Fidelity of implementation: important considerations for policing scholars

Abstract

Many police departments claim to have implemented or institutionalised problem-oriented policing (POP), and scholars have found POP to be effective in reducing crime and disorder. However, studies routinely find that POP has not been implemented in a fashion consistent with Goldstein's original conceptualisation; this inconsistency has resulted in ambiguity regarding the elemental components of POP. The current study addresses a gap in knowledge by investigating the fidelity of the implementation of POP in a small police department. Implementation of POP in this agency is of particular interest; the chief is a nationally known proponent of POP, has published on POP, and announced that POP would be institutionalised in the department. Using a triangulated methodology, the study finds that this police department has not implemented POP. The study also highlights the implications of these findings on fidelity for both policing scholars and practitioners.