Community Problem Solving

After watching the documentary on Policing the Police provided by Frontline, I have come to realize that community policing rather and the use of a task force is a better approach when trying to get guns and drugs off the street. Subsequently, I do not believe that officers can realistically get guns and drugs off the streets without violating citizens’ rights. Based on related articles from The New Yorker and PBS, and first hand experiences from the narrator in the documentary I will be able to provide insight into my own opinions and thoughts about the issues at hand. This essay will also provide insight into the pros and cons of using community policing rather than using a task force. Also, this essay will touch on the

Years ago, the common image of an adolescent drug abuser was a teen trying to escape from reality on illegal substances like cocaine, heroin, or marijuana. Today, there is a great discrepancy between that perception and the reality of who is likely to abuse drugs. A teenage drug abuser might not have to look any further than his or her parent’s medicine chest to ‘score.’ Prescription drug abuse by teens is on the rise. Also, teens are looking to prescription drugs to fulfill different needs other than to feel good or escape the pressures of adulthood. Teens may be just as likely to resort to drugs with ‘speedy’ side effects, like Ritalin to help them study longer, as they are to use prescription

Policing is a very difficult, complex and dynamic field of endeavor that is always evolves as hard lessons teach us what we need to know about what works and what don’t work. There are three different Era’s in America’s policing: The Political Era, The Reform Era, and The Community Problem Solving Era. A lot has changed in the way that policing works over the years in the United States.

Due to these apparent successes, the problem-focused approach has been used to address a diverse array of problems such as gangs, drugs, school crime and the management of police call for service in urban, suburban and even rural communities. The exploration of possible responses to a problem is handled by police officers. Once a problem is identified, officers are expected to work closely with the community members to develop a solution, which can include a wide range of alternatives to arrest. These may focus on the offender, the community, the environment, outside agencies, or the need for some kind of mediation. Problem-oriented policing grew out of twenty years of research into police practices, and differs from traditional policing strategies in many significant ways. For example, problem-oriented policing enables police agencies to be more effective. Currently, police agencies commit most of their time to responding to calls for service. Problem-oriented policing offers a more effective strategy by addressing the

Community policing has evolved to be the most used strategy for policing. “It is an approach to crime detection and prevention that provides police officers and supervisors with new tools for addressing recurrent problems that plague communities and consume a majority of police agency time and resources” (Peak, 2012, 65). It has been defined by various people differently. But all the definitions have similar principles (Chappell, 2009). They focus on proactive problem solving and create relationships with the community to address any issue that may arise. Community policing is a combination of client-oriented and problem-oriented policing.

The term “problem solving” in this context implies more than just simply eliminating and preventing crime. It is a concept that assumes that crime can be reduced in an area by studying the characteristics of the problems in that area and then applying the appropriate resources. The theory behind the concept is that underlying conditions create problems, and problems created by these conditions may cause incidents. These incidents will continue as long as the problem that creates them exists. Determining the underlying causes of crime depends, in great part, on an indepth knowledge of community. Thus community partnership will be of great assistance in the problem solving process. Cooperative problem solving also builds trust, and facilitates the exchange of information, and also leads to identifying other areas that can benefit from the mutual attention of the police and community (Gaffigan, 1994).

Although many may find community policing and problem-oriented policing to fall in the same category, there is (surprisingly) a difference between the two. For one, community policing has many definitions. For some, it means instituting foot and bicycle patrols and doing acts pertaining to the ideal bond between police officers and their community. While for others it means maintaining order and cleaning up neighborhoods in desperate need of repair (Dunham & Alpert, 2005). However, an idyllic definition of community policing is altering the traditional definition of crime control to community problem-solving and promising to transform the way police do their job. Within the past two decades, there has been much research on community

One of the greatest problems we face in America today is the use and abuse of drugs in our country. It is important to find a solution that works within our country to combat the growing populations of our nation’s prisons, keep the supply of drugs under control, and have adequate prevention programs in place to help people who need treatment. Throughout reading the material for this course and the research conducted on the topics described in this paper, it is clear that the methods used in earlier years were not able to achieve the results we would like to see. Advocating for reform and the support of the American people can help with the desperate need for change.

People on drugs tend to act irrationally and do not always respond well to law enforcement. This can lead to conflict and violence towards law enforcement. Furthermore, an increase in gang activity and violence is a threat to law enforcement as certain gangs have a tendency to target law enforcement officers. An increase in drug trafficking is also a threat, especially to border patrol agents. Everyday law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to ensure the safety of their communities and enact justice. As criminal activity increases, the job of law enforcement officers becomes increasingly difficult and dangerous. This also poses a problem for individuals in communities in which these officers service. An increase in crimes perpetrated in response to the opiate epidemic may prevent police officers from responding to other calls. Therefore, criminal activity that threatens law enforcement also has potentially detrimental consequences for civilians within their

This paper will cover two policing styles known as the “broken windows” theory and community policing. The paper will end with a small analysis of which style would be more practical long-term. This paper will start with an explanation as to what the “broken windows” theory is. Furthermore, this paper will cover some of advantages and disadvantages of that theory when put into practical application. Additionally, this essay will explain what “community policing” as defined by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). This is followed by a brief discussion some advantages and challenges that are unique to that approach. Lastly, this paper covers which one would be more viable policing in the long-term.

In the hectic pill-popping world we live in today, around 6.5 million people in the U.S. currently abuse prescription medication and out of those 6.5 million, 4.5 of those people abuse pain relievers according to Nova Science Publishers (Greer). Codeine, oxycodone, Adderall, and Xanax just to name a few of the favorites among abusers (Fahey and Miller). These medications can end up on the streets and in the hands of party-goers looking for a “good time”. Dangerous pills such as those listed above can be quite useful by people with authentic medical conditions such as anxiety and ADHD, but also have the power to be abused by teenage party goers that crave a

In today’s society, there is a growing opioid epidemic. Many teens are abusing every day medicines such as depressants, stimulants and painkillers. Most teens also have an addiction for heroin. In the article, it talks about how over the counter drugs are misused by Americans aged 14 years or older. when it comes to drug abuse the number of casualties have grown exponentially. I learned that in 2012 to 2013 there was an increase of 39% of heroin related deaths. Most first time users are Caucasians. In addition, Heroin users first abuse prescription painkillers such as opioid painkillers. When it comes to teens, they choose cheaper methods of drugs because heroin is a lot cheaper then prescription pills. Heroin by its self is horrible enough,

This problem solving tactic developed by each county is to reduce the cost of trial, help Judges in their sentencing as well as giving the community a sense of safety that the system is interested in bringing some of the core principles of problem-solving justice into the mainstream of court operations across the country. Moreover, despite the number of drug courts, they can only meet a small proportion of drug addicted offenders in the united states but the good news for advocates of a problem-solving approach is that there appears to be broad support among judges for applying this model developed in the Bronx which is to provide judges with increased sentencing options for non-violent offenses. Additionally, the Bronx Community solution provides community services and social services sentence such as detoxification and rehabilitation for severely addicted

Laws are put in place to put away anyone with large or small amounts of drugs in their possesion. Though police are sucessful with filling the jails, there are many more users and dealers that are still on the streets feeding habits. To think that the answer is solely law enforcement is foolish. To try to lock away any and all drug users and dealers is impossible, even if it were possible, more money would have to be spent to build and fund new jails rather than redirect funds into communities for education and prevention. Currie effectively validates reasoning on why relying on law enforcement to resolve the issue is not realistic. The current ideology of the criminal justice system is discouraging drug use through punishment and fear. The priority of the criminal justice system is soley focused on getting and keeping drug offenders out of the community. Meanwhile, there is no clear articulation to what the end result accomplished by the police and courts should be, making the strategy for the war on drugs a stagnant one. Though the judicial system is part of

Community policing as a concept is mainly about allowing the community a voice in determining the priorities law enforcement. Allen & Sawhney (2015) defines community police as collaborative effort between police and the community they serve to customize the delivery of police services (p. 307). In order to utilize the community policing approach, it is important for agencies to have a strong bond and trust with the community they serve. Without this trust, creative policing innovations fall short. Despite what shortcomings the approach to policing may have for law enforcement, the popularity of community led or community based policing is on the rise in America. American law enforcement as an industry faces a never-ending public relations crisis, especially during the onset of tough on crime approaches prevalent in of the last forty years. Within the two decades, community police strategies based on bringing key stakeholders together to