Commentary

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP IS S.O.P. FOR TOWN DEPARTMENTS

Smaller Agencies Can Offer Larger Agencies Insights On Crime Prevention Approach

Interesting take from Jordan. While I agree there’s a real shift being talked about in the profession,  I’d also point out that for many of us this “new” approach isn’t new at all.

In smaller towns and mid-size communities, problem solving and prevention have been the day-to-day model for decades. Over my last 28 years in policing, a big part of the job has been recognizing repeat locations, repeat people, repeat circumstances, then working the conditions behind the calls with probation, schools, human services, housing, clergy, treatment providers, and community partners. Herman Goldstein put a research framework and language around it, but the core idea has been practiced and refined for a long time outside of big city rapid response models.          

Where I do think the contrast is interesting is Boston. A large city department runs on a very different scale, with call volume, staffing, specialization, and organizational structure that naturally leans heavier into rapid response and incident driven policing. So, I can understand why problem-oriented policing can feel newer or more disruptive there, even though it’s been researched, trained, and implemented in many agencies for years.           

If we’re talking about what feels genuinely “newer” in practice, co response with mental health clinicians is a good example. It’s a strong concept and it helps, but it also comes with reality checks: most programs aren’t staffed 24/7, funding is always the limiter, and in many cases the clinician functions more as follow up and continuity rather than a guaranteed-on scene response the way people sometimes imagine. That doesn’t make it less valuable, it just means we need to be honest about what it can and can’t do, and build systems around those limits. I’m all for the continued emphasis on prevention and problem solving. I just don’t want it presented as a brand-new discovery. It’s more like the profession finally catching up to what many agencies have already been doing, and now trying to scale it in places where the traditional model has been harder to move. 

(Note:  This Commentary Was Written By Chief James Babu, of the Harvard MA Police Department,  Chief Babu is a member of MAPLE.)