Addressing City Begging Using Problem-Oriented Policing (From Solving Crime and Disorder Problems: Current Issues, Police Strategies and Organizational Tactics, P 127-140, 2002, Melissa Reuland, Corina Sole' Brito, and Lisa Carroll, eds. -- See NCJ-225227)

• NCJ Number: 225235
• Author(s): Nigel Manning
• Date Published: 2001
• Length: 14 pages
• Sale Source: Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)
• Publication Format: Book Chapter
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This chapter describes and assesses the Staffordshire, England, Police Department’s Local Policing Unit’s (LPU’s) problem-solving approach to the street begging problem in Stoke-on-Trent City Center.

Abstract

An assessment of the LPU’s problem-solving approach to street begging achieved several successes. First, the number of incidents per month involving on-street beggars dropped from roughly 18 to about 5. Second, the use of the drop-in center by the target homeless group has increased 30 percent. Among business owners, those located in areas of previously heavy on-street begging were significantly more aware of the project. Finally, favorable locations for begging are now used for other purposes. Future developments and project spin-offs will include support for longer-term work on preventative strategies based on current research by the drop-in center team. In early 1999, the Staffordshire, England Police Department restructured to change its policing style to a more locally based problem-solving approach. To that end, the department created the LPU in 1999 to cover the Stoke-on-Trent City Center area. At about this same time, the City Center area experienced a notable increase in street begging. This chapter describes the LPU’s problem-solving approach to this problem. Table and figures