2008 POP Conference Presentations

Keynote Address: Manipulation for Crime Preventers PDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Gloria Laycock, Professor of Crime Science, University College London

Accountability Systems in POP: Providing BackbonePDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Chief Richard Thomas, Port Washington (Wisconsin) Police Department
  • Captain Joy Citta, Lincoln (Nebraska) Police Department
  • Facilitator: Greg Saville, Director, Alternation, LLC

Accountability systems usually have a negative connotation, but by using various techniques to engage officers in POP, the Lincoln (Nebraska) and the Port Washington (Wisconsin) police departments created departmental cultures where projects are encouraged and accountability is standard procedure.

Alcohol-Fueled Problems in a Downtown: Cheers?PDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Captain Peter Ritter, Boise (Idaho) Police Department
  • Facilitator: Gary Cordner, Professor, Kutztown University

Boise was experiencing serious alcohol-related crime in its downtown entertainment district caused by over-service, underage drinking, traffic congestion and infrastructure problems. Using a variety of interesting countermeasures (setting conduct rules, stopping 'all you can drink specials', etc.) and working with a number of different stakeholders, the problem was reduced. In this session you'll hear about the approach, and in addition, the presenter will discuss how data collection could have been improved, which would have enhanced the project even further.

Closing Drug Houses: Full StopPDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Officer Todd Priebe, Sheboygan (Wisconsin) Police Department
  • Facilitator: Amy Schapiro, Senior Social Science Analyst, U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

Hear how one police officer and a group of citizens were able to shut down nearly 90 drug houses without ever having to go to court or experiencing any acts of retaliation. The approach they used involves educating citizens about how they can take back their block from a drug house and how then to resist drug dealers from coming back.

Developing Problem-Specific Surveys: Getting to the Details of CrimePDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Karin Schmerler, Supervising Analyst, Chula Vista (California) Police Department

Survey data can be powerful information when it comes to addressing crime and disorder problems. This workshop will review the benefits of conducting surveys and provide tips on administering them, using actual examples of surveys that have been employed by police departments to collect data on such issues as day laborer site disorder, red-light running, school traffic congestion, vehicle theft, business crime and disorder, problems at budget motels and apartment complexes, and transient-related issues.

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Goldstein Award Finalist!

Boston (Massachusetts) Police Department

District 14: Breaking and Entering Solution Plan (Residential Burglary)PDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Sergeant John Flynn, Boston (Massachusetts) Police Department
  • Captain Mark Hayes, Boston (Massachusetts) Police Department
  • Lead Judge: Johannes Knutsson, Professor, Norwegian Police University College, Norway

In 2006, The Boston Police Department determined that District 14, an area substantially composed of college students and young professionals, accounted for 20 percent of the city's residential breaking and entering problem. An analysis of the problem revealed that most of the activity was clustered around a handful of repeat locations and high-traffic/high-density areas that lacked proper building security and allowed for easy access. The department's response strategy included community education, targeting hot spots, and better use of police resources in the area. As result, the area experienced a 40 percent decrease in residential burglary.

Goldstein Award Finalist!

Madison (Wisconsin) Police Department

Halloween on State Street: Problem-Solving with SARA for Continuous Improvement (Crowd Disorder at a Street Festival)PDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Chief Noble Wray, Madison (Wisconsin) Police Department
  • Captain Mary Schauf, Madison (Wisconsin) Police Department
  • Captain Tom Snyder, Madison (Wisconsin) Police Department
  • Joel Plant, Assistant to the Mayor, Madison (Wisconsin)
  • Lead Judge: Lieutenant Andy Mills, San Diego (California) Police Department

"May all who seek to cause trouble be met with a mouth full of pepper spray..." the sentiment of this citizen, who was tired of the rioting and mayhem during the Madison (Wisconsin) Halloween celebration, exemplified the community's frustration with injury, property damage, and costs. The Madison Police Department utilized the SARA model, focused on the iterative nature of problem solving, and engaged a wide variety of stakeholders to realize consistent improvement of the annual Halloween party. Measures of success include decreased numbers of injuries, damage, arrests, and costs, along with increases in community-wide support, and positive media coverage.

Mainstreaming Problem-Oriented Policing in a Police AgencyPDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Chief Tom Casady Lincoln (Nebraska) Police Department
  • Assistant Chief Brian Ursino, Washington State Patrol
  • Facilitator: Rachel Boba, Assistant Professor, Florida Atlantic University

Problem-oriented policing reaches its potential when it moves from a strategy used by a few officers into an approach that is embraced by the entire department. Lincoln (Nebraska) Chief Tom Casady, will focus on methods and ideas for getting POP out of the "problem-oriented policing unit" or the "community policing unit," and into the core operations of the agency as part of the normal work style of street police officers and first-line supervisors. Washington State Patrol's Assistant Chief Brian Ursino will describe his experience leading an organizational transformation through a comprehensive revision to the department's systems and infrastructure, ultimately reengineering the agency's culture.

Metal Theft: It's a StealPDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Captain Joy Citta, Lincoln (Nebraska) Police Department
  • Officer Pete Bellmer, Puyallup (Washington) Police Department
  • Facilitator: Brandon Kooi, Criminal Justice Chair, Aurora University

Metal theft is a significant problem here and abroad. Police departments are struggling to reduce the problem even as the demand for certain types of metal increases. The Lincoln (Nebraska) Police Department examined its problem and, among other things, designed an interesting intervention to reduce the number of sellers and to keep track of the remaining sellers. The Puyallup (Washington) Police Department also examined its metal theft problem, and among other things, tried to make certain metals less useful to a thief and increased interventions at hot spots. In both cases, the departments also looked at the role of the recycler, and in the end, helped change state legislation.

Goldstein Award Finalist!

Lancashire Constabulary (United Kingdom)

Moppin' Up Dodge (Crime and Disorder in a Neighborhood)PDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Dave Johnson, Community Beat Manager, Lancashire Constabulary (United Kingdom)
  • Gary Salisbury, Community Beat Manager, Lancashire Constabulary (United Kingdom)
  • Sue Roach, Community Gateway Association, Lancashire (United Kingdom)
  • Lead Judge: Deputy Chief Ron Glensor, Reno (Nevada) Police Department

Taking on a problem neighborhood? Hear how officers in Lancashire turned one neighborhood around-an area of mostly government-subsidized housing rife with vandalism, gang activity, drug dealing, and antisocial behavior-using precise analysis of specific offenders, specific hot spots, and crime-prone places. Community input was a significant part of this project. Police asked community members to "map" the most problematic places. Responses included a focus on repeat offenders, redesign of crime places, community engagement, and restorative justice. This project was also the winner of UK's 2007 Tilley Award for Problem-Oriented Policing.

Goldstein Award Winner!

Lancashire Constabulary (United Kingdom)

Operation Pasture: Reducing Road Casualties in the Rural CommunitiesPDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Constable Keith Collins, Lancashire Constabulary (United Kingdom)
  • Lead Judge: Gisela Bichler, Assistant Professor, California State University, San Bernardino

In 2006, rural roads in the United Kingdom's (UK) Lake District were rated as the third worst in the UK for injury collisions, and farm vehicles were a major contributor. The area is dotted with outlying farms, and year after year, highway disruption incidents and injury-collision were attributable to mud on roads and farm vehicles emerging from rain-sodden fields with limited visibility. After solid analysis, a constable came up with an innovative, collaborative, and sustaining response using a multipronged approach, resulting in a 100 percent drop in serious collisions. The project reduced harms from crashes, saved resources for the police and highway authorities, and brought the community and several national associations together to turn the problem around.

Goldstein Award Finalist!

Arlington Texas Police Department

Operation Spotlight (Drug and Prostitution Markets)PDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Deputy Chief Jaime Ayala, Arlington (Texas) Police Department
  • Lieutenant Jennifer White, Arlington (Texas) Police Department
  • Lead Judge: Lieutenant Andy Mills, San Diego (California) Police Department

The City of Arlington, Texas, has enjoyed a thriving tourism industry including the Texas Rangers baseball team, Six Flags Over Texas, Hurricane Harbor theme parks, the Arlington Convention Center, and specialty retail, restaurants, and hotels, yet has battled visible social decay permeating the entertainment district. A comprehensive, multifaceted plan was developed to address the long time issues of street prostitution, homelessness, and drugs within the entertainment district. This interdisciplinary effort included partnering with various city and state departments, creating citizen and business stakeholder groups, adopting new laws, civil legal remedies, and a unique public information campaign. The multifaceted approach has resulted in a sustained reduction in calls for service, decreased Part I crimes, and a noticeable improvement in the quality of life within the district.

POP in a Midsized CityPDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Chief Tom Casady Lincoln (Nebraska) Police Department
  • Facilitator: Deborah Lamm Weisel, Associate Professor, North Carolina State University

Applying the problem-solving approach to the issues confronted by the police in midsized cities yields results far beyond those achieved by merely responding to calls for service, and can help lower crime and reduce disorder much more effectively than the continuing cycle of respond-investigate-report. Using examples of actual problems and real POP projects, this session is intended to exchange information on a process for approaching issues from a problem-oriented perspective, which makes police departments more effective at meeting their core responsibilities.

POP: Tools to Getting It DonePDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Brandon Kooi, Criminal Justice Chair, Aurora University

So, how do you really get POP done? This session will introduce you to all the resources that are just a touch of an Internet button away to help you do POP well. You'll learn about the more than 75 POP guides, how to use them, how to find help with analysis and how to think about measuring the impact on a crime or safety problem that you want to take on. You'll see how to learn from winning projects and how to find POP projects similar to the one you want to tackle. This session will be interactive. Feel free to bring questions and share your challenges, as well as successes, with the group.

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Goldstein Award Finalist!

Transport for London (United Kingdom)

A Problem-Oriented Approach to Tackling Youth Crime and Antisocial Behaviour on London BusesPDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Steve Burton, Deputy Director, Transport Policing and Enforcement, Transport for London (United Kingdom)
  • Lead Judge: Deputy Chief Ron Glensor, Reno (Nevada) Police Department

In 2006, increasing political, media, and public attention were directed at the growth in youth crime and antisocial behavior on London's iconic bus network. The mayor of London in 2005 made a policy decision to introduce free bus travel for young people that was highly criticized for what was described as 'soaring youth crime,' 'uncontrollable hooligans (yobs) terrorising buses' and 'free travel bus louts.' The Transport for London adopted a comprehensive problem-solving approach to deal with these problems and developed a program of integrated activities in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Service. This included problem-solving policing teams working on local transport crime and disorder priorities in conjunction with the local community. As a result, allegations of crime on the bus network involving one or more suspects under the age of 16 in 2007-8 was 24 percent lower than the prior year, and when taking into account the rate of youth crime per million bus passenger journeys, the rate/per million journey for this category of youth crime fell by 30 percent.

Problem-Solving in Small Towns and Suburban CommunitiesPDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Chief Richard Thomas, Port Washington (Wisconsin) Police Department
  • Commander Bryan Jeter, Puyallup (Washington) Police Department
  • Facilitator: Amy Schapiro, Senior Social Science Analyst, U.S. Department of Justice, COPS Office

Small towns and suburban communities are also the perfect places for problem-oriented policing. Hear about adopting POP from two different police leaders, one from Port Washington (Wisconsin), a small town, and the other from Puyallup (Washington), a suburban community. Also learn about the "organizational culture" issues they faced and the strategies they used to help institutionalize change.

Reporting to the Community about Problem-Solving Crime-Reduction EffortsPDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Chris Bruce, President, International Association of Crime Analysts

Problem-oriented policing and community policing encourage police agencies to involve community members as active partners in crime reduction. A true partnership requires police to tell the community what we know about the extent and characteristics of crime and safety issues, including what strategies the agency has tried, and whether those efforts have failed or succeeded. But making a commitment to provide such information raises an army of issues. Do we provide data or only processed information? How much context and explanation do we include? To whom do we give the information, and using what mechanisms? How do we distinguish between information the public has a right to receive, and information that we actively want them to receive (and act upon)-and how does this distinction affect our dissemination strategies? What reasons do we have for withholding information, and which have legitimacy? Using findings, stories, and products from several POP agencies, this session explores these questions and others as we review the ups and downs, ins and outs of keeping the public informed.

Situational Crime Prevention, One of the Coolest Parts of POPPDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Brandon Kooi, Criminal Justice Chair, Aurora University

If you don't know about situational crime prevention (SCP), this is a must-attend workshop. Cops are using it more and more to reduce crime because it is practical, easy to use, and it works. Learn how SCP is highly effective in property offenses, as well as violent crimes. If you are new to SCP, you will likely not look at your job the same way following this session.

State Policing and Problem-Solving: The Road to POPPDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Assistant Commissioner Ramona Prieto, California Highway Patrol
  • Assistant Chief Brian Ursino, Washington State Patrol
  • Facilitator: Gary Cordner, Professor, Kutztown University

State policing and problem-oriented policing (POP) are a great fit. Hear how the California Highway Patrol and the Washington State Patrol use POP to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries, improve road and rider safety, and even apply POP to nontraffic problems. The California Highway Patrol is a two-time winner of the top prize for the Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem-Oriented Policing and the Washington State Patrol, which adopted an agencywide approach to POP, is a current Goldstein finalist, and is up for the top prize this year with its motorcycle safety and crash-reduction project.

Super Controllers of Crime: Can I Be Your Superman?PDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Rana Sampson, Consultant, Center for Problem-Oriented Policing
  • John Eck, Professor, University of Cincinnati

What's next after the apartment complex owner says he's done all he can to eliminate drug dealing in his apartment complex but he really hasn't. What if the motel manager says she can't raise the room price or request I.D. because corporate won't let her? What do you do if the store won't voluntarily stop selling the 40-ouncers that the chronic inebriates buy? What if some violent offenders are not being held accountable? What if the university won't do enough to reduce rape victimizations? Sounds like you need some super controllers. Learn about who and what they are and how to bring them to life.

What's Next in POP?PDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Gloria Laycock, Director, University College London (UCL) Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science and Director, UCL Centre for Security and Crime Science
  • Facilitator: Herman Goldstein

This interactive workshop will discuss several potential futures for POP-some brighter than others! It will consider the complexity of some problems and the implications of that complexity for routine POP; access to the latest research for practitioners and the implications of that for POP; and the role of the police analyst in POP. It will also discuss the challenges of organizational change.

What You Need to Know About Crime Analysis to Do Problem-SolvingPDF

Presenters / Facilitators:

  • Rachel Boba, Assistant Professor, Florida Atlantic University

This session will provide you with everything your agency needs to incorporate systematic crime analysis into your problem-solving activities. Examples of short-term and long-term analysis as well as analysis for CompStat-like programs will be highlighted. The discussion will focus on how these products can be used and adjusted, based on the size of an agency and type of activity in the jurisdiction. You will walk away from the session with concrete ideas for crime analysis with problem solving that you can implement in your agency when you return home.

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