NCJ Number
149993
Journal
American Journal of Police Volume: 12 Issue: 1 Dated: (1993) Pages: 75-102
Date Published
1993
Length
28 pages
Annotation
This article describes methods for police to use in identifying community problems, as part of a broader strategy for community policing.
Abstract
Police departments vary in the resources available to support problem identification. Large departments may have sophisticated computer-aided crime mapping systems; other departments may work with a university to analyze large call-for-service databases. Yet many information sources about problems exist for even the smallest departments: officer knowledge and observation, citizen complaints, police reports and call data, surveys, information from community groups, and many others. In addition to information sources, officers must have sufficient blocks of time to identify and work on problems. Before community policing can succeed, the agency must evaluate whether it is doing all it can to relieve officers of duties that do not require sworn authority. Well-developed efforts to strengthen the police-community partnership must adapt and use some type of systematic way to identify, analyze, and resolve problems. Types of problems appropriate for patrol problemsolving are any that are of concern to the community and the police. Officers should be expected to identify both crime and disorder problems. If disorder and other quality- of-life problems are the most frequent types of problems in an area and citizens are more concerned about them, then police should cooperate with citizens in countering these problems. 2 notes and 35 references