Jerry Sanders, San Diego police chief in the 1980s and future mayor, knew he had to find a new way to combat the city’s growing gang and illegal narcotic problems.
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Captain Sanders approached the issue with a new strategy, known as problem–oriented policing, in which officers met with individuals in the community about issues and then worked with other officers alongside the community to solve the issue.
The San Diego Police Department was able to diminish some of the police-civilian tensions that motivated individuals to lead a life of crime, dropping the city’s annual murders from 133 to only 57 by 1999, as
reported by the Voice of San Diego.
The Center for Problem-Oriented Policing (POP Center) hosts annual problem-oriented policing conferences in which officers from different rankings come together to discuss effective problem-oriented policing strategies in order to improve the U.S. police system as a whole.
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The POP Center also provides training and learning guides for police departments and criminal justice schools nationwide.
Situational prevention strategies are important to problem-oriented policing and guide officers to focus on both the outcome and the means of policing.
The POP Center outlines
25 Techniques of Situational Prevention which fall into the 5 categories of increasing the effort, increasing the risks, increasing the rewards, reducing provocations, and removing excuses when dealing with problem solving in police issues.
Problem-oriented policing strategies are implemented through 4 main steps, which are condensed into the SARA Model. SARA stands for scanning, analysis, response, and assessment – all of which are necessary aspects of working within a community to identify and resolve crime issues.
Another model used to diagnose problem-oriented policing is the problem analysis triangle. The problem analysis triangle enables police forces to more easily identify possible offenders, potential targets or victims, and times or places regarding particular crimes.
This model emphasizes that all aspects of a crime are intertwined and can influence on another.
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