Tackling Crime and Other Public-Safety Problems: Case Studies in Problem-Solving

• NCJ Number: 181243
• Author(s): Rana Sampson; Michael S. Scott
• Date Published: 1999
• Length: 187 pages
• Grant Number(s): 94-IJ-CX-K008
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Best Practice/State-of-the-Art Review

Annotation

These 48 case studies in problem-oriented policing are intended to assist police agencies and community groups in understanding problem-oriented policing and its use in addressing a wide variety of crime, disorder, and public safety problems, including burglary, domestic assault, drugs, prostitution, false alarms, robbery, and theft from vehicles.

Abstract

The case examples were selected from approximately 1,000 projects by means of 2 years of research funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The research involved contacts with police agencies with 100 or more sworn officers regarding their highest-quality problem-solving efforts. The case studies were selected for publication based on their solid analyses, their highly tailored and thorough or creative solutions, and their valid impact assessments. An introduction explains the nature of problem-solving in the context of problem-oriented policing, the project background, and the project's expected benefits in terms of contributing to knowledge from which police agencies and community groups can learn. The case studies describe problem-oriented policing related to apartment complex and other rental-property crime, drug law offenses, domestic violence, false alarms, alcohol-related crimes, gangs, graffiti, cruising, and college-related crime. Additional studies focus on problem-oriented policing related to group homes, homeless-related crime, mental illness, neighborhood disorder, parks, burglary, prostitution, robbery, and theft from vehicles. Each section concludes with additional editors' comments on the topic. Footnotes