| Problem-Oriented Policing Takes Root in Athens
"Santa Cop" and Chief Lumpkin greet residents.
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Police officers prepare Christmas gift baskets.
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Imagine a successful, proactive police department, one that involves all levels of law enforcement management and strong community leadership.
The police force in Athens, GA, does more than imagine it—they practice it. The Athens-Clarke County Weed and Seed target areas are using the philosophical foundation of Weed and Seed and problem-oriented policing to increase the safety of their communities. Their countywide crime reduction strategy is called Community Oriented Policing Problem Solving (COPPS), and it engages public and private agencies in addition to community members.
After he was named Chief of Police in 1997, Chief Joseph H. Lumpkin, Sr., commenced the cultural change to COPPS and established the Lieutenant-Managed Neighborhood Protection Program. The program designated every officer as the chief of his or her beat or zone, and that officer is responsible for quality of life issues and crime reduction efforts for that defined section. An operational sergeant and lieutenant are assigned to each zone to provide direction and resources to zone officers. Members of each problem-solving team attend Neighborhood Watch, Business Watch, and community meetings in an effort to partner with the community on crime reduction strategies.
Perhaps one of COPPS' most important features is its constant evaluation of the strategies employed during policing. Using CompStat, a computer-driven management accountability process, police can immediately track crime, put police resources in high-crime areas, and maintain steady followup on activity. The system also allows for the timely dissemination of reliable information. Lieutenants and sergeants on each beat ensure that the crimes detailed in incident reports are titled and classified correctly and that victims are encouraged to report crimes.
The Athens-Clarke County Weed and Seed target area is made up of four lieutenant-managed police zones. CompStat shows where crime is occurring on a daily basis and can help police reassign manpower as needed, and current crime statistics illustrate the system's success. In 2005, violent crimes were reduced in all zones, some by more than 50 percent. Property crime also fell in all zones. In fact, area police have achieved 9 consecutive years of countywide crime reduction, led by the reduction in the Weed and Seed areas.
The accountability element of COPPS requires that all lieutenants report on their problem-solving activities, and neighborhood leaders share the responsibility for creative crime reduction ideas.
"It's changing the whole culture," said Terrie Patterson, the Weed and Seed site coordinator. Patterson finds that information sharing is extremely helpful, and community participation is critical.
"It's not just the responsibility of the police to prevent and solve crimes," she said. "You have to get the whole community involved. There exist good people in every neighborhood, and you have to get the good people involved in improving their area with a mindset of shared responsibility."
Community residents are more supportive as a result of personal involvement, Patterson explained, and they are proud when "their" police officers—who are known more for their foot patrols—show up at neighborhood association meetings.
COPPS recognizes that area police must establish trust with Weed and Seed residents and assist those citizens with a wide range of neighborhood challenges and problems—many of which are not traditional criminal justice issues—through discretion and problem-solving, interpersonal, and collaboration-building skills. Officers make concerted efforts to inform residents of their availability and involvement. They attend neighborhood meetings and offer their cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses. In return, the community recognizes the value of having a police presence in the neighborhood and law enforcement's willingness and ability to solve problems and improve residents' quality of life.
Patterson explained that officers often have to go the extra mile to show the public that they care and are willing to work with the community. For instance, when residents in a public housing project were frustrated with the police and some threw rocks at a cruiser, the police responded not only in force as law enforcement officers, but later with Santa Cop, an officer who dressed up as Santa Claus, brought presents, and spent time with the residents.
"The whole community saw that the police were trying to make the community safer and [show] that they care," Patterson said. "They added the human side of enforcement."
For more information, contact:
Terrie Patterson
Athens-Clarke Weed and Seed Site Coordinator
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