NCJ Number
194008
Date Published
2002
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This pamphlet presents recommendations by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) on Problem-Solving Partnerships.
Abstract
In 1997, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office launched its Problem-Solving Partnerships (PSP) grant program to address a number of issues: recurrent crimes and persistent disorder problems threatening communities, the lack of police and community collaboration, community involvement in crime prevention, and reactive policing. The COPS Office awarded grants to 468 police agencies. Each was required to select a partner and use problem-solving strategies to address a specific crime disorder problem in a specific target area. Police agencies submitted project plans that targeted a variety of crime problems: alcohol-related problems, crimes against persons, crimes against property, drug-related crimes, and quality of life issues. The COPS Office required agencies to use a problem-solving strategy based on the SARA model: Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment. The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) was funded by the COPS Office to conduct a national evaluation of the PSP program by administering two surveys designed to capture agency activity and progress at each stage in the SARA model. The PSP National Evaluation produced several overall recommendations to agencies wishing to conduct a problem-solving project: (1) select a well-defined, manageable problem; (2) establish a target area to fit the problem; (3) incorporate community involvement in all phases of the project; (4) conduct a thorough analysis of the data prior to selecting a response; (5) use the analysis findings to develop a response; (6) assess the impact of the response; (7) provide problem-solving training to sworn and non-sworn personnel early in the project; and (8) garner support from command-level staff prior to initiating a problem-solving project. PERF evaluators discovered that two crucial steps to the problem-solving process involved conducting a thorough analysis and selecting the right community-based partner. Recommendations for conducting an effective analysis include: (1) allowing enough time for the analysis phase; (2) examining data from all circumstances of the crime triangle; (3) capitalizing on non-traditional data sources; and (4) employing non-sworn personnel to collect and analyze data.