A community ___ involves two or more crime or disorder incidents of a similar nature within a community.

• A. Pattern
• B. Incident
• C. Crisis
• D. Problem

Answer: (D)

In policing problem solving, when two or more crime or disorder incidents of a similar nature occur in a community, that series signals a broader issue that deserves a focused response. Labeling it as a problem provides a framework for applying a structured, proactive approach to reduce or eliminate the underlying causes, not just react to each incident. This aligns with problem-oriented policing: you scan for patterns, analyze underlying factors, and design targeted interventions to address root causes, then assess whether those efforts reduce the incidents over time. The other terms don’t capture that need for a deliberate, multi-incident, area-wide response: a pattern highlights recurrence but not the formal problem-solving process; an incident is a single event; a crisis is a sudden, urgent event. So the best fit is problem.