Community Problem Solving Paper

Community Problem-Solving Paper

Vance Reed

CJA/454 – Criminal Justice Management Theory and Practice

04-29-12

Shane Evans

Abstract

Community problem solving is not an easy task; one of the reasons is that the typical community is afraid of confronting the terrors within that community, with or without the help of others in the community. They are afraid of dishonest police having connection with criminal activities within their vicinity, not knowing who they are. Also, they are afraid of the members of gangs, and the criminals with bad reputations. Crimes such as property theft, and drug related dealings, are just a few examples of the problems communities have on a daily basis. Conjuring up one member of the community is not sufficient to changing a community's mind set on eradicating its problems, but a task to influence all citizens in the community who is willing and able of making a change; a progress! In this paper I will address one of the problems that infest our community, and what the police is trying to do about it. 

Community Problem-Solving

Just a few months ago I approached a relative of mine, Officer Reed, a friendly police officer, and asked him several questions concerning the problems that our community was having and what was the police planning to do on this particular matter? His impressing answer actually stunned me. He was familiar with John E. Eck and William Spelman's Problem-Solving: Problem-oriented Policing technique. This knowledge is called Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment, (SARA), (Peak, K. J., 2010). He said that they were aware of certain criminal activities such as illegal gambling and the selling of illegal pain pills, and other oral drugs. The problem that they wanted to address first was the illegal gambling that have proliferated our community.

Scanning and Analysis

In order to solve any criminal problem infested in a community one needs to first make preparatory arrangements. Seeing through the lens of an officer, or administrator, one must take preliminary inquiries; knowing where to go and who to inquire. The McIntosh Police Department is a fine and respectable department, and for its small size does a wonderful job fighting and trying to prevent crime. One of the officers got wind of illegal gambling in two location; one within the city limits, and the other outside the city limits. The officer started asking