Brenda J. Bond

The Strategic Prevention of Gun Violence Among Gang‐Involved Offenders

Problem‐oriented policing has been suggested as a promising way to understand and prevent complex gang violence problems. A number of jurisdictions have been experimenting with new problem‐oriented frameworks to understand and respond to gun violence among gang‐involved offenders. These interventions are based on the “pulling levers” deterrence strategy that focuses criminal justice and social service attention on a small number of chronically offending gang members responsible for the bulk of urban gun violence problems. As part of the US Department of Justice‐sponsored Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, an interagency task force implemented a pulling levers strategy to prevent gang‐related gun violence in Lowell, Massachusetts. Our impact evaluation suggests that the pulling levers strategy was associated with a statistically significant decrease in the monthly number of gun homicide and gun‐aggravated assault incidents. A comparative analysis of gun homicide and gun‐aggravated assault trends in Lowell relative to other major Massachusetts cities also supports a unique program effect associated with the pulling levers intervention.

Rethinking the Compstat process to enhance problem-solving responses: insights from a randomized field experiment

Compstat is an important administrative innovation in policing that provides a much-needed mechanism for holding mid-level managers accountable for controlling crime rates. Research evidence suggests that Compstat is more likely to generate reactive crime control responses rather than more creative problem-solving responses. A randomized field experiment in Lowell, Massachusetts found that ‘problem-solving meetings’ produced more innovative responses to crime problems and generated stronger crime control gains when compared to the Compstat process. Analysis of qualitative data collected to monitor the implementation of the experiment revealed that important differences in meeting dynamics were associated with observed differences and suggests promising avenues to improve Compstat processes.

Comparing the Implementation of a Best Practice Crime Policy Across Cities

There is a substantial gap in knowledge of the practical application of comprehensive “best practice” public policies and how these policies are actually implemented. This research examines implementation of a comprehensive best practices gang reduction policy across three cities. Action research case study methodology shows that explanations for diverse implementation arose from each city’s ecological constitution, which is a necessary antecedent to categorization according to Matland’s policy implementation typology. This study affirms the use of an ecological perspective and supports the use of Matland’s typology in a collaborative and comparative public policy context.

Measuring Congruence between Property Crime Problems and Response Strategies: Enhancing the Problem-Solving Process:

Property crime in Lowell, Massachusetts is fueled primarily by burglaries, motor vehicle crimes, and larcenies. The Lowell Police Department utilized the Smart Policing Initiative (SPI) to focus problem-solving efforts on property crime hot spots. Problem-solving is an effective crime reduction tool but deficiencies remain in implementing the problem-solving process. This article discusses how Lowell operationalized problem-solving in crime hot spots, focusing on the alignment between property crime problems and response strategies selected to achieve results. We apply the congruence model of organizational behavior, analyzing quantitative and qualitative data to measure the fit between problems and responses. We found a high degree of congruence between the SPI problem-solving components, which likely produced the positive crime reductions observed in the outcome data. By applying the concept of congruence, we offer a framework for strengthening problem solving at the outset through alignment of response strategies to crime problems.

Institutionalizing place-based policing: the adoption of a Case of Place approach

Purpose Research shows that crime and disorder tend to concentrate in small, geographic locations and that place-based and problem-solving policing strategies can impact crime and disorder without displacing it to neighboring areas. However, implementation of problem-solving is a challenge. Loosely defined locations, shallow problem analysis, and distractions to problem-solving are cited implementation shortcomings. These shortcomings may be overcome by using the Case of Place approach, a case management strategy focused on documenting and analyzing place-based dynamics and characteristics to inform and direct policing strategies. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach The current study describes the adoption of the Case of Place approach in an urban police agency’s operations and performance management system. The authors utilize implementation theory to explore and explain the adoption of this new place-based strategy. Findings Key findings reveal important structural and cultural challenges to implementation. Structural challenges included modifying supervision structures, creating new positions, decentralizing analytical functions, and redirecting resources to problem-solving. Cultural challenges observed included emphasizing problem-solving as an organizational priority, integrating crime analysts into neighborhood precincts, and centering performance management processes around problem-solving. Originality/value The authors explore how implementation dynamics impact the adoption of new policies and practices, and offer a number of propositions for the use of the Case of Place approach within a place-based strategy portfolio.

Research and Planning Units An Innovation Instrument in the 21st-Century Police Organization

Police research and planning units have been in existence for decades, yet little is known about these types of organizational functions. This study compared research and planning staffing arrangements within American police organizations with the reported implementation of innovative practices to assess the association between unit existence and innovative practice. Utilizing a national survey of police practices, we found that agencies with formal research and planning units reported significantly greater levels of innovative practices than those without units. This study suggests that investing in research and planning may have a positive influence on the adoption of innovative police practices. As expectations for more progressive and sophisticated policing intensifies, then a promising pathway may be building the internal capacity via research and planning-type functions. Results from this study are of value to leaders and researchers who want to understand the organizational mechanisms that support innovative police agencies.

Comparing Determinants of Effective Collaboration in a Comprehensive Crime Reduction Initiative

ABSTRACT Increasingly there is a call from policy makers for communities to work collaboratively to ameliorate social problems; yet, collaborating is arguably one of the most difficult tasks of partnerships. Conceptual frameworks for effective collaboration have recently been developed and need empirical testing. Effective collaboration determinants are explored in this study of a comprehensive crime reduction initiative. Comparative case study methodology is used to examine the presence of these determinants in three arenas: context, structure, and function. Sites were most similar in structure; differences were most pronounced in function. Translating these results in this initiative and across other community partnerships is discussed.