The history of policing in America is divided into eras. In the first era, called the "political" era, policing was entangled in politics, as politicians in large eastern cities gained control over the recruitment and hiring of police so they could be used for politicians' special interests. The political era gave way to the "professional" (or "reform") era in the early 20th century. Under the scientific theory of administration promoted in this era, policing evolved into hierarchical pyramids of control, characterized by routinized and standardized police responsibilities. Problems with the professional model of policing emerged during the late 1960s as police became and were viewed by the public, particularly minorities, as a crime-fighting cadre of military-type officers isolated from and insensitive to socioeconomic and safety needs of a diverse public. This realization by police leaders and researchers led to the emergence of the community policing paradigm. This paradigm emphasizes the partnership between police agencies and community residents and institutions in building safe communities through cooperative analysis of and solving of public-safety problems. This COPPS paradigm features a problem-solving process called SARA (scanning, analysis, response, and assessment). The SARA model requires police agencies to use new data-collection tools and develop data-driven operations. This led to the development of CompStat, a relatively new tool used in the problem-solving process. It involves a systematic collection and feedback of crime-related information and quality-of-life issues, followed by the design, implementation, and assessment of problem-solving under the SARA model. 40 notes