Problem-Solving Initiatives, Examples of Assessment and Evaluation of

The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States led to the emergence of homeland security policing. Some suggest this paradigm shift has altered police operations and philosophy. Although there has been little research so far on the shift of policing strategies after 9/11, it has been suggested that most components of community-oriented policing and problem solving remains a central strategy that has not only been retained but has increased.

The centrality and persistence of problem solving in the current era of policing suggests that the police continue to perceive the utility of the approach. Problem-oriented policing was a precursor to community-oriented policing. In community policing, the identification of the problem emanates from the public, and the problem-solving strategy is arrived at through collaborative efforts of the police and the public. In a problem-oriented model, the public may not necessarily have any input in the process. Hence, police agencies with a homeland security emphasis could use both internal and external sources for identification of and solutions to problems, particularly on homeland security and prevention and preemption of terrorist attacks.

Community policing involves three key components: organizational transformation, community partnerships, and problem solving. Furthermore, community policing involves collaboration between the police and the community that identifies and solves community problems. In addition, the police are no longer the sole guardians of law and order; all members of the community become active allies in the effort to enhance the safety and quality of neighborhoods. Given the centrality of problem solving in contemporary policing, it is important to understand how this process could be evaluated and its impact assessed. Examples of the range of problem solving initiatives and the assessments of the strategy are presented in this entry.