Problem-Oriented Policing

Two Directions of Change

There is much confusion in the policing literature as to the difference between problem-oriented policing and community policing. Several authors, in fact, have integrated the two concepts. Each depends on the community for its success, and each is often regarded as a philosophy rather than a tactic. The primary difference between the two is the issue of scope. That is, how far does police influence extend beyond the police mandates of law enforcement and order maintenance? Community-oriented policing generally expands this influence to every aspect of the community, viewing officers as an extension of the greater community.

A chief component of community policing is the restoration of informal social controls that cause people to police themselves. It hearkens back to a time when people curbed their actions because they cared what their neighbors would think, say, and do. Critics point out that the communities most in need of police attention are usually those where these shared norms never existed. A sense of community cannot be restored if it never existed in the first place. If community policing is to function in such areas, it must facilitate the creation of norms within the community. At present, there is no consensus as to whether or not this is possible or practical. Another criticism of community policing is that its mandate is so broad that any set of tactics can be passed off as community policing.

Problem-oriented policing takes a different emphasis. While COP emphasizes engaging the community in the policing process, POP emphasizes the substantive community problems that the police are held responsible for addressing (Scott 2001). Officers take the view that a problem exists and it must be solved—with or without community cooperation (Champion and Rush 1997: 99). Under POP, how and to what degree partnerships with the community are formed depend on the specific problem being addressed. In addition, POP, while interested in community input, is not so interested as COP in sharing decision-making power (Scott 2001). The COP view of the social influence of the police is large and ambitious. The POP [Page 1265]view is more constrained and more cautious, demanding measurable results.

In the broadest sense, problem-oriented policing can be defined as a comprehensive plan for improving policing that gives highest priority to addressing substantive problems. Full implementation of problem-oriented policing requires that this emphasis on addressing problems shape all changes in personnel, procedures, and organization. This new emphasis establishes effectiveness as the ultimate performance criterion within a police agency.

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