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Can you provide an example of how an officer might use the SARA model in policing?
Quick answer:
An officer might use the SARA model in policing by addressing issues such as riots or organized crime. Scanning involves identifying the problem; analysis includes gathering data and understanding the root causes. Response entails implementing strategies to manage or prevent the issue, such as crowd control at concerts or community sensitization. Assessment evaluates the effectiveness of these interventions and identifies any further improvements needed.
The SARA model is a police problem-solving technique that involves scanning, analysis, response, and assessment. It could be used to examine the events that led up to a riot at a concert.
- Scanning: This would involve identifying the riot as a problem and setting goals to prevent future such events from occurring.
- Analysis: This step involves identifying the events that led up to the riot and using data, including interviews with police officers, bystanders, and participants in the riot, as well as video or other data to analyze what came before the event and the event itself. This type uses the data to produce a working hypothesis about why this event occurred.
- Response: During this stage of the analysis, investigators identify possible new ways to handle a riot or the antecedent to a riot and determine resources that might be helpful in preventing future riots. For example, to prevent a...
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- riot from breaking out at a concert, the police might decide to use gates or to control crowd behavior.
- Assessment: This stage involves determining whether the intervention, such as controlling crowds at concerts, has produced the desired effect, including fewer arrests, less unruly crowd behavior, and safe attendance at events.
A police officer could use the SARA model in many different circumstances. One such circumstance would be a situation in which there were a number of break-ins in a given neighborhood. Let us see how SARA would apply here.
The first step in SARA is scanning. This is the step in which the problem is identified. An officer could look at crime statistics to make sure that the number of break-ins in the neighborhood really is high compared to other neighborhoods. This is important to make sure that this really is a problem.
The second step is analysis. The officer would try to determine what might be causing this problem. For example, if a burglary suspect is apprehended, the officer might question that person to try to understand what is causing them to commit crimes in this particular time and place.
The third step is response. Let us say that the officer believes that the crimes are caused by a lack of vigilance in the neighborhood on the part of residents and police. The officer could then start a neighborhood watch program. They could patrol the area more often. These actions would be logical responses to the way they analyzed the situation.
Finally, there is assessment. After a suitable period of time, the officer would need to look at the crime statistics and see if the break-ins have become less frequent. This step would help to determine if the response was the correct one.
What is an example of police using the SARA model?
Police officers could use the SARA model in any number of situations. One possible situation might be the case of a downtown area in which many break-ins were occurring at night.
First, the police officers would need to do the Scanning part of SARA to determine if this is really a problem. They might look at the number of crimes that are being committed now and compare it to past years to see if a real upsurge is occurring.
Second, assuming that the police decide that the break-ins are a real problem, they would then start to Analyze. They would look at various kinds of data to try to determine why people are breaking in to these stores.
Third, the police would prepare and implement their Response. They might, for example, suggest that merchants install better lighting and/or security cameras to deter burglars. They might institute more frequent patrols of the area that is being hit. If they have determined that most of the burglars are drug addicts, they might push for more drug rehabilitation programs in their city. Any or all of these might work to reduce the number of break-ins.
Finally, they will Analyze. After the Response has been given a sufficient period to work, the police can look at data to see if the number of break-ins has gone down as much as they would like. If it has, good. If not, they will need to go back to the second step (Analyze) in the process.