2006 POP Conference Presentations

Closing Drug Houses: Going, Going, Gone PPT

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Officer Todd Priebe, Sheboygan (WI) Police Department
  • Professor Brandon Kooi, Lakeland College (WI)
  • Police Constable Maurice Brodeur, Edmonton (Canada) Police Service

Between them, the Sheboygan P.D. and Edmonton Police Service, have closed over 200 drug houses. Learn how an officer in each of these departments (and their partners) did it. In both cases, nontraditional approaches were used. This session pairs a Goldstein Finalist project from 2005 (Sheboygan) with an up and comer (Edmonton) on the drug house closure scene.

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Tackling the Ill Effects of Drug Rehab Housing and Drug/Alcohol Centers in NeighbourhoodPPT

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Police Constable Alex Game, Avon and Somerset Constabulary
  • Lyndsey Farmery, Avon and Somerset Constabulary
  • Tracy Hayler, Avon and Somerset Constabulary

Do you have drug rehab housing or drug/alcohol centers in your community? Are they well run? They can be and you can reduce the ill effects these types of centers have in your community. Hear how it was done in Avon and Somerset, UK. U.S. police will be surprised to see how similar the problems faced by Avon and Somerset are to those here in the U.S. and how these presenters innovative work can help U.S. cops make similar strides. Two evaluations of the project show wide impact on the problem and an accreditation system is now in place to ensure that future service providers of drug and alcohol community services live up to requisite standards. This project was the second runner up for the 2006 Tilley Award. The Tilley Award is the U.K. equivalent of the Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem-Oriented Policing.

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Dis-Serving the Community: Problem BarsPPT

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Mayor Dave Ross, Superior (WI)
  • Tim Schertz, Night Club Owner, Stevens Point (WI)
  • Crime Analyst Nicole DeMotto, Madison (WI)

In this session youll hear how three communities have dealt with the issue of problem bars. Mayor Dave Ross of Superior (WI) will discuss his efforts to turn the alcohol drenched reputation of his city around. Night Club owner Tim Schertz of Stevens Point (WI) will provide insight on the tactics he has used to limit problems in his club, which hosts upwards of 1,600 people from Thursday through Sunday each week. Finally, Nicole DeMotto, a Madison (WI) P.D. problem analyst, will talk about the study her Department did of Madisons alcohol problems and ways to manage them in the downtown area, including an alcohol density and traffic management plan.

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Affordable and Sometimes Dangerous: Unlinking Crime from Section 8 HousingPDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • John Campbell, President, Campbell Delong Resources, Inc.
  • Sam Wade, Beaverton Police Department, retired

Have you ever heard a cop say this when talking about government subsidized rental assistance housing, thats Section 8; we cant do anything about the problems at that place? If you have, then this workshop is for you. In this session, experts will share their approaches to reducing crime in government subsidized (rental assistance) properties and rentals where Section 8 vouchers are used. John Campbell is a national expert on this topic and is the creator of the Landlord Training programs that are in use across the country. Retired officer Sam Wade used these techniques in Beaverton, Oregon. Come learn about the results that can be achieved

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Crime Problems in Malls: Let's Talk Shop

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Sgt. Jeff Schwiesow, Bloomington (MN) Police Department
  • Security Manager Greg Henricks, Mall of America, Bloomington (MN), Simon Property Group

More and more we hear about crime and violence in malls. What are different ways to turn crime problems in malls around? In this session, youll hear from two people who do just that at the Mall of America (MOA), the largest mall in America. MOA is the most visited shopping mall in the world with more than 40 million visitors annually (or roughly eight times the population of the state of Minnesota), and the Mall is about to expand to include a 7-acre amusement park. Hear how these folks have thought through youth-related misdeeds, problems at bars in the mall, problems at the transit station that riders use to come to the mall, and gang-related incidents at the mall. Also hear their advice about environmental redesign to reduce crime.

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Open-Air Drug Markets: Analyzing the Details, Closing Off Opportunities

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Tamara Madensen, University of Cincinnati Ph.D. candidate
  • Sergeant Andy Mills, San Diego (CA) Police Department

Some cities have had great success in closing open-air drug markets. If you work in one that hasnt, then this is the workshop for you. Learn about the conditions that facilitate open-air drug markets, what information needs to be collected to turn your open-air drug market problem around, the different techniques for closing them (there are multiple), and how to measure the impact youve had.

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Goldstein Award Finalist!

Port St. Lucie (FL) Police Department

Bulldozing Construction Site BurglaryPPT

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Sergeant Roberto Santos, Port St. Lucie (FL) Police Department
  • Assistant Professor Rachel Boba, Florida Atlantic University

In Port St. Lucie, Florida, a community with enormous growth, there are over 6,000 homes under construction at any given time. Crime at construction sites constituted a fairly large proportion of property crime. Analysis undertaken across many data sources, including observations of construction sites, revealed that only 20% of builders were the victims of nearly 70% of the crimes. The analysis also revealed pinch points for reducing the problem, resulting in steady declines in monthly construction site burglaries over the last two years even as building levels have risen slightly higher.

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Analyzing Gangs: Are We Getting the Picture Right?PPT

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Errika Fearbry Jones, Gang Free Schools and Communities Director, Pittsburgh Board of Education

 

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Drunk Driving: Gaining Ground with a Whole New RidePPT

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Professor Emeritus Mike Rothschild, University of Wisconsin

Social marketing is a way to change the environment in order to manage behavior. In this framework, desired benefits for the target group are increased while barriers to their behavior are decreased, relative to the choices available. The Road Crew Program offers rides to and from bars in older luxury vehicles so that 21-34 year olds do not need to drive themselves. Since the implementation of the program, alcohol related crashes have decreased by 17%, drinking has not increased, and the program became self sustaining within one year.

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Street Drinkers: Is There Another Route?PPT

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Police Constable Tim Otway, London Metropolitan Police Service
  • Area Team Manager David Johnson, Community Safety Unit, Southwark (UK)

In the Camberwell district of London, street drinkers had a presence for years but what was once just the odd one or two street drinkers on the benches in a park grew to large groups congregating in the main public areas. A survey showed that there were over 120 street drinkers with a hardcore group of about 30 causing most of the problems. Some were involved in drug use, others in prostitution, along with more typical aggressive panhandling issues. After a thorough analysis pointed to different avenues for intervention a different approach was used to help address the hardcore public drinkers. As a result, street drinking has been substantially reduced, although it is an on-going project. Still, the project has been independently evaluated showing large reductions in the street drinking population and a wider take up of services by former street drinkers. This project was the third runner up for the prestigious 2006 Tilley Award. The Tilley Award is the U.K. equivalent of the Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem-Oriented Policing.

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Child Pornography: Upping the ResponsePDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Associate Professor Richard Wortley, Griffith University

The treatment of children as sexual objects has existed through the ages, and so too has the production of erotic literature and drawings involving children. However, the advent of the Internet in the 1980s dramatically changed the scale and nature of the child pornography problem, and has required new approaches to investigation and control. Internet child pornography is unlike most crimes local police departments handle. An investigation that begins in one police district will almost certainly cross jurisdictional boundaries, requiring cooperation among jurisdictions, often at an international level. However, within this broader scheme, local police departments have a crucial role to play. By concentrating on components of the problem that occur within their local jurisdictions, they may uncover evidence that initiates a wider investigation. Alternatively, they may receive information from other jurisdictions about offenders in their districts. Because of the increasing use of computers in society, most police departments are likely to encounter Internet child pornography crimes. Therefore, it is important that all police departments develop strategies for dealing with the problem. This workshop will present: a brief definition and history of child pornography; an examination of the role of the Internet in escalating the problem of child pornography; a profile of child pornography users, and an examination of the effects of child pornography; an examination of the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies in controlling child pornography; and suggested prevention responses to the problem of child pornography.

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Goldstein Award Finalist!

High Point (NC) Police Department

Eliminating Overt Drug MarketsZIP

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Chief Jim Fealy, High Point (NC) Police Department
  • Marty Sumner, High Point (NC) Police Department
  • Professor David Kennedy, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
  • Rev. Jim Summey, English Road Baptist Church, High Point (NC)

Open-air drug markets in High Point (North Carolina) were fueling violence in the community. Police, with the help of a researcher, designed and implemented a strategy to eliminate overt drug trafficking. The strategy dramatically improved conditions in High Points most troubled neighborhoods and reduced drug and violent crime city-wide. Most importantly, it did so in a way that addressed and repaired deep historic racial divisions in the community. This initiative involved few arrests, few traditional practices, and resulted in a complete transformation of the areas. The results were immediate and have been sustained for over two years. The neighborhoods themselves have now taken responsibility for safety in the community.

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Surveillance Cameras: Flavor of the Month or Thinking Like the Bad Guy?

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Associate Professor Jerry Ratcliffe, Temple University

Is CCTV the right answer to solve your crime problem? They may be flavor of the month, the mayor wants cameras, the police chief has read some articles on CCTV, and a private company is currently touting the latest system, but will CCTV work in your town? This session gets to the bottom of CCTV effectiveness by making participants think like a criminal. Only in this way is it possible to assess the value of public surveillance as a crime prevention measure. Backed by a theoretical understanding of offender motivation, the session will summarize the latest evaluations of CCTV effectiveness, describe the key questions to ask in your problem analysis, and identify the criteria necessary to make the most of your CCTV system.

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School Vandalism, School Bullying, School Rules?PPT

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Police Constable Marcus Cator, Hampshire Constabulary
  • Police Constable Stephen Hawkins, Hampshire Constabulary

Mayfield School in Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK, had a reputation for criminal activity. The Hampshire Constabulary used a strategy similiar to POP called PRIME, Problem Resolution in a Multi-agency Environment Strategy and applied it to its study of Mayfield School. The Mayfield School cost the police service more than 42,000 British pounds (nearly $80,000 U.S. dollars) in investigative costs and over 20,000 British pounds (nearly $38,000) to repair vandalism over 2 years. Crime was a problem at the school, so was bullying, and other anti-social behavior. Community residents lived in fear of groups of youths who loitered around the school. Constables analyzed the problem, developing both short and long term strategies resulting in a 40% reduction in the need for police at the school, a 95% reduction in mobile phone thefts, and a 100% reduction in vandalism and vehicle crime.

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Goldstein Award Finalist!

Lancashire Constabulary (UK)

Thorpe Close: Turing Around a Government Subsidized Housing AreaPPT

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Chief Jim Fealy, High Point (NC) Police Department
  • Police Constable Gareth Pearson, Lancashire Constabulary
  • Police Constable Stephen Armes, Lancashire Constabulary

On the Northern Gateway into Preston, Lancahsire UK, this 1960s council housing occupying four streets fell into disrepair and became difficult to rent. Short-term tenancies became commonplace, some units remained vacant, and the property became increasingly attractive to criminals and drug-related crime and disorder took over. The cycle of crime and damage increased rapidly together with police calls for service due to thriving criminal activity and a community in despair. When all criminal residents and their known associates were taken into account, it showed a neighborhood under siege by literally hundreds of offenders with thousands of criminal convictions between them. The city had no plans for intervention but the constables, and those in the partnerships they formed, gathered information and data to support the need for various levels of government intervention in multiple forms, including a complete environmental redesign of the most problematic parts of the housing tracts. The effort resulted in significant violent crime and property crime reductions, over 50% for most crimes within these categories, and a satisfied tenancy now taking responsibility for their own neighborhood.

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Designing Products against CrimePPT

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Paul Ekblom, Co-Director, Design Against Crime Research Center, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design

Products can be designed to reduce their vulnerability to crime. This presentation will cover a number of important aspects of designing against crime, including an overview of whats been done and whats not been done so far (cell phones, cars, laptops, handbags, chairs), key distinctions between secure versus security products, design versus engineering solutions, troublesome tradeoffs between crime prevention and other design requirements such as convenience, safety and aesthetics, the engagement of police in design research, the education of designers to a think thief orientation, and how to handle offenders who adapt to new designs.

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Goldstein Award Winner!

Transport for London (UK)

Safer Rides: Reducing Sexual Assaults in London's Illegal TaxisZIP

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Deputy Director Steve Burton, Transport Policing and Enforcement Directorate, Transport for London

In 2002, a London Metropolitan Police Service study revealed that drivers of illegal minicabs committed a reported 212 sexual offences between October 2001 and September 2002, including the rape of 54 women. The number of sexual assaults in illegal minicabs was rising and forming a substantial proportion of those sexual assaults in London committed by offenders not previously known to the victim. This was a serious problem affecting Londoners and visitors to London. Statistics showed that unlicensed minicabs provided a cover for other serious crime in London as well and local isolated responses were having a limited effect. Traditionally, the response would be to focus on detecting and apprehending the offender. Little else was being done to address the other elements of the problem analysis triangle, i.e. victim and location. A coordinated, systematic and broader approach was used to address all elements resulting in a decrease in sexual assaults, including rape.

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Check Fraud: Taking Care of Business by Getting Businesses and Customers to Change their WaysPPT

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Chief Tim Vasquez, San Angelo (TX) Police Department
  • Lt. Curtis Milbourn, San Angelo (TX) Police Department

Over the past few years San Angelo, Texas, experienced a sharp rise in identity theft related crimes, particularly check forgery. The police department believed that retailers needed to implement identification verification procedures to reduce or displace forgeries. The police started a communitywide campaign to safeguard against identity theft, specifically targeting forgeries. Ultimately, the San Angelo Police Department was able to persuade large retail stores, such as Wal-Mart, to completely change their practices. The result was a sharp decline in the number of forgeries for those stores that did.

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Crime Analysts' Hot IdeasZIP

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Assistant Professor Rachel Boba, Florida Atlantic University
  • Crime Reduction Officer Alan Edmunds, Hampshire Constabulary

Come hear from crime analysts about ways to cut through the large amounts of data police collect to produce analysis and statistics that are useful for problem-solving at various levels- both short and long term. Examples of specific crimes will highlight analysis techniques used to determine more robust patterns of repeat incidents, repeat locations, repeat victims, or problem streets. Most importantly, successful practical application of these analysis techniques will be presented. Whether you are a creator or a consumer of analysis, this session will provide concrete ideas for you to take back to your agency and implement.

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Motel Crime: Room to ImprovePPT

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Officer Kevin Barnes, Reno (NV) Police Department
  • Officer Tim Mayes, Reno (NV) Police Department

Officers Kevin Barnes and Tim Mayes recognized that a large amount of crime was directly related to the small low budget motels in downtown Reno. They formed a unit called the Motel Interdiction Team (MIT). MIT specializes in new and innovative concepts to combat crime ridden motels. Thus far, they have turned 10 motels around. Their concepts have dramatically reduced crime, and changed the culture of Renos low budget motels.

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Theft from Auto: Disc-ontinuing CD Player TheftZIP

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Detective Inspector Simon Weigold, South Yorkshire Constabulary
  • Crime Reduction Officer John Mynett, South Yorkshire Constabulary

The theft of compact disc (CD) players from Ford Focus cars grew to alarming levels in late 2005. Detailed analysis revealed that the Focus cars had design faults, which criminals were exploiting. Come learn how the police, together with numerous partners, were able to gain exact figures for the number of actual thefts, going beyond police records to get these, and through hard work and innovation were able to counteract future thefts, recover stolen CD players, and ultimately make the case for design changes in the cars.

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CPTED - Time for an Upgrade?PPT

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Paul Ekblom, Co-Director, Design Against Crime Research Center, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) has been around for some 30 years. Its concepts and terminology remain rather detached from the rest of criminology, crime prevention and POP; and they are in need of tightening up to reflect wider developments in theory and practice. This presentation will identify some limitations to CPTED, suggest extensions and improvements, and discuss how security and defensible space relate to other elements in the new urbanism, such as permeability and accessibility.

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CPTED - Time for an Upgrade?ZIP

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Detective William Shingleton, Louisville (KY) Police Department
  • Police Constable Mick Gear, Hampshire (UK) Constabulary

Two crash reduction efforts by officers in two different departments are showcased in this workshop. In Louisville, KY, an abnormally high volume of vehicular wrecks were occurring along a well-traveled portion of a scenic highway. Officer Shingletons analysis of the crashes and of the roadway design made the case for roadway changes resulting in significant reductions in highway collisions and reduced demand for police and emergency service response along the highway. In Hampshsire, UK and the Isle of Man, motorcycles accounted for four percent of registered vehicles but were involved in 31% of fatalities. Crashes concentrated on three main routes. Using a multi-pronged approach of highly tailored education provided at precise times, enforcement when needed, and roadway design changes, Police Constable Mick Gear reduced fatalities on these routes and reduced the number of motorcycle crashes involving serious injuries.

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Tilley Award Finalist!

Lancashire Constabulary (UK)

When an Industry's Practices Kill: Turning the Tide, Operation SeaquestPPT

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Police Constable Keith Collins, Lancashire Constabulary
  • Police Constable Ian Johnston, Lancashire Constabulary
  • Inspector Jill Johnston, Lancashire Constabulary

Morecambe Bay in Lancashire UK is rich with cockle beds where harvesting the shellfish is subject to the dangers of fast moving tides. In February 2004, 23 Chinese nationals farming these shell fish tragically lost their lives because of fast tides. Cockle-harvesting is a multi- million dollar business, drawing hundreds to the area daily for harvesting, as well as to other parts of the UK and Wales. Many unsafe practices accompanied the industry portending additional disasters. Lancashire Constabulary developed an intelligence-led approach around safe-working practices as a means of preventing future disasters, resulting in building the capacity of the industry to regulate itself, including the credentials of those hired, to the type of vehicles safe to ride on the sand and in the tidewaters. This project is the 2006 Tilley Award winner. The Tilley Award is the U.K. equivalent of the Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem-Oriented Policing.

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Sexual Abuse of Children: Can We Limit Opportunities? PDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Associate Professor Richard Wortley, Griffith University

Explanations of sexual offending against children have traditionally focused on the internal psychological characteristics of offenders that are assumed to drive the offenders deviant behavior. The situational crime prevention perspective, on the other hand, examines the immediate behavioral setting to identify factors that encourage or permit sexual abuse. Research increasingly indicates that opportunities and other environmental conditions have a significant impact on the occurrence of sexual abuse of children. It is argued in this workshop that the prevention of the sexual abuse of children may be achieved by systematically identifying and altering these problematic environmental elements. The workshop will present: a brief review of the key elements of situational prevention; an examination of a number of widely-held myths about child sexual abuse, and the evidence that situational factors play an important role in sexual offending against children; a typology of sexual offenders based on the role that situational factors play in their offending; an examination of the different settings in which sexual abuse of children occurs; and suggested situational strategies for preventing sexual abuse of children.

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Residential Burglary: Secure by Design?PPT

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Officer Mike Betten, Overland Park (KS) Police Department

In the summer of 1996, an Overland Park (KS) neighborhood was devastated when four women were sexually assaulted during the course of four home invasions. At the request of residents, the Police Department ventured into the community and conducted countless residential security surveys. At the time of the invasions, common recommendations for securing a home included the installation of an alarm system, the use of a deadbolt with a one-inch throw and installing three-inch screws through the strike plate of the door frame. However, one door type, the side-light entry way, caused officers concern because there were no known recommendations for securing it. The Police Department partnered with two homebuilders and began testing various methods for securing doors. The tests identified vulnerabilities in securing different door types. Testing also resulted in follow up investigation regarding the crime of burglary resulting in a change in strategies to prevent it. As it turned out, strategies the Department had recommended were ineffective, as were those of many police agencies. This led to further examination of other practices around the crime of burglary leading to further changes in what the Department recommended as good strategies for citizens and a change in building codes to reflect prevention mechanisms that can be built in. Other cities have since adopted these practices.

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Principles of Problem Solving in a Free Society

This guided discussion will explore the core values that should inform police problem-solving efforts in a free and democratic society. Recognizing that police often have choices in problem-solving, what values should shape both the process by which police address problems and the choice of tactics and strategies they employ? Such values might include: effectiveness, respecting human dignity, insistence upon hard evidence, minimal coercion/force, making the community more visually attractive, minimal cost, equal treatment of groups and individuals, and shared responsibility, among others. Values inevitably shape police decisions-whether consciously or subconsciously. How can police chief executives encourage a more explicit consideration of values in problem-solving and which values should they emphasize? This discussion might lead to tangible guidelines that help police officers improve their problem-solving decision-making.

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Situational Crime Prevention in Correctional FacilitiesPDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Associate Professor Richard Wortley, Griffith University

It is often argued that, because correctional facilities house people who repeatedly violate societys rules, violence and misbehaviour among inmates is inevitable. However, there is a great deal of evidence to show that inmate misbehavior varies considerably from one institution to the next, depending upon the nature of the correctional environment and how the institution is run. Situational crime prevention provides a useful model for examining the role of correctional environments in inmate misbehaviour. This workshop examines how situational crime prevention techniques can help address problems such as inmate violence, sexual assault, self harm, escapes, drug use and collective disorder. The situational prevention model suggests that correctional administrators need to adopt micro-level, problem-solving approaches to inmate misbehaviour, focussing on the relationship between particular aspects of the environment and particular kinds of behaviour. This involves a detailed analysis -- the what, where, when and why -- of the behaviour to be prevented. The solution to any misbehaviour must be tailor-made and can vary from case to case depending upon the dynamics of the problem. The workshop will present: a brief review of the key elements of situational prevention, highlighting the crucial distinction between crime opportunities and crime precipitators; a discussion of how situational principles apply in a correctional setting, contrasting traditional approaches to prison control with the situational approach; an examination of the research literature on what works in countering inmate misbehaviour; a model of situational prison control, contrasting strategies that involve tightening-up and loosening-off the correctional regime; and a case study demonstrating the application of situational prevention techniques in a correctional environment.

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Drug-Related Violence: Trafficking a New Plan

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Lt. Colonel John Skinner, Baltimore (MD) Police Department

In 2005 the Community Safe Zone Project was piloted in the Western District of Baltimore. While the area is 3 square miles it encompasses some of Baltimores most violent and distressed neighborhoods. Within many of these neighborhoods, patterns of violence have become systemic within the fabric and culture of the community. Since 1970, there have been over 1,700 murders within the Western District, with an annual average of over 48 murders per year. Statistically, it is common for neighborhoods within the Western District to experience significant patterns of violence within very short periods of time. Often traditional enforcement strategies and the progression of criminal investigations lack the ability to quickly stabilize a neighborhood. The Safe Zone Project was placed operationally into five targeted neighborhoods for four week (28 day) cycles and was applied through five consistent components: Redirection of Non-Residential Traffic Patterns; Coordination of Targeted City Resources; Coordination and Deployment of Social Service Outreach Teams; Organization Police Sponsored Community Events; and Implementation of Violence Intervention Program for High Risk Juveniles. Through the implementation of these five components, the Community Safe Zone Project immediately stopped patterns of violence and established long term stability within the targeted neighborhood.

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Developing Better Police Recruits with Problem-Based Learning: What's in it for You?

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Director Greg Saville, Alternation, LLC

Many POP training programs are add-ons with limited long-term results. The culture of policing has not always been kind to POP. In response to this persistent obstacle, the COPS Office has spent the past 5 years funding innovative research and development of state-of- the-art education methods into police training. Known as problem based learning (PBL), the new teaching approach helps encourage the values of critical thinking and problem solving at the earliest stages of an officers career. The program began 5 years ago with a field training program called PTO. That approach is now used by over 40 agencies in two countries. In this session Gregory Saville, a co-developer of that program, will describe how PBL works in both field training and in academies. He will also describe the on-going Instructor Certification program in PBL which has certified hundreds of PBL and PTO instructors.

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Calming the Waters: Policing Crime and Misbehavior on Recreational WaterwaysPPT

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Captain Jim Kerns, Boise (ID) Police Department

The City of Boise has grown substantially in the last several years. With a population of approximately 205,000 residents, it is now the third largest city in the Northwest United States. Because of the growth, there is an increased demand on all city and county resources, including the Boise River. During the last several years, the behavior of floaters on the river has become less tolerable to the general public. Drunken, rowdy, and obscene behavior became commonplace. Citizens, parks and recreation workers, and even volunteers complained about the behavior. Traditional law enforcement methods were ineffective and costly, and after exploring the problems extensively, contributing factors were identified and each one addressed producing a family-friendly and community-supported river float that reduced drunken and uncivil actions of river floaters. There was a significant cost reduction with the new strategies as well, from $101,100 to $53,177, including police, fire, and parks department costs.

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Analyzing Gangs: Are We Getting the Picture Right?PPT

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Errika Fearbry Jones, Gang Free Schools and Communities Director, Pittsburgh Board of Education

What do you know about your community's gang situation? Do you have the full picture? How do you begin to gather gang intelligence? What are schools seeing? What is the community's perspective on gangs? What data should be collected? This presentation discusses a comprehensive approach to collecting and analyzing gang data.

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