Stop crime: Systematic Tracking Operation Program Community Reporting Incidents More Effectively. (Police Practice).

Poor communication within any police department can limit the information flow between managers and line personnel. Getting the information from one unit to another before it becomes outdated is an ongoing struggle. To help eliminate this problem, the Plantation, Florida, Police Department implemented the Systematic Tracking Operation Program Community Reporting Incidents More Effectively (STOP CRIME).

Background

STOP CRIME derives its foundation from the New York City Police Department's CompStat (Computerized Analysis of Crime Statistics) initiative. A crime-mapping software application, designed by two former New York City Transit Police officers in 1992, constitutes the heart of CompStat. The software application demonstrated areas where criminal activity occurred, which helped law enforcement officers develop enforcement strategies. As information became a powerful tool for police administrators and line personnel, accountability, a second part of the CompStat process, developed. The accountability process resulted in scheduled meetings where precinct commanders reported to a review panel. The review process evolved into a high-pressure setting where commanders answered queries about criminal activity in their precincts.

In March 2000, the Plantation Police Department researched a patrol district concept predicated on accountability and dividing the city into two sections to make it more manageable. The department published a template to explore the possibility and solicit recommendations from line personnel. Over the next 6 months, department administrators met several times to discuss the accountability factors most applicable and important to the agency's management.

Implementation

On October 1, 2000, the Plantation Police Department implemented the district concept with a monthly accountability process incorporated in the plan. Two captains, with responsibility and accountability for the crimes, incidents, problems, and community concerns that arise in their areas, command the districts. The agency adopted the SARA (scanning, analysis, response, and assessment) model of problem solving as a tool for critical thinking. (1) Problem ownership constitutes one of the key components to the SARA model and the district plan. Detectives and zone officers under the new concept have responsibility for solving problems, and they provide monthly activity accounts to their sergeants who, in turn, compile a comprehensive report to each district commander.

Once a month, the district commander presents an accountability report and gives an oral presentation to the STOP CRIME board, which consists of the chief of police and the two deputy chiefs. The crime analyst also attends these meetings to assist the district commanders with statistical data and any information needed during the presentation.

Results

The STOP CRIME program helps the Plantation Police Department improve communication. Although the department has a somewhat traditional organizational structure and supports the concepts of chain of command, STOP CRIME has flattened the communication flow within the agency. On a daily basis, this process enhances the exchange of information on criminal activity. Road patrol district commanders obtain essential information directly from such sources as detectives and officers in an effort to reduce the filtering of communication.

The board review process makes the STOP CRIME program slightly different from other accountability systems. Commanding officers present both written and oral presentations, with the question and answer segment designed around a positive brainstorming format. Officers present empirical data, but mere numbers do not provide the basis for critiquing command staff; the process encompasses total quality management more than numerical analysis. The STOP CRIME program measures short- and long-term goals and not only quantitative objectives but also, more important, qualitative goals of the organization and the community that it serves. It seeks empowerment and ownership, rather than focusing on criticism. The STOP CRIME program couples with the district concept to provide several benefits, such as--

* an increased commitment to community policing;

* the development of two neighborhood enhancement projects;

* strengthened vertical communication;

* the establishment of a comprehensive reporting system;

* accountability at all levels of the organization;

* the nurturing of problem-solving skills throughout the agency; and

* the ownership of problem and empowerment of personnel.

The Plantation Police Department's traffic initiative represents one example of a quantitative plan using both the STOP CRIME accountability program and the district concept. During 2000, Plantation experienced a dramatic increase in the traffic fatalities rate. In 1999, 6 deaths resulted from traffic crashes, compared with 25 in 2000. These occurrences prompted a vigorous traffic program to curb traffic violations within the city limits, which entailed both an education and awareness program coupled with an increase in selective traffic enforcement. The department received the first data to support the possibility of a positive impact of the program in June 2001. The crime analyst published a citywide traffic evaluation comparing January through March 2001 statistics with data collected for the same time period in 2000. The agency issued 6,119 citations in the first 3 months of 2001, an increase of 33 percent over the previous year. As the citations increased by this significant number, the traffic crashes d ecreased by 7 percent in the same time frame. The number of fatalities also declined from 25 in 2000 to two in 2001.

Measuring success qualitatively proves more difficult. The agency surveyed the community in an effort to establish a base level of satisfaction. The department distributed approximately 3,000 surveys throughout the city and experienced a 14 percent return rate. The survey revealed that 63 percent of the respondents were very satisfied with the quality of life in their neighborhoods and 51 percent stated that they were very satisfied with the police who serve their communities. Of those responding, 61 percent never have been victims of a crime in Plantation, and, when asked how they would rate their perception of crime in Plantation, 51 percent responded that it was a minor problem. Future surveys that the department conducts should reveal the impact that these programs have in Plantation.

Conclusion

The success of law enforcement agencies depends on the sharing of information between managers and line personnel. The Plantation, Florida, Police Department implemented its STOP CRIME program to improve communication among its officers and to ensure accountability at all levels of the agency. The program's flexibility highlights change to reflect the conditions of the community while adhering to the accountability aspect of the program. Further, the STOP CRIME program focuses on employee empowerment and problem ownership. District commanders make regular presentations about crimes in their areas to a review board, answer questions, and work with managers to find solutions. By enhancing the method by which information is communicated among managers and line personnel, the Plantation Police Department has become more prepared to STOP CRIME.

For more information on the Plantation, Florida, Police Department's STOP CRIME Program, please contact Captain Jim Larsen at 954-797-2111.

Highlights of Survey Results

Items of major concern to residents in their neighborhoods

                  Yes  No   Unknown

Traffic           43%  52%    5%
Juveniles         32%  63%    5%
Drugs             17%  78%    5%
Burglaries        44%  50%    6%
Robberies         29%  66%    5%
Auto thefts       24%  71%    5%
Code enforcement  25%  70%    5%

Frequency that residents see a police officer/vehicle in their
neighborhoods

Very often  23%
Sometimes   62%
Never       13%
Unknown      2%

Number of residents who have been a victim of crime and did not call the
police

Yes      11%
No       84%
Unknown   4%

Endnotes

(1.) For more information on SARA models, see Terry Eisenberg and Bruce Glasscock, "Looking Inward with Problem-Oriented Policing," FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, July 2001, 1-5; and Loreen Wolfer, Thomas E. Baker, and Ralph Zezza, "Problem-Solving Policing: Eliminating Hot Spots," FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, November 1999, 9-14.

Captain Larsen serves with the Plantation, Florida, Police Department.