Advancing the Concept of Problem in Problem-oriented Policing

Abstract

Recent developments in understanding the concept of problem in problem-oriented policing denote valuable perspectives but mainly from a substantialist perspective. In this article, the relational perspective in thinking of safety problems was introduced, and some key advancements presented. Exploiting causal and constitutive reasoning and the idea of the complexity of problems, the self-actional, inter-actional, and trans-actional perspectives were used for determining the differences between the substantialist and relationalist perspectives. The concept of problem was analysed from two perspectives. First, in light of initial and recent elaborations of the term. Second, through the actual use of the term. The substantialist ethos dominated through the data analysed and it has both advantages and disadvantages. However, relational thinking calls for a deeper understanding of safety problems. Resigning from the substantialist ethos and asking whether there are pre-given A-s and B-s, and turning towards the idea that there is no A-s without B-s, creates an environment for a more open-minded understanding of problems in policing.