Essay on Problem-solving & Crime Prevention: Community Policing for Creative Solutions

Problem-solving and crime prevention falls under community policing, which addresses community concerns and widens the mission of law enforces from a narrow focus on crime to a directive encouraging the desire of creative solutions for a host of community concerns. It entails a co-relationship between the police and the community. Problem-solving refers to a process of dealing with certain conditions that may lead to serious crime and adverse effects on the people in the community. On the other hand, crime prevention refers to an attempt to curb and reduce criminal activities in the society.

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More often, police officers and the people in the society are involved in problem-solving, where the police strategize and analyze the conditions causing complex problems and creates specific responses or answers to each situation. It is done by developing a blueprint of geographical policing where dangerous places are identified as well as crime hot spots. A place that results in a high level of violent crimes and that which attracts deadly criminals relates to "dangerous places." Contrarily, a hot spot is a geographical concentration of crime (Clarke, 2005). Criminals tend to focus on social space and certain attracting places and are lured by several factors such as the residents of victims, potential victims, their work, and lastly, entertainment. Social space is produced by the people in societies according to different practices and norms that exist within the community. It provides an environmental framework for the behavior of the group.

Several factors define social space. First, social space can be seen as a social center; for instance, school a group of people gather for communal or recreational activities. Secondly, it may refer to online social media where people interact. Besides, a social place may be defined as a gathering place where people in the community or society come together, associates, and share some information. Finally, it can be town squares, fast-food restaurants, bus stops, liquor stores, and other restricted and privately owned places such as the town pubs and shopping malls.

However, as the authorities try to compact crime and come up with the resolution to cope up with many problems in the community, they are faced with many challenges. To begin with, when it comes to crime analysis, police forget to involve the community when screening and identifying the root of the crime. They put more effort into law enforcement and crime control, forgetting that the community people play a crucial role in solving other types of problems in the community. For instance, disorderly and mischievous behaviors that may lead to stabbing and shooting in an area might be the results of individual pubs or bars located in an unlikely and far much-isolated place. Hence, the officers should use multiple sources when analyzing the problem. One of them being the intervention with the community people as well as phone calls and many other strategies.

Additionally, once the problem has been identified, the authorities responsible, for example, the police officers must then structure an effective response that is dealing with the roots of the problem rather than the symptoms. For instance, if there was a crime near a specific bar, the officers will intervene with the bar owner or the tavern operators in the area. If they are irresponsive to the police request, perhaps the best way is to revoke the business license resulting in the closure of the bar and the business in the same location. The closing of the business may abolish the problem. Still, on the other hand, it may bring about additional issues such as unemployment, the loss of support from the bar owners and the tavern operators by the police, loss of the pedestrian traffic in the area and possibly even an abandoned building that fosters an entirely new set of problem.

Moreover, crime mapping is another way of solving community problems where many departments are using computer systems to map crime with the help of computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems. The method entails the street maps showing in detail the location of the specific incidents of crimes. The limitation of crime mapping is that pin maps are static and can show the location of the crime for only a particular period. Besides, crime patterning is a scenario where the same offense patterns recur in a concentrated area several times, which may later spread in a large geographical area, for instance, the armed serial robbers, serial rapists, and perhaps even the burglars (Harries, 1999). Copping with crime patterning is a challenge as many streets or patrolling officers do not have the necessary analytical technic or skill to analyze and solve the significant problems in the community.

Besides several limitations to problem-solving, there are forms of social control. According to Bursik and Grasmick (2002), different types of social control do exist. Namely, private social control, local social control, and lastly, public social control. Primarily, family and social network which evolves within the neighborhoods is what is referred to as the private social network. It is the most effective and sufficiently active form of social control in a community. Without private social control, the cases of crimes rise or increase in number and may lead to the need for other forms. Parochial social control entails schools and churches. Institutions such as schools play an important role in influencing and shaping the community. Finally, the public social control mechanism includes the authority such as the police officers and other forms of governmental agencies. This the last line of defense which protects the community. For effective results in solving community problems and crime solution, the police officers must work with the community people to strengthen or create firm private social controls in high crime areas.

Additionally, besides the three primary forms of social, there are other forms of social control, such as informal social control and formal social control. Informal social control refers to adoption of a belief system that is taught through the process of socialization and involves conformity to the norms and the values of a community. The informal type of social control is mainly enforced by the family members, for instance, the elders, primary caregivers, teachers, and even colleagues. It works under two principals, the rewards and the punishments. The forms of praise, job promotion, good grades, social popularity, and good compliments, often come as rewards. Punishments as well tend to involve poor categories teasing, a relationship ending, withdrawal communication, or even being sacked from the job.

Formal social control, just like public social control, comprehends the state, city, and some of the federal agencies, which includes the military and the police. Typically, police presence is always enough to archive this kind of control. While in others, which involves unlawful behaviors, it might require the police to intervene to stop the misconduct, restore law and order and maintain social control. The formal bodies like the judiciary system have the task force to issue penalties when someone violates the rules that define formal social control.

Following this, crime prevention is essential in society as it provides a conducive environment for the citizen and members of the community to work without any fear. It involves specific measures and strategies that seek to minimize the risk of crime occurring, their potentially harmful effects on individuals and the society by intervening to influence their multiple causes. Many of the police units today have a crime prevention unit within its community policing operations. Following Hickman and Reaves (2006), 74 percent of all police departments have crime prevention programming. Crime prevention officers work closely with crime analysis personnel to identify crime and disorder problems. Various forms of crime prevention do exist which describe specific approaches to crime solution and proposals by which to archive crime reduction. Linden (2007) provides a list of strategies that focus on crime at all levels. He has identified general types of crime prevention, with the first being the social development programs, which consist of different agendas to better criminal's life skills. The programs can also improve the well-being of every individual in the society so that they can reach their full potential. It's about helping people so that they can strive forward and succeed on their path of self-sufficiency. Secondly, there are administrative programs. Administrative programs refer to the law executed by the law enforcers such as the police to reduce any form of crimes and restore order in the society. Thirdly, another type of crime prevention is police programs. Police programs such as community policing, multi-disciplinary efforts as well as urban design are useful in preventing some of the crimes. The traditional police methods aimed at reducing opportunities and arresting criminals.

Furthermore, there are community crime prevention programs. Community crime programs are a form of crime prevention policy that enhances participation in crime prevention. Community members help the police by providing useful information, which is vital in curbing crime and dangerous activities in society. The last form of crime prevention is situational prevention. The activities involved in the program are the efforts to increase target hardening and surveillance to deter crime in a location.

Conclusion

In conclusion, community partnership and problem-solving are the significant components of community policing and crime prevention. The authority can use different methods to identify various problems affecting members of the community. For effective and more efficient success in crime elimination, the police must attend to the issues, especially in dangerous and hot spot places. Crime prevention plays a significant role in a comprehensive community policing approach. There are various forms of crime prevention programs that reduce crime and foster a better relationship with the community.

References

Bursik, R., & Grasmick. (2002). Neighborhoods and Crime: The Dimensions of Effective. New York, NY: Lexington Books.

Clarke, R. &. (2005). Crime Analysis for Problem Solvers: In 60 Small Steps. Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Harries, K. (. (, 1999). Crime Mapping: Principle and Practice. Washington, DC: NIJ.

Hickman, M., & Reaves, B. (2006). Local Police Departments, 2003. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics.