallas
neighborhoods adversely affected by crime
through the use of criminal abatement
statutes, code enforcement, and civil and
criminal processes.
Dallas, Texas
SAFE Team
• PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 Criminal nuisance cases are identified through...
+ Complaints
+ Referrals
+ Reviews of special use and zoning permit
requests
Dallas, Texas
SAFE Team
• PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 Case is assigned to an investigator to determine if there
is a statutory basis for a criminal nuisance complaint...
+ Drug trafficking and consumption of drugs
+ Prostitution (manifesting, promotion and compelling)
+ Illegal gambling (promotion and communicating)
+ Criminal gang activity (combination and/or street gang)
+ Random gunfire
+ Commercial obscenity (manufacture, distribution,
exhibition)
+ Commercial dancing (sexually explicit)
+ Bull fighting
Dallas, Texas
SAFE Team
• PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 If the complaint meets requirements, owner meets at the
SAFE Team’s officer hearing room for a formal
notification (videotaped)
 Owner can sign an accord to make reparations or
changes
+ If so, the property is monitored by the SAFE Team
 If owners don’t comply, SAFE Team will take next
appropriate steps
+ Give extension
+ File criminal charges
+ Seek property forfeiture
Dallas, Texas
SAFE Team
• CRITICAL FACTORS
 Explicit policy-related guidelines must be
developed to meet abatement standards of both
criminal and civil law.
 Some level of autonomy is needed for the SAFE
Team because of the legal and operational
characteristics of abatement.
 Selective enforcement of nuisance and related code
enforcement violations is neither operationally nor
politically viable—a “zero tolerance” policy is
strongly recommended.
Dallas, Texas
SAFE Team
• CRITICAL FACTORS
 Because the processes deals with seizure and
control of property and the SAFE Team has a
degree of autonomy, a series of checks and balances
is needed to ensure accountability and control.
 While it may not be feasible for every agency, the
Dallas SAFE Team has found that an invaluable
tool is having in-house attorneys whose
responsibilities are exclusively dedicated to the
SAFE Team.
 SAFE Team administrators must be contemporary
managers with a team orientation.
Dallas, Texas
SAFE Team
• PROGRAM EFFECTS
 Crime has gone down
 Quality of life has increased
 The Team’s activities, which physically change
problem environments, coupled with the large
number of cases the Team has handled in a
comparatively short amount of time equates to a
substantial impact on crime and disorder.
Beaumont, Texas
Public Housing Unit
• SITE DESCRIPTION
 120,000 Documented
Resident Population
 75 Square Miles
 265 Sworn Officers
 85 Non-sworn
• ORGANIZATION
 Supervised by a
Lieutenant and
Sergeant
 Unit is in Patrol
Division
 Eight officers assigned
permanently to seven
housing complexes
 Officers may “flex”
their hours
Beaumont, Texas
Public Housing Unit
• PURPOSE
In 1994 the presence of gangs and growing
violent crime in Beaumont’s Public Housing
complexes was a signal that some police
initiative was needed to deal with the problem.
With aid from a Federal grant, eight police
officers were assigned to the newly created
Public Housing Unit. The unit’s goal was defined
as “improving the quality of life for the residents
through proactive law enforcement, public
awareness and education.”
Beaumont, Texas
Public Housing Unit
• PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 Officers permanently assigned to housing units
 Responsible for responding to calls and problem
solving
 Officers investigate the crimes in the units rather
than have them assigned to Detectives
 Essentially, the housing officer also becomes the
coordinator for all police services in the complex
Beaumont, Texas
Public Housing Unit
• CRITICAL FACTORS
 The public housing complexes were fully assessed to
determine the crime and disorder problems.
Assessments included…
+ Reported crime rates and types
+ Analysis of calls received at each complex
+ An examination of the physical environment of the
housing complex and contiguous areas
 A youth-oriented approach
Beaumont, Texas
Public Housing Unit
• CRITICAL FACTORS
 Goals clearly established…
+ Reduce violent crime
+ Reduce calls for service
+ Increase citizen-police communication to aid in
control of crime and disorder
+ Develop the best possible living atmosphere
for residents
 Officers must be both tough on crime and providing
assistance on quality of life issues
 Commitment by police management to the unit
Beaumont, Texas
Public Housing Unit
• CRITICAL FACTORS
 Officers were given:
+ Empowerment to take actions and make decisions
+ Flexibility in hours and approaches
 Permanent assignments to a housing complex
 Dedicated officers are critical to success--personnel
must be self-starters who work well with minimal
supervision, who are creative, people-oriented, and
willing to take the extra effort in their work
Beaumont, Texas
Public Housing Unit
• CRITICAL FACTORS
 Regular communications and cooperation between:
+ Housing Unit officers and both patrol officers and
detectives.
+ Officers assigned at each of the housing
complexes.
+ Officer and apartment managers
+ Officers and other city departments
 Important tools for the housing officers also include:
+ Criminal trespass warnings and enforcement
+ Curfew enforcement (day and night)
Beaumont, Texas
Public Housing Unit
• PROGRAM EFFECTS
 In the 6 months prior to the Housing Unit, there were
1,550 offense calls in the 7 apartment complexes
ranging from homicide to disorderly conduct
 After the first 6 months of the Unit’s operation,
crime calls dropped by 13%
 Enforcement of trespass laws has been critical
 Awareness calls have increased--general information
to the police to assist in problem solving
 Quality of life has increased for residents
Waco, Texas
Neighborhood Services Section
• SITE DESCRIPTION
 104,000 Documented
Resident Population
 93 Square Miles
 221 Sworn Officers
 72 Non-sworn
• ORGANIZATION
 The Neighborhood
Services Section is in
the Patrol Division
 Section includes...
+ Bicycle officers
+ Housing officers
+ Neighborhood
Service Officers
+ Investigators
+ Community Oriented
Policing Officer
Waco, Texas
Neighborhood Services Section
• PURPOSE
To use an integrated approach of
Investigators, Neighborhood Oriented Police
officers, bicycle officers, Citizens on Patrol,
and Neighborhood Associations to address
crimes and quality of life problems within
defined Waco communities.
Waco, Texas
Neighborhood Services Section
• PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 Officers work cooperatively in a team approach both
only responding to complaints and proactively
identifying problems
 Officers are assigned to 24 different neighborhoods
 Investigators assigned to districts overlapping
neighborhoods
 Partnerships are emphasized--police personnel
interact with...
+ Neighborhood Associations
+ Citizens on Patrol
Waco, Texas
Neighborhood Services Section
• PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 Crime control efforts in the neighborhoods rely on…
+ Offender targeting
+ Identification of crime hot spots
+ Crime prediction model
 Concept is largely one of “holistic policing” in the
neighborhoods
Waco, Texas
Neighborhood Services Section
• CRITICAL FACTORS
 Commitment by the administration to experiment
with an alternate organizational structure.
 Along with commitment, must be flexibility to
permit non-traditional approaches to deployment
and service delivery.
 A team management approach appears to be most
effective. This includes…
+ A flat organizational structure
+ Team (rather than individual) goals
+ Sufficient autonomy to make resource
deployment decisions
Waco, Texas
Neighborhood Services Section
• CRITICAL FACTORS
 Crime and quality of life problems tend to be
characterized by neighborhoods, thus geographic
deployment of personnel is most effective.
 Use both proactive and reactive policing.
 Targeting and analysis of offenders, crimes and
community problems.
 Developing trust and communications is essential.
 There will be internal resistance to this change.
+ Supervisors and managers are more difficult to
change than patrol officers.
Waco, Texas
Neighborhood Services Section
• PROGRAM EFFECTS
 Crime has had an overall drop of 54% in one year.
 Arrests have increased dramatically; mostly adult
offenders--these are the product of…
+ Greater offender targeting
+ Neighborhood team assignment of investigators
+ More information provided by the community
 There are visible signs of a notably increased
quality of life in the neighborhoods.
Waco, Texas
Neighborhood Services Section
• PROGRAM EFFECTS
 The number of criminal nuisance abatement cases
brought to trial by the police department have
increased significantly.
 Officers working in the neighborhood Services
Section have had a significant increase in job
satisfaction. This increase is attributed to…
+ Officers are seeing positive results of their work
+ Officers are receiving positive feedback from the
community; a feeling of appreciation
+ Working in productive teams provides a more
desirable working environment.
Waco, Texas
Neighborhood Services Section
• Police departments must look to their
communities to determine needs--for
example...
 Call and crime analysis
 Community surveys
 Input from officers
• The department must be willing to take some
risks--“color outside the lines”
Waco, Texas
Neighborhood Services Section
• Examine alternate management, deployment,
and leadership methods
• Determine what changes police personnel will
accept
• Determine what changes the community will
accept
• Recognize that new programming can be
effectively implemented
Youth and Gang Programs
Fundamentals
Youth and Gang Programs
• PREDOMINANT POLICING PROBLEMS
 Gang membership and associated offenses (e.g.,
graffiti, assault, etc.)
 Theft
 Vandalism and nuisance offenses
 Drug, alcohol,and tobacco abuse
• CHARACTER OF THE PROBLEMS
 Gang problems appear to grow geometrically
 Problems represent underlying social decay
 Costly to repair/replace damages
 Lowers community’s quality of life
Fundamentals
Youth and Gang Programs
• INTENT OF CRIME-SPECIFIC POLICE RESPONSES
 Identify and arrest offenders
 Suppress growth of endemic problems (notably gangs)
 Prevent future youth and gang problems to the extent
possible
• GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
 Programs must be continuous
 Programs must be proactive, frequently nontraditional
Fundamentals
Youth and Gang Programs
• KEY FACTORS
 Problem youth appear to have idle time which
needs to be filled
 Peer pressure appears to be have more influence on
many youth than parents and/or educators
 Many problem youth appear to lack a sense of
belonging to a family or to a constructive social
group
Victoria, Texas
Gang Prevention Program
• SITE DESCRIPTION
 63,000 Documented
Resident Population
 35 Square Miles
 103 Sworn Officers
 39 Non-sworn
• YOUTH OFFICERS
 Investigator Assigned
to Public Housing
 5 Officers Assigned
to Schools
+ Sergeant at Alternative
High School
+ 2 Officers at High
School
+ 2 Officers at Junior
High School
Victoria, Texas
Gang Prevention Program
• PURPOSE
Proactively use a variety of integrated approaches to
suppress existing gang activity and prevent future gang
involvement
• The program has eight integrated elements…
 Graffiti Education and Eradication
 Gang Education (community and schools)
 Adopt-A-Gang
 Retaliation Reaction
 Gang Grand Jury
 Personal Protection Classes
 Schools-Malls-Community Anti-Gang Programs
 Promotion of “Legitimate Large Gangs”
Victoria, Texas
Gang Prevention Program
• CRITICAL FACTORS
 The most effective tools are…
+ Building a bond of trust with gang members
+ Communicating with gang members (and families)
+ “Showing respect” to the gang member
• PROGRAM EFFECTS
 Gang violence has decreased
 Gangs still exist, but they are less visible
 Gangs have taken on a “more social” character and
are less involved in criminal enterprises
Mission, Texas
School-Based Youth Programs
• SITE DESCRIPTION
 42,000 Documented
Resident Population
 30 Square Miles
 74 Sworn Officers
 20 Non-sworn
• YOUTH OFFICERS
 Youth Services
Division--3 School
Districts
 15 Officers (21.6%)
Assigned to Schools
+ 8 SRO’s (High
School)
+ 2 GREAT (Jr. High)
+ 5 DARE (Elementary)
Mission, Texas
School-Based Youth Programs
• PURPOSE
Deciding that “heavy handed” policing was not effective,
the MPD began an aggressive partnership with the
school districts to provide a program-based police
presence in the schools.
• Officers roles include...
 Teaching (D.A.R.E. and G.R.E.A.T.)
 Guest lectures in classes
 Answer calls in the schools they are assigned to
 Provide counseling to students
 Serve as an information/intelligence resource for
youth-related crime
Mission, Texas
School-Based Youth Programs
• POLICIES AND PRACTICES
 School districts pay the officers’ salaries during the
academic year (177 days)
 During the summers…
+ School officers receive mandated training
+ Attend special assignment-based training (e.g.,
D.A.R.E. in-service)
+ Assigned to patrol
 A review board from the schools selects officers
 Supervision…
+ Principal supervises for curriculum-related matters
+ Sergeant supervises all other facets
Mission, Texas
School-Based Youth Programs
• CRITICAL FACTORS
 Officers must be self-initiated and communicative
 Officers must be given administrative flexibility
 Schools must make an officer feel like “one of the
family”
 Honesty, sincerity with students is essential
 It must be clear that the officer will enforce the law
when necessary
+ He/she is not a “soft touch”
+ No undue influence from schools on crime
control decisions
Mission, Texas
School-Based Youth Programs
• PROGRAM EFFECTS
 Notably fewer gang problems in both the schools
and throughout the city (largely displaced)
 Fewer reported crime problems in schools or on
school property
 Enhanced communication and liaison with schools
to help solve crimes and symptomatic problems
 Significant increase in communication between
police and community (students and parents alike)
 General increase in the quality of relationship with
the community
Kingsville, Texas
Gang Identification & Suppression
• SITE DESCRIPTION
 25,300 Documented
Resident Population
 16 Square Miles
 46 Sworn Officers
 17 Non-sworn
• ASSIGNMENTS
 Two primary officers
assigned to youth
programs
 Other officers used as
needed
 Chief takes an active
role
Kingsville, Texas
Gang Identification & Suppression
• PURPOSE
Because of the emergence of gangs, a
program focusing on the schools, parents and
at-risk youth was developed to suppress
current gang activity and prevent gang growth.
• The program was not instituted as a result of a
specific plan, rather elements were included to
meet needs or issues as they became apparent
to the police
Kingsville, Texas
Gang Identification & Suppression
• The program has several elements…
 Day and evening curfews
 School Liaison Officer received gang training
 Patrol officer on each shift was designated as a
gang officer to monitor and report gang activity
 A “Parents on Patrol” was developed;
predominantly work in the schools as hall monitors
 A “bike clinic” was established for the summers
 Graffiti eradication program
 Police respond to gang fights in schools
 Police work with the school to ban “gang colors”
 Tobacco ordinance passed as a tool for investigation
Kingsville, Texas
Gang Identification & Suppression
• CRITICAL FACTORS
 Recognition that complete eradication of gangs is
not a realistic goal; control is realistic
 Recognize that crime problems will change, so new
program elements must be constantly developed to
meet the evolving problems
 Be flexible, creative, and open to ideas
• PROGRAM EFFECTS
 Most serious problems have been eliminated
 “Wannabe” gang participation down
 significantly fewer problems in the schools
 Better communication with parents
El Paso, Texas
Drive-By Shooting Response Team
• SITE DESCRIPTION
 614,000 Documented
Resident Population
 257 Square Miles
 1,182 Sworn Officers
 230 Non-sworn
• DSRT Structure
 Work all gang related
investigations
 5 officers
 24 hour on-call basis
 Work “straight
through” investigation
 Physically located next
to Juvenile Probation
and Juvenile Service
El Paso, Texas
Drive-By Shooting Response Team
• PURPOSE
Following growth in gang activity and increasing
numbers of drive-by shootings, the DSRT was formed
as an element of the department’s gang response. The
intent of the DSRT is to quickly and effectively identify
and arrest suspects in gang-related crime.
• DSRT works closely with…
 Gang Intelligence Unit which keeps track of gang
members and trends in gang activities
 Community Response Against Street Hoodlums
(CRASH) units working as proactive enforcement
out of the patrol commands
El Paso, Texas
Drive-By Shooting Response Team
• CRITICAL FACTORS
 An immediate “frozen” crime scene and control of
witnesses by first responding officers
 Fast response by DSRT regardless of time
 Ability to work “straight through” a case
 Reliable, on-going intelligence
 Investigators getting to know the gang members, their
families, and “showing respect” to gang members
 On-going, reliable confidential informants
 Strong relationship with District Attorney
 Support from administrators to operate creatively
 Dedicated personnel making the “extra effort”
El Paso, Texas
Drive-By Shooting Response Team
• PROGRAM EFFECTS
 The DSRT’s current clearance rate is 93%
 Roughly 90% of the DSRT’s arrests occurred
within 24 hours of the call out
 The DSRT seized 61 weapons from gang members
in a 28 month period
 While gangs still exist, their presence has become
less visible
Corpus Christi, Texas
Juvenile Enforcement Team (JET)
• SITE DESCRIPTION
 276,880 Documented
Resident Population
 140 Square Miles
 395 Sworn Officers
 207 Non-sworn
• ORGANIZATION
 JET has 10 to 15
officers
 Organized in the
Special Services
Division of the Field
Services Bureau
 Originally part of the
patrol division
Corpus Christi, Texas
Juvenile Enforcement Team (JET)
• PURPOSE
 The Corpus Christi Police Department systematically
enforces both a night-time and a daytime juvenile
curfew
 A curfew center located in a sub-station is the site
where nighttime curfew violators can be taken, while
the YMCA operates a truancy center as a repository
for daytime curfew violators
 The police department also fields a Juvenile
Enforcement Team (JET) that emphasizes curfew
enforcement
Corpus Christi, Texas
Juvenile Enforcement Team (JET)
• PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 By June 1996 increased public concern about gangs
and drive-by shootings led the police department to
examine its youth-focused tactics and programs
 JET was intended to be a concentrated effort on
juvenile curfew enforcement
 Assumption was that gang activity and gang-related
crime could be reduced if...
+ Curfews were aggressively enforced
+ Parents had greater information and accountability
Corpus Christi, Texas
Juvenile Enforcement Team (JET)
• PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 Aggressive enforcement followed a 2 week public
information campaign for students and parents
 “Zero Tolerance” policy
 Some complaints from parents, but generally strong
public support
 Use of curfew center and YMCA cut down on time
required to enforce curfews
Corpus Christi, Texas
Juvenile Enforcement Team (JET)
• CRITICAL FACTORS
 Availability of curfew centers
 “Zero Tolerance” policy
 Having a team of officers (JET) specifically
responsible for curfew enforcement
 Inter-related mission of JET to also deal with gangs
Corpus Christi, Texas
Juvenile Enforcement Team (JET)
• PROGRAM EFFECTS
 At the outset, increase in number of curfew citations
 Decreased victimization of juveniles
 Decreased offenses committed by juveniles
 Increased arrests of juveniles for offenses other than
curfew violations
Implications
Youth and Gang Programs
• As simple as it sounds, the first stage is to identify...
 The existence of youth problems
 The character/dynamics of those problems
• The goals of youth programs are to:
 Resolve immediate serious problems
 Suppress growth of dysfunctional behavior
 Displace crime phenomena
 Develop preventive programs
• Accomplishing these goals requires integration of
 Community policing
 Tactical policing
 Problem solving
Investigations Programs
Fundamentals
Investigations Programs
• PREDOMINANT POLICING PROBLEMS
 Pervasive crime problem which was getting out
of control”
 Difficulty in prosecuting crimes
 Increased public prominence of crimes
• CHARACTER OF THE PROBLEMS
 Frequently multi-jurisdictional
 Multiple criminal incidents
 Special assistance needed in prosecutions
Fundamentals
Investigations Programs
• INTENT OF CRIME-SPECIFIC POLICE
RESPONSES
 Identify and arrest offenders
 Encourage victim assistance
 Provide a coordinated, comprehensive approach
• GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
 Special attention is needed to address the unique
characteristics of each crime type
 Programs must be integrate both traditional
investigative responses and proactive activities
Fundamentals
Investigations Programs
• KEY FACTORS
 Problem youth appear to have idle time which
needs to be filled
 Peer pressure appears to be have more influence on
many youth than parents and/or educators
 Many problem youth appear to lack a sense of
belonging to a family or to a constructive social
group
Beaumont, Texas
Family Violence Task Force
• SITE DESCRIPTION
Beaumont is located in East Texas, approximately 80
miles east-northeast of Houston. The county seat of
Jefferson County, the city has a resident population of
approximately 120,000 of which about 40% are
African-American and around 7% are Hispanic.
Being the employment and commercial center of the
area, Beaumont's weekday population is roughly
350,000. Geographically, the city covers about 75
square miles. The police department has 265 sworn
officers and 85 non-sworn personnel.
Beaumont, Texas
Family Violence Task Force
• PURPOSE
 The Family Violence Task Force was formed in
August 1996 in response to...
+ Increasing awareness of domestic violence, and
+ The recognition of need for a new investigative
approach which deals with the unusual
characteristics of victimization and investigation
 The unit was charged with
+ Investigating all domestic violence incidents
+ Providing education and training to local law
enforcement agencies and civic organizations
Beaumont, Texas
Family Violence Task Force
• PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 The unit is assigned to the Investigations Division of
the Police Department.
+ Comprised of two Patrolman grade Investigators, a
supervising Detective Sergeant, and 1 civilian Case
Specialist
 The case specialist functions as a liaison with the
District Attorney’s office and other agencies
 Physically located at a site completely separate from
any police facility
+ The intent of this was to make it easier for victims
to meet with police and support personnel
Beaumont, Texas
Family Violence Task Force
• PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 A site was selected that was centrally located at a
major intersection on the grounds of a large city park
with a bus stop located in front of the offices
 The intent of the unit was twofold:
+ Investigate cases of reported family violence as
quickly as possible in order to prosecute the
offender and prevent future victimization from
that offender
+ Provide education and intervention alternatives in
high risk circumstances to prevent victimization.
Beaumont, Texas
Family Violence Task Force
• PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 All cases involving family violence (except
homicide) reported to the police department are
forwarded to the Task Force for investigation, cases
are then assigned to individual investigators
 Every attempt is made to assign related cases to the
same investigator
 Investigators work closely with shelters and
prosecutors
Beaumont, Texas
Family Violence Task Force
• CRITICAL FACTORS
 The unit’s physical location must be separate from the
police department at a location which is easily
accessible by public transportation
 Investigators need to establish a strong working
relationship with critical support organizations
 Support of the District Attorney’s office is critical to
thoroughly review cases and aggressively prosecute
them
Beaumont, Texas
Family Violence Task Force
• CRITICAL FACTORS
 Patrol officers must be trained on family violence
calls, such as:
+ Identify all witnesses immediately (including name,
address, phone, etc.)
+ Obtaining witness and victim statements as soon as
possible
+ Taking photographs of victims to demonstrate
injuries
 Cases need to be assigned to investigators immediately
because the victim is more likely to cooperate
Beaumont, Texas
Family Violence Task Force
• PROGRAM EFFECTS
 Increased number of cases reported to the police
 Increased number of domestic violence cases referred
from the police to the prosecutor
 During the first year, over 82% of the cases
investigated were disposed of
 Convictions increased by 22.1%
 Stronger bond developed between police department
and both the shelters and victims--greater confidence
in police
North Richland Hills, Texas
Northeast Street Crimes Unit
• SITE DESCRIPTION
 Six agencies participate in the NSCU…
+ North Richland Hills Police Department
+ Richland Hills Police Department
+ Haltom City Police Department
+ Watauga Department of Public Safety
+ Southlake Police Department
+ Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department
 The jurisdictions are basically located within the
northeast quadrant of Tarrant County between Fort
Worth and the Denton County line
North Richland Hills, Texas
Northeast Street Crimes Unit
• PURPOSE
 The participating agencies have entered into a formal
agreement to staff and utilize a multi-agency street
crimes unit.
 The unit provides three types of services within
participating jurisdictions
+ Immediate investigative response to major crimes
+ Coordinated gang enforcement
+ Targeted street crime enforcement
North Richland Hills, Texas
Northeast Street Crimes Unit
• PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 Purpose of creation…
+ Deal with major crime problems likely involving
multiple jurisdictions
+ More efficient use of police resources
 Primarily gang enforcement, but includes other street
crimes
 The relationship between the agencies is a formal one
supported by an “interlocal agreement,” governed by
a Board of Directors composed of the Chiefs of Police
 Each agency assigns at least one full time officer each
year
North Richland Hills, Texas
Northeast Street Crimes Unit
• PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 The budget is based on each city’s portion of the area
population (total 1997 budget was $26,475)
 The unit…
+ Supervised by a North Richland Hills Sergeant
+ Sergeant reports to a NRHPD Captain who
answers to the Board of Directors
 The NSCU provides three services…
+ Investigative response to major crimes/incidents
+ Gang intelligence and enforcement for the area
+ Targeted enforcement of emerging crime
problems
North Richland Hills, Texas
Northeast Street Crimes Unit
• CRITICAL FACTORS
 The formal agreement between the agencies
 All NSCU officers have sworn authority in all
participating jurisdictions
 Careful selection of personnel who get along well
with others, who can accomplish their goals, and not
act like prima donnas
 Explicit definition of the Unit’s mission
 On-going and open communications between the
members of the Board of Directors
North Richland Hills, Texas
Northeast Street Crimes Unit
• PROGRAM EFFECTS
 For arrests made the Unit has a 100% conviction rate
 A number of targeted enforcement actions have led to
successful apprehensions
 It is reported that gang members fear the Unit
 The Unit appears to be a logical and wise use of
resources, however a formal evaluation has not been
done
El Paso, Texas
Auto Theft Task Force
• SITE DESCRIPTION
El Paso has a population of approximately
614,000, covers 257 square miles, and is bordered
on the south by Mexico. Together with Juarez,
Mexico, it has a metropolitan region population of
2.5 million. The police department has an
authorized strength of 1,182 sworn officers and 230
non-sworn positions. The department is divided
into two major divisions--Operations and
Administrative Services-- as well as five Regional
Commands
El Paso, Texas
Auto Theft Task Force
• PURPOSE
 A county-wide Auto Theft Task Force that responds
to the high rate of auto theft in the area
 The problem is heavily influenced by the city’s
proximity to the Mexican border
 The police department has implemented several
patrol and investigative tactics in an effort to reduce
the problem
El Paso, Texas
Auto Theft Task Force
• PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 A grant funds 19 sworn personnel and one civilian,
while the city provides 14 additional sworn officers
and several more non-sworn staff.
 The task force is headed by a lieutenant from the El
Paso Police Department and includes three
sergeants, nine investigators, 15 patrol officers, two
crime prevention officers, and three officers assigned
to abandoned vehicle-related duties.
El Paso, Texas
Auto Theft Task Force
• PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 The activities of the task force fall into four areas:
+ Enforcement-relies on crime analysis; hot spots
+ Border Checkpoints-work with Customs
+ Investigation-organized crime; theft rings
+ Crime Prevention-public education
El Paso, Texas
Auto Theft Task Force
• CRITICAL FACTORS
 Dealing with the proximity to Mexico
 Continued grant funding from the Auto Theft
Prevention authority
 Addressing the problem from different dimensions
(e.g., enforcement, etc.)
 Cooperation with the Mexican police authorities
(which is currently limited right now)
El Paso, Texas
Auto Theft Task Force
• PROGRAM EFFECTS
 From the late 1980s to now, auto thefts that were
once around 5,500 per year now typically are
around 4,000--better than a 25% reduction
 Clearance rates for auto thefts have also been
improving, albeit at slower rates
Implications
Investigations Programs
• Aggressive investigative techniques frequently
need innovative “twists” to resolve special crime
problems.
• Effective investigations include problem solving
strategies
• Investigations and community policing have a
“hand in glove” relationship
• Effective changes in the crime problem can be
achieved with innovative programming