Institutionalizing problem‐oriented policing: rethinking problem solving, analysis, and accountability

Abstract

Problem‐oriented policing (POP) has emerged as a fertile area of innovative police research and practice. Its core ideas have existed for over 20 years; however, research suggests that POP has been routinized into the practice of few police departments. This paper argues that POP has not gained widespread adoption because of the inclination to make line officers the central actors in POP’s implementation. It presents an integrated model reconsidering how problems are defined, analysis is used, and how problem‐solving accountability is distributed throughout an organization and builds upon the strengths of traditional policing – information‐gathering, centralized command, and accountability structure.