Stratified Policing: An Organizational Model for Proactive Crime Reduction and Accountability

by Roberto Santos, Rachel Santos

Overview

Implementing effective crime reduction requires deliberate thought and effort to integrate processes into the police organization, its culture, and the day-to-day work. Stratified Policing: An Organizational Model for Proactive Crime Reduction and Accountability provides police leaders a clear path for institutionalization of crime reduction modeled after current police processes. It sets up an organization to more easily incorporate evidence-based strategies into everyday operations with the goal of changing a police organization from reactive to proactive. Stratified Policing incorporates what works for crime reduction and how to realistically make it work in police practice. The book details the specific and adaptable framework that infuses small changes by rank and division into daily activities that build on each other resulting in a comprehensive and focused approach for crime reduction. It also lays out a multifaceted accountability process that is fair and transparent. Importantly, the book dedicates entire chapters to methods for developing crime reduction goals, addressing immediate, short-term, and long-term crime and disorder problems, and implementing a stratified accountability meeting structure. Chapters include specific recommendations supported by research and grounded in what is realistic in police practice for application of evidence-based strategies, assignment of responsibility and accountability, crime analysis products, and assessment measures for impact on crime and disorder. The book is a culmination of the authors' 15 years of work and will synthesize their research, other publications on stratified policing, and provide new material for police leaders and professionals who are seeking an organizational structure to institutionalize crime reduction strategies into their day to day operations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538126578
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	12/11/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	170
Sales rank:	866,043
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Roberto Santos is an associate professor of criminal justice and co-director of the Center for Police Practice, Policy and Research at Radford University in Radford, VA. He is a retired police commander from the Port St. Lucie, FL Police Department where after 22 years worked in, supervised, and commanded every division within the agency. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy (Class 239). Prior to policing, Dr. Santos was a sergeant in the Marine Corps and is a veteran of Desert Storm/Desert Shield. Dr. Santos is recognized nationally and internationally for his impact on the field of policing through his high-level rigorous research, translation of research to practice, and hands on work with police organizations.As Co-Director of the Center for Police Practice, Policy, and Research, Dr. Santos shares in the administration of the Center and management of large-level, grant-funded research projects. The purpose of the Center is to facilitate collaboration among researchers and police practitioners to foster a unique blend of evidence-based and practice-based police policy and research. He has served as a subject matter expert for the Federal agencies (Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services and Bureau of Justice Assistance) and State governments (Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware) as well as police research organizations, such as the Institute for Intergovernmental Research, the Police Executive Research Forum, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the National Police Foundation. He conducts assessments, evaluation, training and technical assistance for local police departments, county sheriff’s offices, and state police across the United States where he works closely with leadership as well as operational personnel to integrate policies and best practices into day-to-day police operations. Dr. Santos earned his Master of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Florida Atlantic University and his Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Organizational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.

Rachel Santos is a professor of criminal justice and co-director of the Center for Police Practice, Policy and Research at Radford University in Radford, VA. Dr. Santos has been working with police organizations since 1994 and conducts practice-based research on organizational change and accountability, crime analysis, and sustainability of evidence-based crime reduction strategies in police organizations. Dr. Santos started her career as a crime analyst for the Tempe, AZ Police Department then served as a Senior Research Associate and Director of the Crime Mapping Laboratory at the National Police Foundation in Washington D.C. Currently, as a co-director of the Center for Police Practice, Policy, and Research, Dr. Santos shares in the administration of the Center and manages large-level, grant-funded research projects that focus on identifying and testing practical police strategies. She conducts assessments, training, and technical assistance for local police departments, county sheriff’s offices, and state police and serves as subject matter expert for large level federal initiatives. Dr. Santos is an international expert on crime analysis and its role in effective crime reduction and has conducted experimental research and evaluation of police practices. She has published many final reports, practitioner guidebooks, book chapters, and articles for both academic and professional journals. She has one of the only sole authored books on crime analysis in its fourth edition, Crime Analysis with Crime Mapping. Dr. Santos earned her Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology from Arizona State University.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Understanding Crime, Criminals, and What Works in Proactive Policing

Understanding Crime and Criminals

What Works in Proactive Crime Reduction

Conclusion

Chapter 2: Police Culture and Proactive Crime Reduction

Cultural Barriers to Institutionalizing Proactive Crime Reduction

Institutionalizing Proactive Crime Reduction into Police Culture

Chapter 3: The Stratified Policing Model and Framework

Problem Stratification

Stratified Policing and the Problem-Solving Process

Integration of Evidence-Based Proactive Strategies

Stratification and the Role of Crime Analysis

Stratification of Crime Reduction Responsibility by Rank

Stratified Structure of Accountability

Summary of the Stratified Policing Framework

Chapter 4: Developing Crime Reduction Goals for Stratified Policing

Responsibility for Crime Reduction Goals

Development of Crime Reduction Goals

Specifying Crime Reduction Goals

Crime Reduction Goals: Practical Examples

Crime Reduction Goal Assessment Process

Chapter 5: Immediate Crime Reduction: Significant Incidents

Assigned Responsibility: Investigations Supervisors

Identification, Analysis, and Response to Significant Incidents

Assessment and Accountability

Stratified Policing Significant Incident Process Overview

Chapter 6: Short-Term Crime Reduction: Repeat Incidents

Assigned Responsibility: Patrol Supervisors

Identification and Analysis of Repeat Incident Locations

Response to Repeat Incident Locations

Accountability and Assessment

Stratified Policing Repeat Incident Process Overview

Applying the Repeat Incident Process for Domestic Violence

Chapter 7: Short-Term Crime Reduction: Crime Patterns

Assigned Responsibility: Patrol Managers

Identification and Analysis of Crime Patterns

Response to Crime Patterns

Assessment and Accountability

Stratified Policing Crime Pattern Process Overview

Practice-Based Research: Effectiveness of Response to Micro-Time Hot Spots

Chapter 8: Long-Term Crime Reduction: Problem Offenders, Problem Locations, and Problem Areas

Problem Offenders

Problem Locations

Problem Areas

Long-Term Problems: Accountability Meetings and Documentation

Stratified Policing Long-Term Problem Process Overview

Chapter 9: Accountability and Meeting Structure

Organizational Adjustments for Accountability

Stratified Policing Accountability Meeting Structure and Evaluation

Summary of Accountability Meetings

Final Thoughts

Editorial Reviews

The stratified policing model has proven to be effective in a statewide police agency. The flexibility of the model has allowed Troop Commanders of each region to draw from proven evidence-based approaches to shape and modify their policing strategies to meet the needs of their community. Stratified Policing provides clear processes that have helped the Delaware State Police achieve significant reductions in crime while maintaining a strong positive relationship with the community.”

Nathaniel McQueen

"Stratified policing has been a very effective crime reduction strategy for the Port St. Lucie Police Department. As the chief of police over the last 8 years, we have sustained the principles of Stratified Policing and have seen a steady downward trend resulting in a 53 percent reduction in index crime incidents. We have also achieved a 39 percent increase in our index crime clearance rate from 28.6 percent to 47.2 percent. During this time period, our population has increased by approximately 14 percent to 191,000 citizens. At this point, I can't imagine serving our community without stratified policing."

John A. Bolduc

I have had the honor of working directly with Dr. Roberto Santos and Dr. Rachel Santos for more than a decade. Their combined contributions to the development of essential and effective crime analysis practices to guide the deployment of police and community resources in rapid response to emerging crime patterns as well as to solve difficult crime problems, all supported by an accountability structure within police organizations, has been a major contribution to the fields of modern policing and crime prevention. This book should be on the desk of all law enforcement professionals dedicated to improving public safety by reducing crime and its harm.”

Richard S. Biehl

Stratified Policing is a critically important book for American policing. It represents the true integration of police science with police practice. By reengineering the way police agencies utilize and integrate accountability, crime analysis, and evidence-based practice Santos and Santos explain how police leaders can focus the collective power of their agencies and generate sustainable proactive responses that make their communities safer. Stratified Policing is an insightful and indispensable guide for law enforcement executives seeking to maximize the effectiveness and legitimacy of their agency’s crime fighting efforts.”

Tom "Tad" Hughes

A key criticism of criminology is that it fails to provide clear and direct guidance to the police about how they should organize to carry out crime prevention. This book, written by two scholars who have real-life experience in the field, does just that. It summarizes the science of crime and crime prevention, and then develops a practical approach—stratified policing—that can be used to organize successful proactive policing. This is an important book for police, and one that should also be read by police scholars.”

David Weisburd

What the authors have articulated in this book is an evidence-based approach to crime reduction that capitalizes on measurable outcomes. By empowering all levels of an organization with the responsibility, and frankly the motivation to become engaged, we see significant improvements in individual law enforcement officer performance. The stratified policing approach provides a significant return on investment. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office is consistently recognized for our success in crime reduction which can largely be attributed to our adherence to the stratified policing model developed by the authors.”

Michael Adkinson

Read this book. When I found stratified policing, I was looking for something foundational to bring crime reduction, community engagement, and accountability into the daily business of a police department. Working with Roberto and Rachel, we crafted a model of stratified policing that works specifically for my department. We have experienced substantial reductions in crime and continue to do so while having a community that supports our efforts. If you want a blueprint for effectively integrating evidence-based practices in your agency, this is it.”

Scott C. Booth