Want more effective policing? Have officers focus on solving problems, expert says
If people think officers only need to arrest and jail offenders to solve all of a community's problems, they will be "doomed to failure," a policing expert said Monday.
"We want to encourage the police to look deeper for causation," said Michael Scott, director of the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing.
Problem-oriented policing prioritizes officers finding new strategies and solutions outside the criminal justice system to address issues in neighborhoods.
Police officers in Milwaukee and many other cities often are called upon to respond to people struggling with mental illness, substance abuse and the effects of deep, systemic problems. To address those wider problems, police need to partner with businesses, community members and other government systems, Scott said.
“We have to accept the fact that the police cannot achieve their mission by themselves," Scott said during an "On the Issues" discussion with Mike Gousha at Marquette University.
Scott was brought to Milwaukee by the Coalition for Quality Policing, a group of nearly two dozen local civil rights, advocacy, faith and service organizations. Last fall, the coalition brought in leaders from Cincinnati to detail that city's experience implementing problem-oriented policing.
RELATED:Cincinnati shares lessons on community problem-solving policing
RELATED:Federal review of Milwaukee police remains in limbo after 18 months
When asked to name departments known for effective problem-oriented policing, Scott rattled off several agencies, including Cincinnati, Portland, Ore., and two Texas departments, Arlington and Houston. He also said Sheboygan, La Crosse and Milwaukee police have done some "good work" using the strategy.
"Are there any departments where it is as institutionalized or routine as I would like to see?" Scott said. "Not many.”
The reason? It's harder work.
The basic model of patrol work has been for officers to drive around, look for trouble or wait for a dispatcher to send them to a call, he said. Then, the officer makes an arrest if possible, writes a report and repeats that process until the end of the shift.
"There's a simplicity to it," Scott said. "I'm not saying it's easy, but there's routine. ...If policing is complex, it’s going to demand some complexity in their response."
'Focused deterrence'
Departments that have used a problem-oriented approach have reported improved police-community relations and success in tackling specific crime problems. Perhaps the most famous crime-fighting example is "focused deterrence."
ARCHIVE:Focused crime strategy finds early success. Can it work in Milwaukee?
Focused deterrence traditionally has involved identifying prolific offenders and hosting call-ins where they are given community support and offered resources to turn their lives around.
They are told — often as a group — they have the attention of law enforcement and will face serious consequences, often federal charges, if arrested again.
Milwaukee has tried focused deterrence several times in the past two decades and recently used a variation of the strategy in the Center Street Corridor, from W. North Ave. to W. Burleigh St. and from N. 16th to N. 51st streets. Those efforts resulted in a 28% drop last year in nonfatal shootings to 90 from the 125 shootings in that area in 2015, according to Milwaukee police.
To get officers into the problem-oriented mind frame, they should be trained to ask good questions, such as what is the underlying problem, who is responsible and where is the data on it, Scott said.
Officers need skills in communication and a "tolerance for ambiguity," he said.
"Those who understand the world is not always black and white, right or wrong ... somebody who is capable of understanding the complexity of humans," he said.
Scott also is scheduled to speak during a town hall at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Monday and at a joint event of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee and Milwaukee Press Club on Tuesday.