Peirspictiochtai Ar An Saol
Zero-Based Law Enforcement
Part Five
Law enforcement officers using Problem Solving as their practice focus their attention on a specific situation involving one or more people. The goal – as the name implies – is to solve a specific problem. This could involve a criminal act, steps being taken to avoid a future criminal act, or have nothing to do with an actual crime.
An example of the first type is when law enforcement officers are investigating a residential break-in where a car was stolen. In addition to interviewing the residents at the affected home as well as neighbors, law enforcement officers may utilize a number of techniques to solve this type of crime. These include trying to find evidence at the impacted property – in the garage, in the house, or elsewhere on the property; to find evidence related to the automobile itself; to find evidence from nearby properties and roadways; and to find evidence from other criminal acts that may be related to this specific crime.
Interviewing residents at the impacted home may help law enforcement officers locate the thief. Determining if the car was locked or if the key to the auto was used in the theft may help in the investigation. Confirming if there were specific items in the car – a cell phone or another object of value – may also help to determine if the thief could be tracked through these other items. Interviewing neighbors may also help in this process.
At the site of the auto theft, law enforcement officers may look for fingerprints on the garage door or other entry points to the house and garage, may review video or photographic evidence from an on-site camera or cameras, and may review footprints or other physical evidence.
As for the auto, law enforcement officers may be able to utilize internal tracking devices – for example, GPS locator services – within the vehicle itself. Law enforcement officers may also be able to use services that track motor vehicles by license plates.
Law enforcement officers may be able to secure video and photographic evidence from cameras in the immediate area as well as along routes radiating from the affected property.
Comparing key facets of this specific criminal act with other crimes may help law enforcement officers determine if this specific crime was an isolated incident or if this criminal act was part of a larger crime spree.
An example of the second type of Problem Solving in Law Enforcement is when law enforcement officers strive to minimize potential criminal acts through such programs as community watch programs. This is when local folks agree to explicitly watch for activities in their local community.
These activities could include what would be considered unusual visitors going in and out of a property at what would be considered unusual hours, motor vehicles with a driver parked on a street for hours with no movements, an individual attempting to enter a neighbor's home when the community watch program participant is aware that the residents of that specific neighbor's home are away on vacation, and other types of activities.
With information provided by community watch program participants, law enforcement officers may be able to prevent or minimize the impact of potential criminal acts.
The third type of Problem Solving in Law Enforcement involves situations where no crime has taken place. An example of this type of situation is when law enforcement officers are called by one person who has a quarrel with a neighbor.
Law enforcement officers may be to listen to the concerns of the individual who called as well as the viewpoints of the other person directly noted by the first individual. Efforts by law enforcement officers to decompress the situation between the two individuals may provide a way or ways to solve the problem between them. Thus, no criminal act would then take place.
The next news columns in this series will focus on specific characteristics of Zero-Based Law Enforcement.
Peirspictiochtai Ar A Saol – Gaelic – Irish – for "Perspectives On Life" is a column focused on aspects of accountability and responsibility as well as ways people look at life.
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