The Police as Problem Busters, Essay Example

Effectiveness

Deterrence is one of the main strategies used to determine effectiveness of a crime program traditionally. If a particular crime rate was down, that meant that the crime program was effective. Deterrence is the rationale used behind many traditional policing programs. The effectiveness of the program is based upon the extent to which the desired outcome is met. Under this assumption, it is believed that the would be criminal will be deterred from specific acts of crime as a direct result of the possible consequences. The “pulling levers” strategy is one that has been used to deter violent behaviors and gang related crimes (Braga, Kennedy, Waring, & Piehl, 2001).  With this approach, members of the community in conjunction with policing organization, give gang members the opportunity to make other choices. They did not use this as a deal to get gang members to stop committing crimes, but as a way to allow them to see that there were other possibilities for their lives.

Other Outcomes

The fact that there are some crimes that policing will not be able to affect is baffling society and members of policing organizations.  With this fact in mind, many policing organization no longer have a goal of diffusing the problem, but instead they want to make a lasting relationship with communities. In turn, they hope the criminal problems will just fizzle out over time through the guidance of like-minded adults. However, there are many who oppose new policing strategies because they feel traditional ones are more effective. For example, “Community policing clearly raises some potential conflicts between the traditional police role of enforcer and the problem solving philosophy under which the answer to every crime  problem is not arrest” (Nowicki,   ) The community policing approach tends to work closely with drug addicts and alcoholics in hopes of apprehending people further up the crime ladder.

Most Important

Although local drug addicts and alcoholics can be an eye sore for communities, often the greatest problems lie further up the crime ladder (Nowicki, 2000). Sure local drug addicts may vandalize or steal from community members, but usually they are not the ones who commit the horrendous crimes and murders. If I were in charge of aprogram handling this, I would be more concerned with apprehending those that sell the illegal drugs or alcohol than those that are using it. Often, the addicts can be rehabilitated and become productive members of society. This is very important because without the dealers living in the community, the addicts would have no need to remain in the community or come to the community in hopes of buying drugs. Although COP programs may not affect crime rates, they may produce other positive changes in the communities. I would continue the program even if crime rates did not decrease if there were other visible positive changes.

Community or Problem Oriented

Community oriented policing attempts to allow communities to overhaul their own neighborhoods over time by empowering the members, while problem oriented policing attempts to rid the communities of all problems by imprisoning or rehabilitating them (Goldstein, 1979). Often, problem oriented is less effective because when one drug dealer is arrested another usually rises to take his place; however, when drug dealers and users are reformed they often make lasting positive changes for the community. This information could be obtained from arrest and prison time records for known criminals within any given community (Eck & Spelman, 1987). . If I saw that over time, there were just as many drug houses in a community, even when police arrested dealers, I would know that the problem oriented approach was not working.

References

Braga, A., Kennedy, D., Waring, E., & Piehl, A.M. (2001). Problem oriented policing, deterrence and youth violence: An evaluation of boston’s operation ceasefire. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 38(3)195-225

Goldstein, H. (1979). Improving policing: A problem oriented approach. Crime and Delinquency 25(2) 236-258.

Eck, J. & Spelman (1987). Who ya gonna call? The police as problem busters. Crime and Delinquency 33(1) 31-52

Nowicki, D. (2000). Mixed messages in community policing: Contemporary readings. 2^nd Ed. Waveland Press: Prospect Heights, IL. CH. 18, 363-372.