Quantitative Support for COP and ILP Implementations: Belgian Case VLAS

Abstract

The traditional policing model is often said to focus excessively on the means of policing instead of on effectiveness. Other policing philosophies, such as community-oriented and information-led policing, attempt to remedy this shortcoming. Various mathematical police deployment models were developed over time to assist police administrators, with performance indicators that neatly fit into the traditional model. In this changed environment their value and usability suddenly seem questionable. Through for the Belgian police zone VLAS (a mid-sized local police district), it is illustrated how such techniques still were useful for a successful transition towards a COP and ILP framework. The methodology allowed us to remove uncertainties, prematurely eliminate overseen deficiencies in proposals, serve as a communication and negotiation tool to lower resistance and to better use scarce resources. The methodology also provided management afterwards, with a control mechanism to identify causes of unexpected deviations. Finally, flexibility of the techniques and easily available necessary data input make the presented approach transferable to other police zones.