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Problem-oriented Policing and Crime-specific Planning

NCJ Number
122371
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 57 Issue: 3 Dated: (March 1990) Pages: 63-64
Author(s)
D B Cummings
Date Published
1990
Length
2 pages
Annotation
Two proactive policing strategies that have proven effective are problem-oriented policing and crime-specific planning.
Abstract
Problem-oriented policing was introduced by Herman Goldstein in 1979 and encourages police to think in terms of problems rather than incidents. A situation is declared a problem only when it involves a group of similar incidents, is of direct concern to the public, and falls within the broad range of the police function. Successful problem-oriented policing entails a scan to identify the problem, an analysis of the data, a response to the problem, and an assessment of the responses. Police departments that establish this approach need to recognize that it requires changes in the internal management structure through decentralization of decisionmaking. Crime-specific planning is similar to problem-oriented policing in its process. However, it is more specific in that it focuses on underlying problems that are categorized by the type of offense and reviews 23 aspects of each offense. After this review realistic and quantifiable goals are established as the basis for further decisionmaking. Problem-oriented policing should be established before crime specific planning. Both approaches represent improvements over the reactive policing of the past. 18 reference notes.