First introduced in 1993, The Herman Goldstein Award recognizes outstanding police officers and police agencies, both in the United States and around the world, that engage in innovative and effective problem-solving efforts and achieve measurable success in reducing specific crime, disorder, and public safety problems. This international competition is named after the founder of problem-oriented policing, University of Wisconsin Emeritus Professor Herman Goldstein, and administered by the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing. (The award program was administered by the Police Executive Research Forum from 1993 to 2007.)

The Center for Problem-Oriented Policing has assembled a panel of eight judges, made up of experienced researchers and practitioners, who select the winner and a small number of finalists from among award submissions. The judges consider a number of factors in their selection, including the depth of problem analysis, the development of clear and realistic response goals, the use of relevant measures of effectiveness, and the involvement of citizens and other organizations in problem resolution. Police agencies whose projects successfully resolve a recurring community crime or disorder problem are eligible to compete for the award. 

Submitting a Project

Click here for details on submitting a project to the Goldstein Award program.

Search the Goldstein Award Project Collection

Important!

The quality and focus of these submissions vary considerably. With the exception of some submissions selected as winners or finalists, these documents are unedited and are reproduced in the condition in which they were submitted. Regardless of their status in the award program, any submission may contain useful information or report innovative responses to the problems addressed.