NCJ Number
178724
Editor(s)
Barry Webb
Date Published
1999
Length
57 pages
Annotation
This report provides a case study of the development and implementation of a proactive policing strategy based on problem-oriented policing and the use of intelligence; the strategy was established by the Merseyside Police in England.
Abstract
The research took place from April 1996 to April 1997. It focused on implementation in areas and within the centralized squads. The Merseyside Police strategy encompassed all areas of policing, not just crime control. In addition, Merseyside had undergone a major restructuring in the early 1990s in line with modern management thinking. This restructuring involved changing from a hierarchical, bureaucratic, specialized organization to one that was devolved, de-layered, driven by a planning cycle, performance-based, and problem-oriented. Findings indicated that organizational and cultural change is necessary to ensure the successful implementation of an agency-wide proactive policing strategy. Central elements of that change include defining the strategic role of all officers and providing formal training in proactive methods. In addition, an effective intelligence cycle has a central role and is dependent on effective computerized intelligence systems and skilled analysis. Figures, tables, glossary, list of other publications from the same organization, and 16 references