Problem Solving Policing (S.A.R.A.)

Problems

-Police Problem: Change in policy -Community Problem: Streetlight out, loud kids in the neighborhood playground -Organizational Problem: Need police attention (Gangs or groups of kids) -Political Problem: Politics say needs attention (homeless in the parks) -Police-Community Problem - Shared by police and community and can effectively be dealt with (burglaries, drug problems, gangs, etc.)

Response

Come up with a plan and put it into *action* Tackle problems by doing the following: 1. Prevent future occurrences by deflecting offenders 2. Protect likely victims 3. Making crime locations less conducive to problems

Assessment

Measure the impact of the response and its effectiveness Were goals and specific objectives met? Conduct ongoing assessments to ensure continued effectiveness

Scanning

Problem identification Community involvement/opinion Neighborhood meetings (NAC), fliers polls, etc. Active listening, open mind, sympathetic, compassion, understanding Find out: Does problem exist? How many problems? Which problems to tackle first? What are the goals? How often does problem occur? How long has problem been taking place? Which problem requires Extra attention.

SARA

Scanning, Analysis, Response, Assessment

Analysis

Use several sources to determine: -Why problem is occurring -Who is responsible -who is affected -where the problem is -when it occurs -what form the problem/complaint takes Analysis requires ID of patters to explain conditions of the crime Narrow scope of problem to specifics Using: Police files, victims and witnesses, offenders, personal observations, beat officers/special units/CID, communities/NAC, crime analysis data