Police administration: Structures, processes, and behavior
Week #4 Discussion
Question
You are recently (February 14th, 2020) assigned as the Commanding Officer of the 75th Precinct located at 1000 Sutter Avenue, Brooklyn. As a new leader of a busy and large command, you conducted an analysis of the current policing strategies, crime statistics, and needs of the community. You determined that the last CO did not use a policing strategy that was effective, and therefore you want to incorporate a new style of policing. Using the textbook and the policing strategies discussed in class. Pick one that you would institute and explain why?
Response
After taking a thorough reading of the textbook “Police administration: Structures, processes, and behavior” (Swanson, Territo, & Taylor, 2001) and examining the scenario above, I find the hot-spot policing strategy as the most appropriate. According to Swanson, Territo & Taylor (2001), hot-spot policing strategy is all about directing focus to areas where crimes are rampant, based on the principle that disorder and crime are not uniformly spread in a particular area, but only concentrated in some small locations. My fundamental aim with the hot-spot policing strategy will be to prevent criminal activities in the 1000 Sutter Avenue Brooklyn and stop or at least moderate criminality levels in the area. This strategy is not defined by the application of certain tactics or intervention, but rather targeting the high crime zone. With this in mind, I will increase police patrols in the said area, involve the entire community towards problem-solving, and, most importantly, ensure the enforcement of the law.
It is a presumption of this strategy that concentrating activities and resources on the deviant area are much effective in crime reduction; I consider this as the idea that the previous CO was missing. Notably, if offenders and victims are not allowed to be in the same place at the same time by thoroughly manipulating settings and situations associated with many chances of criminality, I will reduce crime in the 1000 Sutter Avenue Brooklyn.
References
Swanson, C. R., Territo, L., & Taylor, R. W. (2001). Police Administration: Structures, processes, and behavior.