Collaborative Problem Solving

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Collaborative Problem Solving
Presented by
YOUR NAME HERE!

• Course overheads

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Recent Notes on Community Policing

• 1974 Kansas City Preventive Patrol
• 1980 Rapid Response Studies
• 1981 Differential Response Studies
• Foot Patrols
• Broken Windows/Fear Reduction
• 1994 The Crime Act--COPS Office

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The Core Components of Community Policing

• Community Partnership
• Problem Solving
• Organizational Transformation

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The Community Policing Consortium
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The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)
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Community Policing Defined

• Organizational philosophy
• Management approach
• Facilitates partnerships
• Addresses
• fear
• causes of crime
• quality-of-life issues

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Principles of Community Policing

• Trust
• Accountability
• Change
• Vision
• Partnerships
• Empowerment
• Problem Solving
• Leadership
• Equality
• Service

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Module I

• Introduction to
• Problem Solving

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Course Expectations

• Strengthen Problem Solving Skills
• Learn Ways to Mobilize the Community
• Learn Effective Collaborative Problem-Solving
  Techniques

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Five Course Modules

• Introduction
• Mechanics
• Community collaboration
• Mechanics of collaborative problem solving
• Facilitating community group dynamics

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Challenges for Collaborative Problem Solvers

• Using SARA model correctly.
• Shedding expert role.
• Facilitating effective interaction.
• Involving community members.

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Connect the Dots
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Solution
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Impediments to Thinking Creatively
TRADITIONAL POLICING
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Impediments to Thinking Creatively
(cont.)
RULES AND REGULATIONS
TRADITIONAL POLICING
TOLERANCE FOR RISK
TRAINING
RIGID DISCIPLINARY POLICIES
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TRADITIONAL POLICING
OFFENDER
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Community Policing

• Philosophical characterization
• Recognizes differences
• Provides customized services
• Forms partnerships

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What is a Problem?

• Two or more incidents
• Similar in nature
• Capable of causing harm and
• Public expectation to do something about it.

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Violations of the LawVs.Community ProblemsAre
There Differences?
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How Are Incidents Related?

• Location
• Suspect
• Victim Group
• Behavior
• Time
• Evidence

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Problem Triangle
Victim
Offender
Location
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Traditional Policing
TRADITIONAL POLICING
OFFENDER
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Problem-Oriented Policing
TRADITIONAL POLICING
OFFENDER
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SARA Problem-Solving Model
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Problem Solving Involves

• S A R A

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Problem Solving Involves

• S A R A

Scanning Identify neighborhood crime and
disorder problems.
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Problem Solving Involves

• S A R A

Analysis Understand conditions that cause
problems to occur.
Scanning Identify neighborhood crime and
disorder problems.
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Problem Solving Involves

• S A R A

Response Develop and implement solutions.
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Problem Solving Involves

• S A R A

Assessment Determine the impact.
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Expert Vs. Collaborative Model

• Expert Model officer takes on all responsibility
  and leads problem-solving stages.
• Collaborative Model officer shares
  responsibility with community members they lead
  the problem-solving process.

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RULES OF PROBLEM SOLVING
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The Problem Solver Must
RULES OF PROBLEM SOLVING

• Adhere to community norms
• Be consistent with departmental values
• Be moral, legal and ethical
• Use common sense
• Be creative

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Levels of Problem Solving
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Levels of Problem Solving

• Simple -
• Individual Officer
• Moderate -
• Small Group/Team of Officers
  
• Complex -
• Organizational Collaboration

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Legitimate Expectations of Problem Solving

• Eliminate the problem.
• Move the problem.
• Manage the problem better.
• Repair the problem.
• Reduce the harm.
• Reduce the problem.

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Module II

• The Mechanics of
• Problem Solving

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ConceptualizationThe Problem-Solving Process
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SARA
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(No Transcript)
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Scanning Steps
Step 1

• List neighborhood problems.

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Scanning Steps

• Step 1 (continued)
• How do you find out what the problems are?

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Scanning Steps
Step 2

• Select problems that meet the definition.

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Review What is a Problem?

• Two or more incidents
• Similar in nature
• Capable of causing harm and
• Public expectation to do something about it.

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Scanning Steps
Step 3

• Prioritize problems.
• (Expert vs. Collaborative)

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Common Rationales for Prioritization

• Umbrella Method
• Easiest Most Difficult
• Quickest Most Lengthy

• APEs
• Generate Positive Publicity
• Most Least Serious
• Fewest Most Resources

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Scanning Steps
Step 4

• State specific problem behavior.
• Where does problem occur?
• Which setting is causing the most difficulty?

Offender
Victim
Location
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Summary of Scanning Steps

• Laundry list
• Identify problems
• Prioritize problems (method?)
• State specific problem behavior
• Where does the problem occur?
• Which setting is causing the most difficulty?

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Preparation for Analysis

• Preliminary hypothesis
• General goal statement
• Determine how data will be gathered and reported.
• When will data collection begin?

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Hypothesis

• From what you already know, what do you
• think is causing the problem?
• Form general goal statement
• Data gathering and reporting
• Decide when collection will begin

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Analysis Steps
Step 1

• What conditions or events precede the problem?

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Analysis Steps
Step 1 (continued)

• What conditions or events precede the problem?
• What accompanies the problem?

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Analysis Steps
Step 1 (continued)

• What conditions or events precede the problem?
• What accompanies the problem?
• What are the problems consequences?

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Analysis Steps
Step 1(continued)

• What conditions or events precede the problem?
• What accompanies the problem?
• What are the problems consequences?
• What harms result from the problem?

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Analysis Steps
Step 2

• How often does the problem occur?

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Analysis Steps
Step 2 (continued)

• How often does the problem occur?
• How long has this been a problem?

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Analysis Steps
Step 2 (continued)

• How often does the problem occur?
• How long has this been a problem?
• What is the duration of each occurrence of the
  problem?

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Analysis Steps
HYPOTHESIS

• What are your conclusions about why the problem
  occurs?

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Analysis Steps
Step 3

• Define a tentative goal.

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Analysis Steps
Step 3 (continued)

• Define a tentative goal.
• Identify resources that may assist in solving the
  problem.

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Analysis Steps
Step 3 (continued)

• Define a tentative goal.
• Identify resources that may assist in solving the
  problem.
• What has already been established to address the
  problem?

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Summary of Analysis Steps

• Step 1
• What conditions or events precede the problem?
• What conditions or events accompany the problem?
• What are the problems consequences?
• What harms result from the problem?

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Summary of Analysis Steps (continued)

• Step 2
• How often does the problem occur?
• How long has this been a problem?
• What is the duration of each occurrence of the
  problem?
• Now that the data have been collected, should you
  continue with analysis or return to scanning and
  restate the problem?

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Summary of Analysis Steps (continued)

• Hypothesis
• What are your conclusions about why the problem
  occurs?
• Step 3
• Define a tentative goal.
• Identify resources that may be of assistance in
  solving the problem. 
• What procedures, policies or rules have been
  established to address the problem?

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Response Steps
Step 1

• Brainstorm possible strategies.

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Response Steps
Step 2

• Feasibility of alternatives
• Pre-plan work
• Who will be responsible?
• Goals plan will accomplish
• How will data be collected?

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Response Steps
Step 3

• Realistically, what are the most likely problems
  with implementing the plan?

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Response Steps
Step 3 (continued)

• Realistically, what are the most likely problems
  with implementing the plan?
• What are some procedures to follow when plan is
  not working or when not being implemented
  correctly?

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Summary of Response Steps

• Step 1
• Brainstorm possible strategies
• Step 2
• Feasibility of alternatives
• Pre-plan work
• Who will be responsible?
• Goals plan will accomplish

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Summary of Response Steps (cont.)

• How will data be collected?
• Step 3
• Realistically, what are the most likely problems
  with implementing the plan?
• What are some procedures to follow when plan is
  not working or when not being implemented
  correctly?

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Implement the Plan
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Assessment Steps
Step 1

• Was the plan implemented?

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Assessment Steps
Step 1 (continued)

• Was the plan implemented?
• Are we making progress towards the goal(s)?

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Assessment Steps
Step 1 (continued)

• Was the plan implemented?
• Are we making progress towards the goal(s)?
• How do you know?

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Conventional A-B Graph
Number or Amount
Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, Years
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Conventional A-B Graph
A B (Baseline) (During Response)
Number or Amount
Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, Years
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A
Number of Auto Break-ins
Months
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A B
Number of Auto Break-ins
Months
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A
B
Number of Auto Break-ins
Months
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A
B
Number of Auto Break-ins
Months
80
A
B
Number of Auto Break-ins
Months
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Assessment Steps
Step 2

• What if the plan is removed?
• What if the plan remains in place?
• New strategies to increase effectiveness
• How can we monitor plan in the future?

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Summary of Assessment Steps

• Step 1
• Was the plan implemented?
• Are we making progress towards the goal(s)?
• How do you know?

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Summary of Assessment Steps (continued)

• Step 2
• What if the plan is removed??
• What if the plan remains in place?
• New strategies to increase effectiveness
• How can we monitor plan in the future?

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Module III
Collaborating with the Community
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Expert Vs. Collaborative (Review)

• Expert Model officer takes on all responsibility
  and leads problem-solving stages.
• Collaborative Model officer shares
  responsibility with community members they lead
  the problem-solving process.

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Community Collaboration

• What is Collaboration?

...a formal, sustained commitment to work
together to accomplish a common mission.
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What is Your Agencys Mission?
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Community Collaboration

• For police, collaboration involves
• working with community members
• who have vested interest in problem
• who are willing to commit resources toward its
  solution.

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Collaboration vs. Cooperation

• Active Vs. Passive
• People with similar goals
• Decide on solution to problem
• In collaboration, all participants invest time,
  talents and resources into making the solution a
  reality.

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How Do You Define a Community?

• Geographical boundary
• Ethnic or cultural group
• Socio-economic status
• Shared interests (e.g., business, school)
• Other....?

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Collaboration in Your Community

• What are the departments greatest strengths in
  collaborating with the community?
• What impedes further progress?
• What steps could be taken to improve community
  collaboration?

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Advantages and Challenges of Collaboration
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Advantages of Collaboration

• Knowledge
• Community Contacts
• Saves Resources
• Transfers Responsibility
• Empowers people

• Builds Support
• Funding and Supplies
• Builds Trust
• Response Options
• Increases Officer Safety

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Challenges to Collaboration

• Frustration
• Unwanted responses
• Personal agendas
• Unintended outcomes
• Greater demands/expectations
• Accountability issues
• Ethical issues

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Do the Advantages Overcome the Challenges?
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Police Officer RoleLeading by Facilitating

• Lead by pointing the community in the right
  direction, helping to make decisions and allocate
  resources.

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Police Officer RoleLeading by Facilitating
(cont.)

• Lead
• Facilitate by guiding the community through the
  problem-solving process, sharing the
  responsibility for tasks and progress.

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Two Strategies for Bringing Community Members
Together

• Work with existing groups.

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Two Strategies for Bringing Community Members
Together

• Work with existing groups.
• Form a group of your own.

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Strategy 1Work with Existing Groups

• Inventory those with time, talents and resources.
• Good strategy if problem affects large segments
  of community or if past experiences have been
  successful.

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Strategy 2Form a Group of Your Own

• Identify community stakeholders
• Form entirely new group
• Recruit new people
• (Good strategy if there are no willing or
  interested groups in your area.)

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Community Stakeholders

• Who are stakeholders?
• Directly impacted by the problem
• Residents, business owners, local government
  officials, etc.
• How are stakeholders identified?

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Factors Affecting Collaboration

• Fear
• Anger
• Police are solely responsible
• Apathy and helplessness
• Lack of time and commitment

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Tactics to Move from Cooperation to Collaboration

• Take steps to ensure confidentiality.
• Neutral location
• Approach one-on-one
• Approach in plain clothes
• Anonymous surveys
• Dont argue with residents.
• Ask for help with specific tasks.

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Why I Became a Cop...
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Review of Module III

• Community collaboration
• Community
• Advantages and challenges
• Strategies for organizing
• Factors affecting collaboration and tactics to
  overcome them

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Module IV
The Mechanics of Collaborative Problem Solving
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A Case Example of Collaborative Problem Solving

• Ways to involve the community in scanning,
  analysis, response and assessment
• The facilitator will use the New Market example
  from the guide or another problem-solving example.

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Review of Scanning Questions

• STEP 4
• Specific problem behaviors
• Links between problem behaviors
• Where is problem occurring?
• What is known about victims and offenders?
• What is the preliminary hypothesis?
• What is the goal?
• How will analysis be conducted?

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Ways to Collaborate Scan

• Bring community members together.
• Hold organizational meeting.
• Collect information.
• Documentation Log
• Crime Data
• Monitor progress set follow-up meeting.
• Time/Task Log

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Results of Scanning in New Market

• Problem behaviors loud noise, trash and drug
  vials, unsupervised teens, all linked to one
  house and one set of kids.
• Preliminary Hypothesis The behaviors are
  consistent with daytime drug activity at the
  house.
• Goal The community wants to reduce the problem
  behaviors.

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Review of Analysis Questions

• STEP 1
• Antecedents, sequential conditions, consequences?
• What harms?
• STEP 2
• How often does problem occur?
• How long has it been a problem?
• What is the duration of each occurrence?
• Hypothesis?
• STEP 3
• Tentative goal?
• Available resources?
• What has already been done?

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Ways to Collaborate Analyze (I)

• Use community members to collect data.
• meetings with other community members
• direct observation
• focus groups
• surveys/questionnaires
• library research
• meetings with other public, private, or
  government agencies

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Ways to Collaborate Analyze (II)

• Encourage documentation of findings.
• Develop full range of community resources for the
  response stage.
• Brainstorm Session
• Personal Asset Inventory

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Results of Analysis in New Market

• Before, During and After Conditions
• The property was abandoned by out-of-town owners.
• Nearby students have study hour that coincides
  with activity and residents mostly work during
  the day.
• Robberies were up in the businesses nearby.

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Results of Analysis in New Market

• Before, During and After Conditions
• The property was abandoned by out-of-town owners.
• Nearby students have study hour that coincides
  with activity and residents mostly work during
  the day.
• Robberies were up in the businesses nearby.
• Problem Strength 3 times/week for a couple of
  hours.

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Results of Analysis in New Market

• Before, During and After Conditions
• The property was abandoned by out-of-town owners.
• Nearby students have study hour that coincides
  with activity and residents mostly work during
  the day.
• Robberies were up in the businesses nearby.
• Problem Strength 3 times /week for a couple of
  hours.
• Goal to stop the drug activity and restore the
  communitys appearance and faith in police.

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Results of Analysis in New Market

• Before, During and After Conditions
• The property was abandoned by out-of-town owners.
• Nearby students have study hour that coincides
  with activity and residents mostly work during
  the day.
• Robberies were up in the businesses nearby.
• Problem Strength 3 times /week for a couple of
  hours.
• Goal to stop the drug activity and restore the
  communitys appearance and faith in police.
• Community Resources schools and business people,
  homeowners associations.

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New Information Revealed

• Thought poor parental supervision
• Found abandoned property
• Learned school schedule an issue
• Consequences and harms are more far-reaching than
  initially apparent.

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Review of Response Questions

• STEP 1
• Brainstorm possible interventions.
• STEP 2
• What is the feasibility of each option? What is
  costbenefit?
• What is the best option?
• What needs to be done before plan implementation?
• Who will be responsible for preliminary actions?
• STEP 3
• What are all of the parts of the plan? Who will
  be responsible?
• Will the plan accomplish all or only part of
  stated goal?
• What are some ways that data can be collected?
• STEP 4
• What problems can we expect?
• What can we do if plan is not working?

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Ways to Collaborate Respond (I)

• Brainstorming sessions
• Ask community members to consider
• traditional responses
• collaborative responses
• referral
• Remember that responses can target
• the problem location
• those that are affected by problem
• those that are responsible for problem

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Ways to Collaborate Respond (II)

• Help community select appropriate response.
• Feasibility
• Risks, costs and benefits
• Facilitate community plan of action.
• Caution about expectations--ensure reasonable
  goals.

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Responses in New Market

• To identify and arrest teenagers
• community developed descriptions of teenagers,
• sketch was made and shown to school staff, and
• property was searched for evidence.
• To improve neighborhood appearance
• neighborhood trash was cleaned,property was
  repaired,and security locks and lighting were
  installed.
• Posted sketches and mailed newsletter to
  community.

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Review of Assessment Questions

• STEP 1
• Was the plan implemented?
• What was the goal?
• Was the goal attained?
• How do you know if the goal was attained?
• STEP 2
• What is likely to happen if the plan is removed?
• What if the plan remains in place?
• What strategies will increase plan effectiveness?
• How can plan be monitored in the future?

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Ways to Collaborate Assess (I)

• Answer two basic questions
• Was the plan implemented as designed?
• Was the plan effective in achieving the goal?
• Several methods available
• community meetings or focus groups
• analysis of police data (calls-for-service, etc.)
• personal observations
• meeting with other agencies
• surveys/questionnaires

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Ways to Collaborate Assess (II)

• Measure outcome, not just success, in response
  efforts.
• Was goal attained?
• Assist in developing plan for the future--
• how to maintain success?

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Results of Assessment in New Market

• Documentation logs and review of
  calls-for-service data showed no further activity
  at the house and a reduction in
  burglaries/robberies.
• Survey revealed that residents and business
  owners were pleased with the outcome and police
  involvement.
• Plans made to maintain successes.

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Module V
Facilitating Community Group Dynamics
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Personality 1Community Leaders

• Voice of the community
• Helpful in identifying participants, logistics
  and disseminating information.
• Gatekeepers
• May need to be reminded that everyone must have a
  role in the collaborative.

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Personality 2Active Volunteers

• Active in the community
• Willing to share control
• Willing to share information with police
• Willing to contribute time and energy to process

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Personality 3Passive Volunteers

• Attends meetings and observes others
• Shares information with police
• NOT likely to contribute actively if left on
  their own.

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Meet the Tate Family
DIC-
HESI-
AGI-
IRRI-
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DIC-TATE
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HESI-TATE
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IRRI-TATE
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AGI-TATE
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FACILI-TATE
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Handling Resistance

• Dont get defensive.
• Pick up on non-verbal cues.
• Recognize your non-verbal cues.
• Neutralize the resistance--name it.
• Allow free and open expression.

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Tips for Success

• Approval and support not necessary.
• Encourage/invite people to take responsibility.
• Expect argument and criticism.
• Keep it short.
• Support participant involvement.
• Show confidence and move on.

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Ground Rules for Group Discussion

• Respect input of others.
• Recognize all participants have an equal
  contribution to make.
• Do not interrupt.
• Practice active listening.

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The Consortium
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For More Information
For more information, call Andrew Morabito PERF
Training Coordinator 202-833-3305 or Corina Sol?
Brito PERF Management Representative 202-466-7820
or visit www.communitypolicing.org or www.policefo
rum.org