NCJ Number
144682
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 62 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1993) Pages: 19-23
Date Published
1993
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Community policing (CP) has recently gained prominence in the United States, and CP efforts in Wilmington, Delaware, include empowering communities to solve their own problems, creating a process for addressing complex community safety problems, developing comprehensive solutions, and implementing solutions through service coordination.
Abstract
The Wilmington Police Department applied CP principles to a situation with both law enforcement and social ramifications. Residents of one community frequently complained to police about a home in their neighborhood. Police officers made service calls to the particular address for various reasons, including drug sales, disorderly conduct, gambling violations, assaults, domestic disputes, and health and fire code violations. They found that 35 people, all family members, lived in the row home. State social service agencies attempted to encourage the residents to improve their living conditions but with limited results. A task force known as SPARC was subsequently formed to facilitate interagency cooperation in solving the problem. The task force was based on the four-step, problem-solving SARA model (scanning, analysis, response, and assessment). The decision was made to remove the family from the home but to assist them in the process. Efforts were made to find alternative housing and immediate services. The SPARC task force continues to meet on a monthly basis to identify and resolve other law enforcement and social problems. 1 endnote and 1 table