Response to Incidents Problem Oriented Policing Technology Assisted Policing

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4 UPDATED JULY 2006 The community of Santa Ana is as diverse and dynamic as any community in America. Accompanying these characteristics are natural feelings of uncertainty about the future. The community needs continuity and stability in certain basic areas of life, in particular the areas of safety and security. I believe the key to providing continuous safety and security is to have a clear and unwavering philosophy by which to guide the determination of priorities and decisions in policing. I would like to clearly state the values and beliefs I hold about the policing function in this community and the major strategies and tactics that have been implemented. I regard the ideas I have written here as fundamental and direction setting. For more than 35 years, they have helped shape my career in law enforcement. I expect them to remain relatively constant throughout the remainder of my tenure. This is not to say I will not modify my strategies in the face of change. It is to say that any such change will come only after careful study and thoughtful reflection. This statement describes a philosophy of Community Oriented Policing and specifies a vision of outcomes for our community. I believe we can fulfill this vision if we work together effectively using the two complementary policing strategies of Response to Incidents and Problem Oriented Policing and the integration of a third strategy, Technology Assisted Policing. Each of these strategies offers its contributions to 3

5 a comprehensive and balanced approach to maintaining high levels of safety and security throughout our community. Here is what I believe. The community of Santa Ana deserves and should receive nothing less than the very best police services available to any community in America. In order to do this, I believe the entire Police Department, including every sworn officer and civilian member, and all associated City officials, suppliers, vendors, and other stakeholders in our mission, must focus their full on-duty attention to meeting and satisfying the safety and security needs of our community. All Police Department decisions and actions should be taken in the context of the Department s central mission: TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF ALL PEOPLE IN OUR CITY BY PROVIDING RESPONSIVE AND PROFESSIONAL POLICE SERVICES WITH COMPASSION AND CONCERN. The reality is that in policing today, communities need both swift police response to crime and disorder, as well as crime prevention and problem solving utilizing the latest technologies. I believe that both approaches should be used with intelligence to achieve a comprehensive policing approach that serves the community in a balanced manner. I call this approach Community Oriented Policing for Santa Ana. 4

6 COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING PHILOSOPHY Community Oriented Policing (COP) is a policing philosophy based on several key values and beliefs: COP considers that the mission of the police is to provide professional, disciplined policing services designed to ensure the safety and security of our community. COP embraces two key policing strategies that are enhanced by the Technology Assisted Policing strategy: Response to Incidents and Problem Oriented Policing. COP balances the use of these three strategies through careful, continuous analysis of activity patterns that permit a different police response to different community needs. COP requires the professional commitment and creative involvement of every member of the police department, associated public and private agencies, and members of the community. COP recognizes that, regardless of a person s socio-economic status, race, national origin, language, age or religion, each person has a right to high quality police services. COP also recognizes that crime and disorder are only part of the many issues that police have to deal with in a complex and dynamic city. COP is a philosophy by which all police services are provided to the community, including all the following fundamental police functions: - Responding to the public s call for police assistance - Enforcing the law - Maintaining order in the community - Providing emergency services - Preventing crime 5

7 - Investigating criminal activity - Arresting and interviewing offenders - Collecting and analyzing evidence - Assisting with the prosecution of offenders - Testifying in court - Incarcerating offenders and managing the jail - Traffic management and services - Organized crime intelligence gathering and investigation - Vice control - Investigating drug related crimes - White collar crime - Juvenile crime - Dispute resolution - Community education - Providing information and referral - Special event management - Providing police service for special community circumstances - Working with other law enforcement agencies at the local, state, and federal levels. 6

8 OUTCOMES FROM THE COP PHILOSOPHY Since 1992, as a result of implementing these fundamental policing functions, in the context of the Community Oriented Policing Philosophy, we have substantially reduced the overall crime rate and have made great strides toward our goal of making Santa Ana one of the safest cities in the nation. I recognize that this is a continuous endeavor and I am committed to the continual production of these community outcomes: A safe and peaceful community with neighborhood pride Effective crime prevention and law enforcement Swift apprehension of offenders Safe flowing traffic No visible signs of disorder Effective relationships with the community and other organizations A vital economic climate for business and a nurturing community climate for residents. POLICE PROFESSIONALISM AND DISCIPLINE The philosophy of Community Oriented Policing is rooted in credibility between police and the community. To maintain this high quality relationship, all cases of police response to community needs, whether reactive or proactive, must meet the highest standards of discipline and professionalism. All police personnel must be carefully selected and fully trained to provide the competent services for which they are responsible. In a highly professional department, the limits of officer discretion for handling events can have wide latitude. It requires the thoughtful self-discipline of every individual in the department. However, to maintain that latitude and continue to enjoy the respect and cooperation of our community, each of us must personally share accountability to the rest of us for maintaining the highest standards of professional behavior. Failure to do this will create the consequences of low community confidence in the police. I regard it as among the most 7

9 important functions of police leadership to establish and embody such high professional standards of behavior and to ensure, without exception, that every individual in the Department does the same. Nothing less than the trust of our community and our colleagues is at stake in this regard. Without this trust, effective Community Oriented Policing is not possible. There can be no doubt about my unwavering commitment to the maintenance of professionalism and individual discipline in the Santa Ana Police Department as we respond to the emerging needs for police services in our community. THREE COMPLEMENTARY STRATEGIES I believe in the use of two complementary policing strategies for achieving a high level of excellence in fulfilling the fundamental police functions: RESPONSE TO INCIDENTS (R2I) and PROBLEM ORIENTED POLICING (POP). Neither of these two strategies has precedence over the other, and neither can be fully successful without the other. They both work toward the same goals from two different orientations. Both strategies are further complemented by the application of the TECH- NOLOGY ASSISTED POLICING (TAP) strategy. R2I is primarily oriented toward reacting to criminal or emergency events that have already occurred. It also includes responding proactively to crime patterns with anticipatory tactics such as directed patrol, targeted identifications, etc. POP is oriented to preventing criminal or emergency events from occurring. As each strategy is effective, it assists in the effectiveness of the other - they complement each other. Their impact on setting priority is to require the consideration of both orientations whenever policing decisions are being made. TAP is oriented to augmenting police services through proven and emerging technologies. 8

10 RESPONSE TO INCIDENTS Response to Incidents is oriented toward reacting to criminal or emergency events that have already occurred. In the face of such occurrences, the police function must be a swift response to establish and maintain effective control over the situation. There is no substitute for the police in this function and providing it is our most central community service. By doing so, we contribute most immediately to the mission of ensuring the safety and security of all people in our community. The R2I strategy must be carefully managed or else police resources will quickly be overwhelmed by community demands. To serve our community best through the R2I strategy, we need to continue our investment in technology, criminal case management, and crime analysis. However, we must utilize the total resources of the Department in a balanced way that produces not just activity, but results - results that can be measured against our mission statement. The increasing pressure for police services requires us to monitor demand and accurately research as many creative ways as possible to respond to the needs of the community. We know that there are many ways to respond to calls for assistance that do not require the immediate dispatching of an officer in a patrol car. Other, less expensive, responses will satisfy the need effectively. Only a relatively small percentage of calls truly require urgent police response. Those few times, however, are the times when it is important to have police resources ready and available for rapid responses. Our officers and investigators must be trained and mentally alert when they respond to calls for service and crimes in progress. Those are the times when the public may be in the greatest danger, and when the police are at greatest risk for injury or death. These difficult and emerging situations must be handled with a clear mind and purpose, and in the most expeditious manner. These are the moments for which we all train; they represent the opportunity to use our skills with intelligence, common sense, and concentrated attention to detail. We must take great care for our community and ourselves when we are responding to the legitimate needs of our community. Managing the limited resources of our Department to respond effectively to incidents and calls for service, to produce the greatest positive 9

11 advantage for the Santa Ana community, will require us to use our best informed professional judgment. I am convinced that an important part of our attention must be ready for rapid Response to Incidents - the R2I strategy. But we can t rely on this strategy alone to achieve our mission. Instead, we must balance both strategies (R2I and POP) with the use of Technology Assisted Policing. PROBLEM ORIENTED POLICING At the heart of the POP approach is the concept that police must become more responsive to the causes of crime than merely dealing with the results of crime. I believe maintaining neighborhood wellness can be more beneficial to the community than only treating neighborhood illnesses. This approach marks a significant shift in how both the public and the police view the role of law enforcement in the community. In its implementation, I believe this problem-solving approach to policing exhibits the following characteristics: A proactive, decentralized approach to providing police services which is designed to reduce crime, disorder, and by extension, the fear of crime throughout the neighborhoods of our city. Credible relationships between community members and police officials. These relationships are achieved by involving officers in neighborhoods on a long-term basis. This involvement fosters mutual trust and cooperation. A variety of proactive problem-solving techniques are applied to develop a high level of information exchange and mutual influence in determining policing priorities and tactics for the area. Police services are more effectively distributed across our community targeting high crime areas for problem-solving activities to identify and deal with the causes of crime. Undue influence of special interest groups is eliminated, allowing community-based priorities to receive the necessary services they merit. Reliance on information technology to collect and analyze data to 10

12 assist in the development of policing strategies and interventions. TECHNOLOGY ASSISTED POLICING Technology Assisted Policing (TAP) is maximizing proven and emerging technologies to equip law enforcement personnel and their partners to prevent and respond to the ever-increasing complexities associated with criminal groups and crimes being perpetrated against our community. This is even more crucial with the ever-present reality of the harm that terrorists and their supporters wish to levy upon us. We must not only be able to detect, identify, interdict, and apprehend the local criminal element that preys on our citizens, but also those who are committed to destroying our way of life as well as our quality of life. We must insure that technology is used appropriately to protect our residents and yet preciously respect and protect their privacy. While we want to rout out those that mean us harm, we want to defend vigorously the rights of those that live in our community. TAP will allow us to accomplish both. The TAP strategy complements and enhances both R2I and POP. The R2I strategy is enhanced by TAP being applied by both voice and data forms of technology, from the inception of a call or notification of an emergency, by providing the initial information followed by continuously updated support and operationally critical information. Additionally, TAP provides responders with criminal activity information in the form of geographical patterns of crimes, methods of operation, and types of crimes. 11

13 The POP strategy is supported by in-depth strategic and tactical analysis of criminal activity and enhances the characteristics outlined in the POP strategy. TAP provides the strong foundation to further the efforts of both R2I and POP. It embodies the COP philosophy and takes it to the next level. Prior to TAP, COP relied heavily on personal communication that leads to cooperation, which can never be matched. However, personal communication is limited by the opportunity for engagement and limits opportunities for cooperation. TAP capitalizes on the collective communication yielding limitless opportunities for cooperation. TAP provides opportunities to build up our community, utilizing the collective knowledge and skills of our personnel and their partners, against those that negatively impact our community. ACHIEVING THE BALANCE BETWEEN R2I, POP, AND TAP THROUGH DIFFERENTIAL POLICE RESPONSE The balance between these three complementary strategies can be achieved by intelligently applying the tactic of Differential Police Response (DPR) to calls for assistance and careful involvement with our community. DPR actions result from competent analysis of the demand patterns that are made on our Department by the community, followed by the development of imaginative alternatives to traditional police reactions - alternatives that provide even better community police services and at a lower cost than traditional rapid response. Some calls are time critical and some can be deferred. Some responses must be made in person while others can be handled by our Telephone Reporting Unit, or other city departments. 12

14 Some crimes occur as isolated incidents. Others are part of a pattern that springs from an underlying cause in the community. Some problems can be effectively addressed specifically by police. Others require the coordinated efforts of police and other agencies in the government and the community. I believe it is crucial for us to expand our range of possible responses to community needs, and allocate our resources for the best comprehensive effect in the community. For this system to work, each person needs to understand the comprehensive approach and act in ways that support achieving the Department s mission. SUMMARY This statement describes a philosophy of Community Oriented Policing, and specifies a vision of outcomes for our community that can be fulfilled if we work together effectively in the context of our Citywide Total Quality Management process. The two complementary policing strategies of Response to Incidents and Problem Oriented Policing and the corresponding strategy of Technology Assisted Policing each offer contributions to a comprehensive and balanced approach to maintaining high levels of safety and security throughout our community. This is not, and never will be, a completed statement, however. The process of Community Oriented Policing will go on indefinitely and will continue to adapt to the changing needs of our community. We all must continue to review our effectiveness, plan new and better ways to accomplish our mission, verify the appropriateness of new methods, and take the initiative to make continuous improvements in all of our police activities. In the years since this statement was first written and published, we have made considerable progress toward our goals. We have reduced crime and disorder substantially, enhanced our working relationships with other agencies, and now occupy the most modern (hi-tech) Police Administration and Jail Facility in the United States. Most importantly, together, we have created the finest Police Department in America, which has contributed significantly to an urban renewal in this community. 13

15 R2I - Response to Incidents POP - Problem Oriented Policing TAP - Technology Assisted Policing DPR - Differential Police Response 14

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