Which policing approach is committed to new strategies and effectiveness evaluation?

• A. Community-oriented policing
• B. Incident-driven policing
• C. Problem-oriented policing
• D. Reactive policing

Answer: (C)

Problem-oriented policing centers on treating crime and disorder as problems with identifiable causes. It encourages developing new, targeted strategies to address those underlying issues and, crucially, evaluating whether those strategies actually reduce the problems over time. This emphasis on both innovative solutions and measuring their effectiveness is what distinguishes POP from other approaches. The process often used is the SARA model: Scanning to identify problems, Analysis to understand causes and gather data, Response to design solutions, and Assessment to determine whether the interventions worked. By focusing on root causes and requiring evaluation, POP aims to create sustainable reductions in crime and disorder rather than just reacting to individual incidents.

In contrast, community-oriented policing is centered on building relationships and partnerships with the community to prevent crime, which is valuable but not defined primarily by the systematic evaluation of new strategies. Incident-driven policing reacts to incidents as they occur, prioritizing quick responses over proactive problem-solving. Reactive policing emphasizes responding after events with limited emphasis on testing or measuring the effectiveness of new approaches.