Community Policing and Problem Solving

The second edition of Community Policing and Problem Solving: Strategies and Practices continues to explore the efforts of police agencies across the United States and abroad as they implement new methods to address crime and disorder. This text is intended for several audiences: for professors and students, it shows how today's police are moving away from traditional methods for responding to crime and disorder and expanding their traditional "law enforcement" role; for police practitioners, it serves as a guide for COPPS implementation operation, and evaluation; and for others, including elected government officials and city managers, it provides a comprehensive view of a timely, rapidly spreading, effective but often misunderstood strategy.

Unique in perspective and comprehensive in coverage, this book provides an exceptionally up-to-date and scholarly synthesis of the collective nationwide experience in implementing both community policing and problem-oriented policing (COPPS). It explains the processes and terms in detail -- what they mean and how they are applied, as well as how they are implemented and evaluated, and explores both historical and operational perspectives -- providing examples of existing strategies and future considerations. Shows how the police are moving away from the traditional, incident-driven, "professional" model of policing. Provides a comprehensive view of agencies across the U.S. and abroad and how they are changing their management style, organizational structures, and operational strategies to engage in collaborative problem solving efforts to attack crime, neighborhood disorder and fear. Objectively examines key issues that have received limited treatment in the literature, e.g., evaluation, planning and implementation, diversity, changing the culture of the police agency, customer-oriented government, the "devil's advocate" arguments against community policing, a comparative look at agencies efforts abroad. Contains many case studies showing how COPPS is now operational in many venues -- both domestic and foreign. Includes a community policing implementation profile and a community survey. For police practitioners, government officials, and anyone interested in any aspect of community-oriented policing and problem solving.