InvestigativeEfforts week 3 discussion 1
To fully understand what kinds of investigative efforts are being made bypolice to address real-world problems, select two individual problem solvingguides from the Center forProblem-Oriented Policing | Problem Guides and assess what police are using to succeed in theirinvestigative and problem-solving efforts. Summarize then analyze both of theproblem guides you selected, focusing on the positive aspects of the research.How can this information be utilized and applied in a law enforcement agency?
Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessmentis needed in Police Investigative Efforts. As police alone cannot solve orprevent crimes. As stated in Peak (2012)“a partnership with the community is essential if the physical and socialproblems that plague communities are to be reduced or eliminated” (p.218).
Aggressive Driving and Abandoned Vehicles
Aggressive Driving can be described asdriving dangerously without regarding the safety and courtesy of other personsand property(Laing C, 2010). Some of the things involved with aggressivedriving include; speeding, racing, failing to signal among other things.Dangers of this crime include death and injuries due to car accidents.
Analysis of the problem can help you tobetter understand the factors contributing to it (Peak, 2012). Some of the factorsthat cause people to engage in aggressive driving include; frustration,demographics, individual traits and environmental conditions.
There are those who have an interest inaggressive driving As you gather information about that problem. According to(Laing, 2010, Stakeholders) “you should consider them for the contribution theymight make to gathering information about the problem and responding to it”(par.1). Some of these are the electedofficials, the media, private businesses,transportation safety advocates, androad constructors among stakeholders toname a few. Actions by the police are not often enough.
Asking the right questions can help youwith choosing the appropriate response to the problem. One question is how concerned is the community aboutaggressive driving? Who are the onesthat report the problem to the police? Onceyou find out about the offenders, and victims, then locations and times Thenyou can try to deter Aggressive drivingby some of the following: Enforcingtraffic rules, surveillance technologies, or using automatic number platerecognition, CCTV. Although, there is no known number for the amount of trafficfatalities caused by aggressive drivers. Aggressive driving can also lead toroad rage. If a person is confronted bya aggressive driver thy need to get out of the way of that driver. Don’t lookat them, ignore gestures, and or verbalattacks. When it is safe stop and call the police, report the aggressive driver.
“Efforts to address aggressive drivingshould include a review of your jurisdiction’s current regulatory environment.This will help determine whether police agencies have legislative authority toaddress aggressive driving effectively” (Laing 2010).
AbandonedVehicles.
The other investigative method is theissue of abandoned vehicles. These are different types of nuisance vehiclesthat are left in public or private land (Maxfield, 2008). In the United States there are no estimates ofthe number of abandoned vehicles. Michigan adapted a statewide data system fortracking these vehicles. But, it is hard to keep a accurate count because thereare so many.
Some of the factors that are consideredto say a vehicle is abandoned include; its condition, the location it is foundand length of time it has beenthere,Cost of safety and emissions compliance, Low-qualityand”orphaned” vehicles, and natural disasters. Accordingto Maxfield (2008) “Key West and other low-lying islands in the Florida Keysare further burdened when hurricanes or tropical storms damage many cars”(par.7).
These abandoned vehicles have some harmwhen left, and can be used for drugdrops and obstruct street cleaning. Some of the factors that contribute toabandoned vehicles include; cost of operating and disposing of vehicles.However, “Most jurisdictions store abandoned vehicles for some period of timebefore destroying those of little or no value, or arranging for them to besold” (Maxfield, 2008).
People who have a interest in thisproblem are the stakeholders local, state and federal agencies. We need toanalyze a problem then we can come up with a response to solving the problem.
We also need to ask the right questionslike the kind of locations they are being abandoned, and the number of incidentsthat are being reported, there are also environmental hazards to consider.There is also the towing of the vehicles. “You should take measures of your problem before you implementresponses, to determine how serious the problem is, and after youimplement them, to determine whether they have been effective” (Maxfield, 2008,Measuring your effectiveness, par. 1).
While trying to clean up Erie County Pa, they conducted Experimental surveys were conducted toassess the scope of discarded vehicles on county roads. once implementing assortmentand social control measures,follow-up observation surveys were completed four to 5 months later. “It is critical that you tailor responses tolocal circumstances, and that you can justify each response based on reliableanalysis” (Maxfield, 2008).
References
Laing C, (2010), Problem-Oriented Guidesfor Police Problem-Specific Guides Series No. 61: AggressiveDriving. Retrieved July 6, 2015, fromhttp://www.popcenter.org/problems/PDFs/aggressive_driving.pdf
Peak, K. (2012). Policing America:Challenges and best practices (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: PearsonEducation
Maxfield M.G, (2008), Problem-OrientedGuides for Police Problem-Specific Guides Series No. 53: AbandonedVehicles. Retrieved July 6, 2015, fromhttp://www.popcenter.org/problems/PDFs/abandoned_vehicles.pdf
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