What Is Problem Solving?

It is a process that enables an organisation to make the best use of the available data and other information (such as; what is taking place, where, when, why, who are the offenders/suspects and who are the victims) to establish the existence and extent of a problem.

From this it is possible to establish the extent of repeat, similar, related or recurring incidents. It clearly makes more sense to spend time and resources' tackling long term problems than one offs.

Why is problem solving in this day and age so important to all agencies trying to reduce crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour?

Since the mid 80's, most police forces have used 'problem orientated policing' in order to try and tackle repeat or recurring incidents. To under pin this, the police use a methodology called SARA and this methodology is supported by the Home Office as an effective method of effectively identifying and tackling crime problems. Through the scanning and analysis stages, a detailed understanding of the underlying causes of the problem will be understood, enabling more effective responses to be used.