Abstract

The application of Problem-Oriented Policing method is the primary strategy of Community-Oriented Policing. The community and police work together to analyze community problems and develop customized responses. According to the National Institute of Justice, Problem- Oriented Policing (POP) represents police-led efforts to change the underlying conditions at high crime spots that lead to recurring crime problems. One of the most popular methods for implementing POP is a four-step process known as the SARA model. In this essay, the problem of prostitution in Central City will be analyzed and a solution will be proposed by using the SARA model. It is important to remember that ?The key ingredients in POP are the selection of a narrowly defined problem type and the application of a wide range of targeted responses intended to reduce the incidence or severity of that problem type? (Eck & Spelman, 2014). It is also important to mention that the use of partners outside police agencies should not be limited.

Scanning

Central City Police became heavily concerned about prostitution along Scott Avenue after a homicide was reported against a prostitute. After a thorough evaluation, the police discovered that, in fact, the number of police calls related to prostitution had increased significantly in the past year.

Analysis

The central City Police Department conducted a series of interviews in the community to figure out the people involved in this problem. The following types of groups were interviewed: Prostitutes, Business Owners, John is who hired prostitutes, police staff and service providers in the area.

When the prostitutes were interviewed, the majority of them stated that they had a drug addiction problem. The prostitutes also told the investigators that they felt that the lower blocks of Scott Avenue were more dangerous because that was where the illegal drug trades occurred. Prostitutes also mentioned that they went back and forth from the lower to the higher blocks of Scott Avenue depending on the police presence and the number of arrests conducted.

When the business owners were interviewed. They showed no interest in helping to reduce the prostitution problem. In most businesses, the owners were allowing prostitutes to loiter around their businesses in exchange for bringing in costumers. Business owners did not feel like they were doing anything illegal.

The John?s who visited the area searching for prostitutes were middle aged man who were very concerned about being exposed.

Also, the resident?s main concern was the number of cars driving around the area to pick up prostitutes. Residents were also angry because cars were parking along the streets for 20 minutes or longer and police officers were not doing much about it.

The police staff were unhappy because the courts were allowing prostitutes to be released all the time and they could not keep them off the streets long enough to make a difference.

The service providers noticed that the police officers were only referring the prostitutes to shelters and rehab centers when they overdosed. The prostitutes only remained in the program for shorts periods of time and then go back on the streets.

After reviewing the interviews, it is important to pay attention to every single aspect of the problem. There are many problems involved in the area. But the main problem is that nobody is working together to solve them. Everyone complains about how the police is not doing enough but nobody helps the police either. The main goal of the police is to end the prostitution problem along Scott Avenue. Prostitutes work for drugs or for money to buy drugs. They all have an addiction problem. Police ?crackdowns? have shown no long-term results in the area and just caused the problem to shift from one are to the next (from the lower blocks of Scott Avenue to the higher blocks).

Response

The central City Police department will reach out to the community agencies such as local battered women centers, rehab facilities, churches and social workers to begin the process of getting prostitutes off the streets. Getting the prostitutes, the help they need to quit drugs will be the long term and main solution for prostitution in the area. To obtain the help of the community agencies, the police department will need to begin the community-oriented policing model. Police officers will need to communicate with the different agencies and find out how they can get help from them and the services they offer to help prostitutes quit. To establish rapport between the police and the community agencies, the police officer can offer to do A ride along. This has proven to help in the past. In 1999, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police began a partnership with the McLeod Center that required social service providers to ride with police officers in the area. These ride-along created mutual appreciation between police officers and social services providers. The police officers will need to continue to reach out to City Central?s police officers and teach them why it is so important to take part in this implementation plan (Matthews, 1993). Police officers will then begin reaching out to the prostitutes on the street and make referrals to the community agencies who help the prostitutes get off the streets. In a research titled ?Tackling Street Prostitution: Towards a holistic approach?, by Home Marianne Hester and Nicole Westmarland, ?Outreach was found to be a significant pre-requisite to building a sustainable working relationship between project workers, police and women involved in prostitution? (Hester & Westmarland, 2004). Building trust between the police and the members of the community will be the ultimate tool to begin implementing community-oriented policing.

A police agency research conducted by London?s Police Department titled ?Ker Crawling, Prostitution and Multi-Agency Policing?, showed significant long-term results in using a multi-agency approach to deter kerb-crawling in the area (Matthews, 1993). The police department used different strategies to keep kerb-crawlers from visiting the area. The police involvement generated a positive response from the community who later join the police in their efforts in fighting street prostitution.

Based on the information above, Central City?s Police department should begin implementing measures to prevent kerb crawlers in the area. Police should begin to close streets and alleys and divert traffic or regulate parking, restrict client?s ability to drive, enforce zoning, nuisance abatement and business license regulations against properties used for prostitution, warn property owners about the use of their premises for prostitution and begin exposing prostitution clients to the public. While the measures mentioned above are not permanent solutions to the problem, they will help the community slow down the prostitution problem and the officers build the rapport necessary to implement programs to help the prostitutes ultimately quit.

Assessment

While the results of the implementation of this plan cannot be measured this time. There is proof that this approach has been successful in similar situations. For example, The Charlotte Mecklenburg (North Carolina) Police Department’s multiagency response to street prostitution conducted in 2003, where many women involved in prostitution changed their lives due to the help provided by the police, the community and the local community agencies.

The long-term goal of Central City Police department will be to get the prostitutes off the streets. But this efforts cannot be done without the participation of community agencies and the community. Police in Central City have to be the initiator of this plan. Their involvement and implementation of safety measures will show the community that the police actually care. The members of the community and the agencies will then begin to show appreciation for the police and the bond will be formed.

New police officers, community agency members and the community will need to be trained in order to make it work. There will be some who will be skeptical, but perseverance will be the key. Change cannot occur in a day or two. Change is a process and there are steps to each process. Only by following all of the steps in community-oriented policing we can achieve results for a better tomorrow.

References

Eck, J. E., & Spelman, W. (2014, September 14). Practice Profile: Problem-Oriented Policing. Retrieved August 14, 2020, from https://crimesolutions.ojp.gov/practicedetails? id=32 Hester, M., & Westmarland, N. (2004, July). Tackling Street Prostitution: Towards a holistic approach. Retrieved August 14, 2020, from https://popcenter.asu.edu/sites/default/files/problems/street_prostitution/PDFs/Hester&am p; Westmarland_2004.pdf Matthews, R. (1993). KERB-CRAWLING, PROSTITUTIONAND MULTI-AGENCY POLICING. Retrieved August 14, 2020, from https://popcenter.asu.edu/sites/default/files/problems/street_prostitution/PDFs/fcpu43.pdf