11.3: Community Oriented Policing (COP)/Problem Oriented Policing (POP) Defined

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COP is an acronym for community-oriented policing. POP is an acronym for problem-oriented policing. The tenets of each is to provide police with new partners and attacking problems outside the traditional way, hence, “Thinking outside the Box.” Before going forth, the term thinking outside the box is a sound bite that may conger up many interpretations. This drives me nuts! Why, would such an innocuous term drive a person of reasonable sanity over the edge? First, what is the box? This has several meanings and unless all concerned are on the same page then one may find herself/himself chasing their tail. Exactly what are the items of concern, who will it take to resolve the issue, how much additional resources are required, and when might you pull the trigger on a resolution rather than procrastination through planning. Second, the term is succinct but one cannot lead from sound bites. Third, the term is cute, but cute does not identify systemic issues and the hard work required to identify the issues. Vigor, imagination, dedication and innovation are the true tools required and not the proverbial box. The stakeholders (internal and external) associated with the problem need to be linked, ground rules established and get down to the hard work.

This image depicts the logo of the Community Oriented Policing Services branch of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The basic precepts to each is that the community police relationships are fostered in order to achieve goals such as maintaining order, reducing crime, the fear of crime, and the quality of life in neighborhoods. Problem-oriented policing requires the use of a broad range of information, identification and analysis of information used in addressing specific crime and disorder issues through innovative strategies.

The Center for Problem-Oriented Policing was established in 1999 with funding from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice, which supported the center through to the end of 2013. Hosting of the web site is currently supported by funding from The School of Criminal Justice, University at Albany, State University of New York (Center for Problem-Oriented Policing). Herman Goldstein (2001) defines POP as:

Problem-oriented policing is an approach to policing in which discrete pieces of police business (each consisting of a cluster of similar incidents, whether crime or acts of disorder, that the police are expected to handle) are subject to microscopic examination (drawing on the especially honed skills of crime analysts and the accumulated experience of operating field personnel) in hopes that what is freshly learned about each problem will lead to discovering a new and more effective strategy for dealing with it. Problem-oriented policing places a high value on new responses that are preventive in nature, that are not dependent on the use of the criminal justice system, and that engage other public agencies, the community and the private sector when their involvement has the potential for significantly contributing to the reduction of the problem. Problem-oriented policing carries a commitment to implementing the new strategy, rigorously evaluating its effectiveness, and, subsequently, reporting the results in ways that will benefit other police agencies and that will ultimately contribute to building a body of knowledge that supports the further professionalization of the police (Web).