Troy C. Payne

Problem framing in problem solving: a case study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how initial frameworks for understanding police problems influence how police analyze and address those problems in the context of problem-oriented policing. The paper shows why researchers, and police, should pay more attention to problem theories. Design/methodology/approach – Data for this case study were obtained from the Middletown, Ohio Police Department, the Middletown housing authority, and the Butler County auditor. Frequency tables and simple graphs were used to identify patterns in the calls for service. Discussions with police officials were used to describe how police originally conceptualized the problem described. Findings – The paper found that initial problem framing has a significant impact on the available interventions and that problem solvers should be vigilant against errors of problem identification. Research limitations/implications – Caution must be taken when generalizing from a single case study. Nevertheless, more attention need...

The complexity of problem-solving in urban parks: a case study

Urban parks present difficult environments in which to analyze crime and disorder problems. We describe data collection and analysis of a limited evaluation of an intervention meant to reduce crime and disorder in an urban park through increasing park use. The case study uses an urban park in the municipality of Anchorage, AK. The research method took into account differing activity spaces within the small (one-city block) park by dividing the park into a dozen distinct zones based on the built environment and how people used the space. Consistent with prior research, we found that increasing park usage decreased crime and disorder and that disorder was associated with a lack of natural surveillance. Moreover, research shows urban parks are frequently the site used by many groups—parks are contested space.