U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

www.cops.usdoj.gov

Disorderly

Youth in Public

Places

by

Michael S. Scott

Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Series

No. 6

Disorderly Youth in

Public Places

Michael S. Scott

This project was supported by cooperative agreement #99-

CK-WX-K004 by the Office of Community Oriented

Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions

contained herein are those of the author(s) and do not

necessarily represent the official position of the U.S.

Department of Justice.

www.cops.usdoj.gov

Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Series

Guide No. 6

About the Guide Series i

About the Guide Series

The Problem-Oriented Guides for Police summarize knowledge

about how police can reduce the harm caused by specific

crime and disorder problems. They are guides to prevention

and to improving the overall response to incidents, not to

investigating offenses or handling specific incidents. The

guides are written for police–of whatever rank or assignment–

who must address the specific problem the guides cover. The

guides will be most useful to officers who

• Understand basic problem-oriented policing principles and

methods. The guides are not primers in problem-oriented

policing. They deal only briefly with the initial decision to

focus on a particular problem, methods to analyze the

problem, and means to assess the results of a problemoriented policing project. They are designed to help police

decide how best to analyze and address a problem they have

already identified. (An assessment guide has been produced

as a companion to this series and the COPS Office has also

published an introductory guide to problem analysis. For

those who want to learn more about the principles and

methods of problem-oriented policing, the assessment and

analysis guides, along with other recommended readings, are

listed at the back of this guide.)

• Can look at a problem in depth. Depending on the

complexity of the problem, you should be prepared to

spend perhaps weeks, or even months, analyzing and

responding to it. Carefully studying a problem before

responding helps you design the right strategy, one that is

most likely to work in your community. You should not

blindly adopt the responses others have used; you must

decide whether they are appropriate to your local situation.

What is true in one place may not be true elsewhere; what

works in one place may not work everywhere.
ii Disorderly Youth in Public Places

• Are willing to consider new ways of doing police business.

The guides describe responses that other police

departments have used or that researchers have tested.

While not all of these responses will be appropriate to your

particular problem, they should help give a broader view of

the kinds of things you could do. You may think you

cannot implement some of these responses in your

jurisdiction, but perhaps you can. In many places, when

police have discovered a more effective response, they have

succeeded in having laws and policies changed, improving

the response to the problem.

• Understand the value and the limits of research knowledge.

For some types of problems, a lot of useful research is

available to the police; for other problems, little is available.

Accordingly, some guides in this series summarize existing

research whereas other guides illustrate the need for more

research on that particular problem. Regardless, research

has not provided definitive answers to all the questions you

might have about the problem. The research may help get

you started in designing your own responses, but it cannot

tell you exactly what to do. This will depend greatly on the

particular nature of your local problem. In the interest of

keeping the guides readable, not every piece of relevant

research has been cited, nor has every point been attributed

to its sources. To have done so would have overwhelmed

and distracted the reader. The references listed at the end of

each guide are those drawn on most heavily; they are not a

complete bibliography of research on the subject.

• Are willing to work with other community agencies to find

effective solutions to the problem. The police alone cannot

implement many of the responses discussed in the guides.

They must frequently implement them in partnership with

other responsible private and public entities. An effective

problem-solver must know how to forge genuine
About the Guide Series iii

partnerships with others and be prepared to invest

considerable effort in making these partnerships work.

These guides have drawn on research findings and police

practices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada,

Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia.

Even though laws, customs and police practices vary from

country to country, it is apparent that the police everywhere

experience common problems. In a world that is becoming

increasingly interconnected, it is important that police be

aware of research and successful practices beyond the borders

of their own countries.

The COPS Office and the authors encourage you to provide

feedback on this guide and to report on your own agency's

experiences dealing with a similar problem. Your agency may

have effectively addressed a problem using responses not

considered in these guides and your experiences and

knowledge could benefit others. This information will be used

to update the guides. If you wish to provide feedback and

share your experiences it should be sent via e-mail to

cops_pubs@usdoj.gov.

Acknowledgments v

Acknowledgments

The Problem-Oriented Guides for Police series is very much a

collaborative effort. While each guide has a primary author,

other project team members, COPS Office staff and

anonymous peer reviewers contributed to each guide by

proposing text, recommending research and offering

suggestions on matters of format and style.

The principal project team developing the guide series

comprised Herman Goldstein, professor emeritus, University

of Wisconsin Law School; Ronald V. Clarke, professor of

criminal justice, Rutgers University; John E. Eck, associate

professor of criminal justice, University of Cincinnati;

Michael S. Scott, police consultant, Savannah, Ga.; Rana

Sampson, police consultant, San Diego; and Deborah Lamm

Weisel, director of police research, North Carolina State

University.

Karin Schmerler, Rita Varano and Nancy Leach oversaw the

project for the COPS Office. Megan Tate Murphy

coordinated the peer reviews for the COPS Office. Suzanne

Fregly edited the guides. Research for the guides was

conducted at the Criminal Justice Library at Rutgers

University under the direction of Phyllis Schultze by Gisela

Bichler-Robertson, Rob Guerette and Laura Wyckoff.

The project team also wishes to acknowledge the members of

the San Diego, National City and Savannah police

departments who provided feedback on the guides' format

and style in the early stages of the project, as well as the line

police officers, police executives and researchers who peer

reviewed each guide.

Contents

About the Guide Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

The Problem of Disorderly Youth in Public Places . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Related Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Factors Contributing to Disorderly Youth in Public Places . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Understanding Your Local Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Asking the Right Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Complainants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Location/Time Problem Occurs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Measuring Your Effectiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Responses to the Problem of Disorderly Youth in Public Places . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Creating Alternative Legitimate Places and Activities for Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Modifying Public Places To Discourage Disorderly Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Establishing and Enforcing Rules of Conduct for Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Responses With Limited Effectiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Appendix: Summary of Responses to Disorderly Youth in Public Places . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Endnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Recommended Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Other Guides in This Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Contents vii

The Problem of Disorderly Youth in Public Places 1

The Problem of Disorderly Youth in 

Public Places

Disorderly youth† in public places constitute one of the most

common problems most police agencies must handle. Dealing

with youth disorder requires a significant amount of police

time, particularly in suburban and rural communities.

Disorderly youth are a common source of complaints from

urban residents and merchants, as well as from shoppers and

merchants in malls and business districts.1 Dealing with youth

disorder appropriately requires considerable police skill and

sensitivity. Officers must balance youths' rights against

complainants' rights, distinguish legitimate from illegitimate

complaints, at times be firm and at times be flexible with

young people, and remain sensitive to how the public will

perceive police actions.

Related Problems

Disorderly youth in public places are only one of many

disorder and youth-related problems police must handle. This

guide addresses the relatively minor, but often highly

annoying, misconduct associated with youth congregating in

public. This guide does not address the more serious

misconduct associated with youth gang violence and

intimidation. Additional disorder and youth-related problems

include:

• assaults in and around bars,

• graffiti,

• intimidation by youth gangs,

• large crowd management,

• loud car stereos,

• open-air drug dealing,

• panhandling,

• rave parties,

† For the purposes of this guide,

the terms youth, young people and

teenagers are used interchangeably,

with the understanding that some

individuals discussed may not fall

within the age ranges typically

associated with these terms.
2 Disorderly Youth in Public Places

• reckless bicycle riding and skateboarding,

• shoplifting,

• street cruising,

• truancy,

• underage drinking, and

• vandalism.

Factors Contributing to Disorderly Youth in 

Public Places

Understanding the factors that contribute to your problem

will help you frame your own local analysis questions,

determine good effectiveness measures, recognize key

intervention points, and select appropriate responses.

That young people will congregate in public is both inevitable

and socially necessary. Congregating is part of the rite of

passage from childhood to adulthood, allowing youth to

socialize and bond with their peers, out of their parents' view.

Young people's self-identity and self-worth are profoundly

shaped by how they believe their peers perceive them, and

gathering in public provides opportunities to see, and be seen

by, others. Group settings provide a relatively safe context for

teenagers to flirt and pair up with one another, supported and

protected by their friends.

Congregating in public is an important aspect of youth socialization.

Kip Kellogg
The Problem of Disorderly Youth in Public Places 3

Because youth congregation in public is so ordinary and

normal, you must first determine if youths' conduct is actually

disorderly and worthy of police attention. You must use

sound judgment in deciding how to define the problem.

Sometimes you will find that the heart of the problem is

complaints that are either exaggerated or motivated by bias, in

which case your responses should focus on educating

complainants rather than controlling youths' conduct.

Whether the conduct is deemed disorderly depends on many

factors, including:

• the youths' specific objectionable behavior,

• the youths' age,

• the complainants' tolerance levels,

• the community norms, and 

• the specific times and places where the problem occurs.

Communities are often divided over what constitutes

acceptable youth conduct. This is especially true in areas

undergoing substantial demographic change–for example, an

influx of youth where older residents predominated, or an

influx of a new ethnic or racial group. Some misconduct,

even if accepted by the community, might not be tolerable

from a legal standpoint. Conversely, some youth conduct may

bother some community members, but may be perfectly legal,

perhaps even constitutionally protected. You must balance

youths' right to congregate in public against others' right to be

free from annoyance, harassment and intimidation.

Furthermore, the legal grounds for disrupting youth

gatherings in public are typically vague. It is easy to get

frustrated by demands to control disorderly youth where no

clear legal authority to do so exists.

Young people often do not fully appreciate their conduct's

effect on others. What they believe to be normal and

legitimate behavior can sometimes make others apprehensive
4 Disorderly Youth in Public Places

or afraid. Sometimes the mere presence of large youth

groups, or their physical appearance (dress, hairstyles, body

piercings, and tattoos), is intimidating regardless of their

conduct. People often perceive youth groups congregating in

public to be gangs and, therefore, dangerous. The elderly are

particularly intimidated by large youth groups. In addition,

group size may influence individual behavior–teenagers often

behave in front of a group of peers in ways they would not if

they were alone or in pairs.

Among the specific behaviors (some legal and some not)

commonly associated with youth disorderly conduct are

• playing music loudly,

• cursing,

• blocking sidewalks and streets,

• playing games (football, soccer, stickball, etc.) in the street

or near residences,

• drinking alcohol, smoking and using illegal drugs,

• making offensive remarks to passersby,

• fighting,

• littering,

• applying graffiti,

Savannah Police Department

The sheer number of youth hanging out, such as around this roller

skating rink, can generate public concern.
The Problem of Disorderly Youth in Public Places 5

• vandalizing property, and 

• harassing security staff.

Such problem behavior most commonly occurs 

• at shopping malls,

• in plazas in business districts,

• at video arcades,

• in public parks,

• on school grounds,

• in apartment-complex common areas,

• at public libraries, and

• at convenience stores and fast-food restaurants.

Disorderly youth are of particular concern to merchants

because their presence intimidates shoppers, threatening

revenues. Shoppers also frequently cite menacing youth as

among their primary safety concerns.2 However, young people

themselves are a source of current and future revenue and, if

treated poorly by merchants, will likely remember that

treatment years later when choosing where to spend their

money. Merchants are more likely to tolerate some disorderly

Savannah Police Department

Fast-food restaurants are popular locations for youth to hang out. 
6 Disorderly Youth in Public Places

behavior if the young people are also regular customers. You

should be alert to these commercial interests.

Youth surveys have identified some common complaints

teenagers have about their opportunities to socialize in public,

and about how authorities treat them.3 Their complaints

include the following:

• there is a lack of adequate facilities and activities for them,

• the police and other authorities harass and excessively

supervise them,

• there is a lack of inexpensive food and entertainment for

them,

• there is a lack of adequate public transportation for them,

• they do not always feel safe in public, and

• merchants and others unfairly stereotype them.

Young people typically say they want a place where they can

hang out without excessive supervision, where they have some

source of food and entertainment, where they have protection

from the weather, and where they are safe from attack by rival

groups.
Understanding Your Local Problem 7

Understanding Your Local Problem

The information provided above is only a generalized

description of disorderly youth in public places. You must

combine the basic facts with a more specific understanding of

your local problem. Analyzing the local problem carefully will

help you design a more effective response strategy. To help

you define the problem, you should speak with as many

people affected by it as you can.

Many incidents related to disorderly youth are not recorded in

detail either by police or by private security. Most incidents are

considered too minor to justify detailed reports.

Unfortunately, it is from those details that the most effective

responses will emerge. Consequently, you should first

determine to what extent incidents are being recorded, and if

they are not, create a reporting system that provides enough

detail, at least temporarily, to give you a better understanding

of the problem.†

Asking the Right Questions

The following are some critical questions you should ask in

analyzing your particular problem of disorderly youth, even if

the answers are not always readily available. Your answers to

these and other questions will help you choose the most

appropriate set of responses later on.††

Complainants 

• Who is complaining about the youth? What are the specific

complaints? 

• What are the complainants' interests (commercial, peace

and quiet, freedom from intimidation)?

† Even a simple form that allows

officers to check boxes rather than

write extensive narratives is

preferable to reporting systems that

capture no detail at all.

†† A special note of caution is in

order regarding official juvenile

records: You should be sure to

review applicable legal and policy

guidelines or consult legal counsel

before examining or sharing

information drawn from official

juvenile records. In most

jurisdictions, access to and use of

juvenile records are restricted.
8 Disorderly Youth in Public Places

• Do complaints seem legitimate or exaggerated? (Some

complainants exaggerate their reports of the problem to get

a quicker or harsher police response than is justified.) 

• Is there objective evidence to confirm the complaints (e.g.,

customers' staying away from businesses, tenants' moving

out of apartments, reports of crimes committed by the

youth)?

• Are complaints filed with police, private security or other

officials? Are complainants reluctant to file official

complaints for fear of retaliation?

• Are there different cultural perspectives on the problem?

(Different cultures have different expectations regarding

adult supervision of youth.)

• How do complainants believe the problem could be better

handled?

• What, if anything, have complainants done on their own to

try to address the problem?

Youth

• What are the characteristics of the young people causing

the problems? How old are they? (There are significant

differences between the interests and motivations of 13- to

14-year-olds and those of 20- to 21-year-olds, even though

all are generally considered youth.) What race or ethnicity

are the youth? Are they students? What gender are they?

(Girls typically have greater parental restrictions placed on

them, and they sometimes prefer to hang out indoors.)4

• Where do the youth live? Near the place they congregate, or

far away from it? How do they get there?

• Do some of the young people have serious personal

problems (e.g., are they runaways, substance abusers, victims

of child abuse, prostitutes, homeless)?

• How do youth perceive the problem?
Understanding Your Local Problem 9

• Are youth more or less manageable when they congregate

in large groups? (Smaller groups may congregate in multiple

locations, making them more difficult to monitor.)

• Is there any evidence the disorderly behavior is motivated

by bias (racial or otherwise)?

Location/Time Problem Occurs

• Is the location where the youth congregate urban, suburban

or rural?

• Is the location public or private property, or a mixture of

both?

• Where, specifically, do the youth gather? Near entrances to

businesses or other buildings? Near stairways, escalators or

other high-traffic areas?

• Are there comfortable places to sit or lean?

• Why do the youth gather where they do? For purely social

reasons, or because they want to be near a particular

institution (school, business, tavern, or club)? Why do they

say they gather there? Do they feel they have been forced

away from other locations, or is there something particular

about this location that attracts them?

• What accounts for the location's attractiveness? The type of

food served? Access to restrooms, telephones, video

machines? Seating (e.g., tables and chairs provided for

regular patrons, benches at bus stops)? Absence of a

manager or other authority?

• What specific factors contribute to disorderliness (e.g.,

crowding, differing characteristics of youth and

complainants, differing uses of public space, absence of

authorities)?

• Are youth congregating where they expect to be visible to

the public (and the police), or where they do not expect to

be seen?
10 Disorderly Youth in Public Places

• Does the manager of the place where youth congregate

tolerate disorderly behavior more so than seems reasonable?

(If so, the manager may be involved in illicit conduct for

which the youth offer some protection.)5

Measuring Your Effectiveness

Measurement allows you to determine to what degree your

efforts have succeeded, and suggests how you might modify

your responses if they are not producing the intended results.

You should take measures of your problem before you

implement responses, to determine how serious the problem

is, and after you implement them, to determine whether they

have been effective. You should take all measures in both the

target area and the surrounding area. (For more detailed

guidance on measuring effectiveness, see the companion guide

to this series, Assessing Responses to Problems: An Introductory

Guide for Police Problem-Solvers.) 

The following are potentially useful measures of the

effectiveness of responses to disorderly youth in public

places:

• reduced recorded crime and disorder incidents related to

youth in public places;

• reduced calls for police service related to youth in public

places (increased reports to officials or reduced anonymous

complaints may be a positive indicator initially if you

determine that complainants have previously been reluctant

to come forward);

• reduced numbers of young people congregating at

particular locations (if crowd size contributes to the

disorderliness);

• reduced numbers of repeat offenders;
Understanding Your Local Problem 11

• improved perceptions of complainants (merchants,

shoppers, residents);

• improved perceptions of elected officials who often receive

complaints about juvenile disorder;

• improved perceptions of youth regarding how fairly they

are treated;

• improved perceptions of parents regarding their children's

conduct and police treatment of their children;

• reduced costs for repairs due to vandalism (if vandalism is

part of the problem);

• evidence of displacement of the problem to other locations

(where complaints may be higher or lower); and

• evidence of reduced youth disorder-related crimes and

complaints in areas not directly targeted by your initiative

(otherwise known as a diffusion of benefits).

Responses to the Problem of Disorderly Youth in Public Places 13

Responses to the Problem of Disorderly

Youth in Public Places

Your analysis of your local problem should give you a better

understanding of the factors contributing to it. Once you

have analyzed your local problem and established a baseline

for measuring effectiveness, you should consider possible

responses to address the problem.

The following response strategies provide a foundation of

ideas for addressing your particular problem. These strategies

are drawn from a variety of research studies and police

reports. Several of these strategies may apply to your

community's problem. It is critical that you tailor responses to

local circumstances, and that you can justify each response

based on reliable analysis. In most cases, an effective strategy

will involve implementing several different responses. Law

enforcement responses alone are seldom effective in reducing

or solving the problem. Do not limit yourself to considering

what police can do: give careful consideration to who else in

your community shares responsibility for the problem and can

help police better respond to it. Give special consideration to

involving youth themselves in seeking solutions to the

problems caused by their gathering in public.†

There are three general approaches to addressing problems of

disorderly youth in public places:

• a pure control approach that views the youth as offenders

whose conduct is to be controlled and prohibited

coercively;

• a developmental approach that views the youth more neutrally

and adopts methods that, in addition to controlling

misconduct, seek to improve the youths' general welfare;

and 

† See Kenney and Watson (1998)

for a description of an effort to get

high school students to apply

problem-solving skills to address

school safety issues.
14 Disorderly Youth in Public Places

• an accommodation approach that balances the youths' needs

and desires against the complainants' needs and desires.6

Whenever possible, the developmental and accommodation

approaches are recommended because they are more likely to

be effective, and they reduce mistrust and hostility between

youth and authority figures, including police.7 The general

public and the media tend to react negatively to what they

perceive as heavy-handed police responses against youth.

Parents commonly complain when police resort to arrest as a

means of solving youth disorder problems. Some young

people may even find the extra efforts of police and others to

control their conduct exciting–a game of cat and mouse–

making disorderly behavior even more appealing to them.8

The following are specific responses that police and others

have applied to youth disorder in public. These responses

variously incorporate pure control, developmental and

accommodation approaches. They are organized into three

categories: (1) creating alternative legitimate places and

activities for youth, (2) modifying public places to discourage

disorderly behavior, and (3) establishing and enforcing rules

of conduct for youth.

Creating Alternative Legitimate Places and Activities

for Youth

1. Creating new places for youth to congregate, and

providing alternative activities. Recognizing that most

young people want to hang out with their peers without

excessive adult supervision, some police agencies have

supported youth clubs, drop-in centers or recreation centers

to attract youth who otherwise would be creating public

disorder.9 In England, the Lancashire police arranged for

youth to help an architect design a public youth shelter.10
Responses to the Problem of Disorderly Youth in Public Places 15

Some shopping malls operate centers where youth can hang

out without disturbing shoppers.11 Some police officers have

helped to organize alternative constructive activities for young

people such as youth clubs or athletic programs, and have

given youth an active role in managing these programs.12, †

If you go this route, you should take care not to become

solely responsible for running a new program. You may be

better advised just to call attention to the need for youth

programs and activities rather than try to establish and run

them yourself.

2. Providing outreach services to youth. In addition to

needing recreation, entertainment and a place to socialize,

some young people need health, legal and social services that

they do not or cannot obtain through normal channels. Some

youth who create public disorder are supported by stable

families, but others are not. Some are runaways, substance

abusers, victims of child neglect and abuse, homeless, or

prostitutes. Police can support initiatives to provide outreach

services to youth.13 These services can be an effective bridge

between youth and formal authorities like the police.14

Outreach workers can help identify particular needs of youth

groups and individuals, and broker services and assistance for

them. They can also remind youth to behave appropriately in

public, without threatening them with enforcement.

3. Employing youth at businesses negatively affected by

disorderly behavior. Some merchants have succeeded in

reducing the incidence of youth disorder by employing

qualified youth to work in establishments near where young

people congregate. The employed youth have a greater sense

of responsibility for and stake in maintaining order.15

4. Ensuring youth have adequate transportation to and

from events. Event planners and parents do not always

provide adequate transportation for youth, leaving large

† Police athletic leagues, first started

in New York City in 1914, are now

an institutionalized means by which

the police help provide alternative

positive activities for youth. Part of

their stated mission is to prevent

juvenile delinquency.
16 Disorderly Youth in Public Places

numbers of young people unsupervised on the streets before

and after events. Special event and youth program managers

should be encouraged to factor transportation costs into their

financial calculations. Police in Newport News, Va., addressed

a problem of disorderly youths' leaving a roller skating rink

late at night by ensuring adequate transportation for them at

closing time.16

Modifying Public Places To Discourage Disorderly

Behavior

5. Encouraging youth to gather where they will not

disturb others. If youth are congregating near a particular

institution (school, business, tavern, or club), try to get that

institution to work with you to persuade the youth to move

where their behavior will not disturb others. If rival groups

are gathering at the same location, try to change the times

when the groups gather, or try to get one group to congregate

elsewhere. Some officers have had bus stops relocated to

prevent conflicts between rival youth groups. A Joliet, Ill.,

police officer negotiated with a stadium owner to let youth

congregate in a section of the stadium parking lot.17 Many

police officers negotiate informal agreements with youth, for

example, exchanging a degree of tolerance of rowdy behavior

for keeping noise and litter under control.18

6. Avoiding locating businesses that attract youth where

others will be intimidated by them. This response applies

mainly to shopping malls where mall managers can determine

the specific location of businesses. Fast-food restaurants and

video arcades commonly attract large youth groups. If they

are located near mall entrances and exits or along heavily

traveled pathways, shoppers are forced to walk past the youth,

and the potential for intimidation rises.19 Without training,
Responses to the Problem of Disorderly Youth in Public Places 17

An Effective Strategy in New York City

Police Officer Kevin O'Connor of New York City's Midtown North precinct faced an

ongoing problem with disorderly youth for most of the 1991-92 school year. Each day at

dismissal, students from both Park West High School on W. 50th Street and Graphic

Arts High School on W. 49th Street would flood the blocks in the immediate

neighborhood. Large and noisy groups would hang out in the area, and fights would all

too often erupt.

O'Connor realized that the schools' procedures contributed to the disorderly youth

gatherings–the schools were dismissing their students at almost exactly the same time,

onto the same block of W. 50th Street. With energy running high, the crowding of all

those teenagers onto one block produced a chaotic atmosphere that was perfect for

escalating petty rivalries into full-scale confrontations–always noisy, sometimes violent

and inevitably a major problem for those in the area.

O'Connor got in touch with administrators at both schools. The assistant principal of

Park High helped O'Connor understand that "the problem is not only school rivalries,

but ethnic and neighborhood rivalries. These schools draw students from different

neighborhoods." O'Connor then met with the principals from both high schools, and

persuaded them to stagger dismissal times and direct departing students in opposite

directions. Since most of the students from Graphic Arts lived in Brooklyn, they would

be dismissed at 2:30 p.m. and diverted to 49th Street, where they could catch the 8th

Avenue trains back home. Students from Park High would be dismissed at 2:55 p.m., and

since most lived in Washington Heights, they would be directed to the trains at 50th

Street and Broadway.

This simple strategy–modifying the schools' procedures–effectively discouraged the

formation of disorderly groups at the end of the school day. O'Connor believes that the

procedural changes reduced the after-school disorder problem by 70 percent.

Note: This account is excerpted with minor stylistic modifications from New York City Police Department

(1993).
18 Disorderly Youth in Public Places

mall managers may not have a good understanding of how

design features and business locations can affect crime and

disorder levels.20 

7. Reducing the comfort level, convenience or attraction

of popular youth gathering places. Eliminating

comfortable places to sit or lean discourages youth from

congregating in particular places (although it might prove a

similar inconvenience for others).21 If the location is outdoors,

consider modifying structures (bus shelters, shop doorways,

playground equipment, park shelters, pedestrian tunnels,

covered alleys, bridges) so that they do not offer much

protection from the weather.22

The type of background music can also influence where

youth choose to congregate: playing classical music, for

example, can discourage some young people from hanging

out within earshot of it.23 Intensifying the lighting where

youth congregate can also make the location less attractive to

them.24 

Police in Edmonton, Alberta, worked with the community

and other city agencies to landscape a park that had become a

hangout for older youth who intimidated other park users and

vandalized park property. The new park configuration made it

more visible from adjacent roads. Problems declined without

need for extra police enforcement.25 Police in Peel, Ontario,

worked with school officials to redesign the school parking lot

and hallways, thereby significantly reducing disorder problems

caused by students and trespassers.26 Police in Delta, British

Columbia, determined that video arcades' physical layout

influenced youth disorder levels in and around them. They

proposed local legislation that regulates video arcade design in

ways that improve arcade employees' ability to monitor youth

conduct.†

† The local law also regulates

operation hours, occupancy limits,

age restrictions, lighting, restroom

access, and conduct rules in video

arcades. The Delta Police

Department's study of the problem

and local law has served as a model

across Canada (Sheard 1998).
Responses to the Problem of Disorderly Youth in Public Places 19

† For a review of research on the

effects of CCTV and street lighting

on crime prevention, see Painter and

Tilley (1999).

If youth rely on cars to get to the location, or if cars are the

attraction (part of a street cruising problem), consider altering

parking regulations to limit youths' ability to gather a lot of

cars in one place.27

8. Installing and monitoring closed-circuit television

(CCTV) cameras. CCTV, used extensively in the United

Kingdom and generally supported by merchants, shoppers

and the general public, has shown some effectiveness in

controlling youth disorder in public places.28, † A Scottish

study concluded that a CCTV camera positioned in a public

town center had the effect of moving disorder incidents out

of the camera's view, keeping fights among youth briefer, with

fewer combatants. Overall, the CCTV reduced the actual

number of disorder incidents, although the study noted that

the number of recorded incidents might well rise due to the

increased CCTV monitoring.29 Another U.K. study concluded

that CCTV was more useful for alerting police to disorder

incidents than for deterring disorder in the first place.30 

Establishing and Enforcing Rules of Conduct for Youth

9. Enlisting others to exercise informal social control

over youth. You should support and reinforce the informal

social control that others can exercise over young people.

Enlist parents, school officials, employers, coaches, and others

to establish and enforce standards of youth conduct in public.

Research has established that people who are responsible for

managing places–whether malls, businesses, apartment

buildings, commercial districts, or parks–can collectively act to

enforce rules and standards of orderly behavior that result in

reduced disorder.31

Police can notify people, in person or in writing, about

individuals causing problems. Officers in Manchester,
20 Disorderly Youth in Public Places

England, distributed a leaflet to parents explaining the

problems, police responses, parental responsibilities, and

potential consequences for failing to control their children's

behavior (including sanctions against their public housing

privileges).32 Police in Lancashire, England, videotaped

disorderly youth and showed the videotapes to their parents.33

Many jurisdictions have parental responsibility laws, with

sanctions against parents who fail to exercise reasonable

control of their children's conduct; however, these laws are

rarely enforced.

10. Establishing clear rules of conduct, and educating

youth about them. Patrol officers usually develop their own

personal standards for youth conduct, which they pass on to

the youth by word or action. Unfortunately, the same youth

are subject to many different patrol officers' standards. When

the standards change depending on which officer is on duty,

youth perceive the standards to be arbitrary and, therefore,

unfair.34 You should try to get officers to agree on a

reasonably consistent set of standards for dealing with

congregating youth.

Shopping mall managers should establish a clear set of rules

of conduct and post them where youth congregate. Some

merchants impose minimum-purchase requirements or restrict

restroom use to paying customers to discourage youth from

gathering outside their businesses. Some malls have resorted

to requiring teenagers to have parental escorts during certain

hours.

Some Dutch police visit schools at the beginning of the

school year to inform students about rules of conduct that

will apply in places where students are known to hang out.35

Lancashire police instituted a juvenile nuisance register to log

police officers' warnings to young people and justify harsher

responses if the youth ignore the warnings.36 
Responses to the Problem of Disorderly Youth in Public Places 21

11. Mediating conflicts between youth and complainants.

As noted earlier, young people often fail to appreciate their

behavior's effect on others. Bringing youth and complainants

together can result in a healthy exchange of perspectives. In

some instances, complainants have been known to become

more sympathetic to the lack of opportunities for youth, and

willing to help provide them.37 If there is racial or ethnic bias

to the complaints, you might consider providing professional

cultural awareness training for complainants and youth.38 

12. Denying youths' anonymity. In some instances, simply

getting to know the names and faces of young people,

thereby removing their sense of anonymity, is sufficient to

discourage them from causing trouble.39 Without being

antagonistic or accusatory, police and private security officers

can make special efforts to let youth know they can readily be

identified. In some instances, police and private security have

Michael Scott

Clearly posted rules in shopping

malls are recommended to

discourage disorderly conduct.
22 Disorderly Youth in Public Places

resorted to photographing and identifying youth who create

disturbances, either as part of an official trespass warning

system, or merely to put the troublemakers on notice that

their conduct is being monitored.40 If you adopt this response,

you should make certain you adhere to applicable laws and

policies regarding photographing juveniles.

13. Deploying police paraprofessionals to patrol public

places where youth congregate. Police in the Netherlands

and the United Kingdom hire and assign uniformed

paraprofessionals–variously called wardens, special constables

or patrollers–to patrol public places where youth often

congregate.41 Evaluations of these paraprofessionals'

effectiveness have shown some reductions in citizen fear and

complaints about youth disorder in the areas patrolled,42 but at

least in the United Kingdom, the paraprofessionals were not

well received by either the police or the general public.43 Their

effectiveness appears to depend on their being reasonable and

approachable rather than trying to be intimidating.44 Some

police agencies have supported citizen patrols to help monitor

young people's behavior in public.45

Private security officers constitute one type of

paraprofessional, and while they tend to be dressed and

equipped like police officers, some youth are more likely to

challenge their authority and try to provoke confrontations if

they resemble police.46 Police might provide training to private

security in handling youth in public places.47

14. Enforcing truancy laws. Truancy enforcement can be

effective in reducing youth disorder occurring during school

hours.48 Police can educate complainants about truancy laws

so that they know when and how to notify authorities about

truancy violations. However, truancy enforcement, while an

increasingly popular idea, is not necessarily an appropriate
Responses to the Problem of Disorderly Youth in Public Places 23

response to your particular disorderly youth problem.† For it

to be effective, school officials and other juvenile authorities

must cooperate with police and develop practices and

programs that prevent truancy, while addressing underlying

problems that might cause habitual truancy. Police agencies

should establish specific policies and procedures for truancy

enforcement rather than rely on occasional and highly

discretionary enforcement.

15. Enforcing curfew laws. Curfew laws are intended to

keep youth off the streets at night, so that they are more

likely to be under adult supervision at home. Some

jurisdictions, such as Orlando, Fla., have imposed curfews on

juveniles only in the downtown entertainment districts, where

problems have been concentrated. Whether curfew

enforcement is effective at reducing youth disorder depends

on particular local conditions.49 In many jurisdictions, youth

are more likely to cause trouble after school than at night.50

Proposals to enact or enforce juvenile curfews almost always

inspire community debate.†† The general public and,

presumably, young people themselves are more likely to

accept curfews if alternative legitimate activities and places for

youth to gather exist.51 If police are expected to enforce

juvenile curfews, there must be convenient holding facilities

that allow officers to return to the streets quickly; otherwise,

they are not likely to take juveniles into custody. As with

truancy enforcement, police agencies that opt to enforce

curfew laws should establish specific policies and procedures

relating to enforcement.

16. Banning troublemakers from private property. If

youth are congregating and creating disturbances on privately

owned property, such as business parking lots or apartment

complexes, you might consider securing authority from the

property owners for the police to enforce trespass laws.

† There is a considerable body of

literature on truancy and the police

role in addressing it that you may

want to consult if you use truancy

enforcement as a response to

disorderly youth problems.

†† See O'Brien and Joseph (1999)

for a discussion of the pros and cons

of juvenile curfews.
24 Disorderly Youth in Public Places

Trespass enforcement was one of a combination of responses

St. Petersburg, Fla., police used to reduce problems caused by

students' gathering in a convenience store parking lot. Stricter

truancy enforcement by school officials and the turning off of

video games in the convenience store during school hours

were the other key responses.52 Newport News, Va., police

also used trespass enforcement to deal with disorderly youth

at a shopping plaza, and encouraged judges to order convicted

offenders to stay away from the plaza as a condition of a

suspended sentence.53

Shopping malls are generally considered private rather than

public places, giving mall owners and managers greater legal

authority to deny access to the premises, but in many

jurisdictions, they are considered quasi-public. You should

consult with legal counsel in deciding how the police can

properly support this response.† Police agencies should

establish specific policy guidelines that cover police officers'

authority and responsibilities in helping mall authorities

enforce the bans. You must take special care not to support

arbitrary or discriminatory banning practices. Identities of

banned youth should be provided to merchants and security

staff.

Responses With Limited Effectiveness

17. Increasing patrol by uniformed police officers. Merely

increasing uniformed police officers' presence around

locations where youth gather is expensive, inefficient and

usually ineffective.

18. Strictly enforcing laws against youth. Many police

officers are hesitant to rely excessively on arrest as a means of

controlling troublesome youth behavior. Where juvenile

justice system sanctions are lenient, as they often are for

minor offenses, officers prefer not to expose youth to that

† American courts recognize the

quasi-public nature of shopping

malls and have extended certain

constitutional guarantees, especially

those relating to free speech and

assembly, to those visiting malls. The

extent to which a mall is considered

public or private depends in part on

whether there are any public rightsof-way on the mall grounds. Malls

with public transportation links,

government offices or police

substations on the premises are more

likely to be deemed quasi-public,

thereby limiting mall owners' right to

exclude certain people.
Responses to the Problem of Disorderly Youth in Public Places 25

leniency, hoping that they will believe the sanctions to be

serious.54 It may be necessary for you to strictly enforce some

laws, at least for a while, just to convince youth that the

option is available. Done properly, some enforcement can

open lines of communication between you and young people

who might question your authority to act.55

Appendix 27

Appendix: Summary of Responses to

Disorderly Youth in Public Places

The table below summarizes the responses to disorderly

youth in public places, the mechanism by which they are

intended to work, the conditions under which they should

work best, and some factors you should consider before

implementing a particular response. It is critical that you tailor

responses to local circumstances, and that you can justify each

response based on reliable analysis. In most cases, an effective

strategy will involve implementing several different responses.

Law enforcement responses alone are seldom effective in

reducing or solving the problem.

1.

2.

14

15

Creating new

places for youth

to congregate,

and providing

alternative

activities

Providing

outreach services

to youth

Removes excuses

for youth to hang

out and be

disorderly in

public, for lack of

anything else to

do

Identifies more

serious problems

of some youth,

such as substance

abuse, child

abuse, mental

illness, etc.

...there are few

or no alternative

legitimate

activities for

youth in the area

...the young

people causing

the problems are

suspected to have

more serious

individual

problems and

needs

Police can

support creating

alternative places

and activities, but

should be careful

not to become

solely responsible

for running those

places and

activities

Requires resource

commitments

from

professionals

outside of the

police department

Response

No.

Page No. Response How It

Works

Works

Best If...

Considerations

Creating Alternative Legitimate Places and Activities for Youth
28 Disorderly Youth in Public Places

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

15

15

16

16

18

Employing youth

at businesses

negatively

affected by

disorderly

behavior

Ensuring youth

have adequate

transportation to

and from events

Encouraging

youth to gather

where they will

not disturb others

Avoiding locating

businesses that

attract youth

where others will

be intimidated by

them

Reducing the

comfort level,

convenience or

attraction of

popular youth

gathering places

Promotes a

greater sense of

responsibility

among youth for

maintaining order

in those places

Removes excuses

for youth to be

on the street

before and after

events

Separates youth

from likely

complainants

Separates youth

from likely

complainants 

Discourages

youth from

congregating in a

particular place

...there is viable

employment in

the area, and

young people

have skills that

match employers'

needs

...existing

transportation is

inadequate

...there are viable

alternative places

for youth to

gather in the area

...there are

alternative sites

for the youthoriented

businesses

...the changes are

not unduly

burdensome on

legitimate users of

the place

Business owners

must be willing to

employ youth

May require

additional

expenditures from

public

transportation

companies

May require

negotiation because

police may not be

able to force youth

to move; may

require place

managers' or

property owners'

cooperation to

allow youth to

congregate

Requires the

cooperation of

people such as mall

managers; youthoriented businesses

may object to being

moved away from

the main flow of

consumers

May require

additional

expenditures to

redesign the place;

may discourage

legitimate uses of

the place; may

displace youth to a

more problematic

location

Response

No.

Page No. Response How It

Works

Works

Best If...

Considerations

Modifying Public Places to Discourage Disorderly Behavior
Appendix 29

8.

9.

10.

11.

19

19

20

21

Installing and

monitoring

closed-circuit

television (CCTV)

cameras

Enlisting others

to exercise

informal social

control over

youth

Establishing clear

rules of conduct,

and educating

youth about them

Mediating

conflicts between

youth and

complainants

Increases the

ability of police

or private security

to detect disorder

and respond

quickly; increases

the likelihood that

offenders can be

identified later;

discourages youth

from engaging in

disorderly

behavior in view

of the camera

Provides help

from others in

controlling youth 

Clarifies what

conduct is and is

not acceptable;

removes excuses

for unacceptable

behavior

Helps youth and

complainants

better understand

one another's

concerns and

perspectives

...police or

private security

has the resources

to monitor CCTV

...youth value

their relationship

with those

seeking to

exercise informal

social control

over them

...rules are

simple, fair and

clearly conveyed 

...youth and

complainants are

willing to listen to

one another, and

conflicts are

relatively minor

Cameras must be

protected from

vandalism;

monitoring is laborintensive;

evaluations of

CCTV show mixed

effectiveness; some

communities object

to public CCTV on

privacy grounds

Police must be

careful not to

support draconian

or abusive forms of

punishment 

Rules must not

violate youths'

constitutional rights;

if youth perceive

rules to be unfair, it

may exacerbate

tension and

mistrust between

youth and

authorities,

including police

Requires mediation

skills; may not be a

valid response if

offenses are serious

Response

No.

Page No. Response How It

Works

Works

Best If...

Considerations

Establishing and Enforcing Rules of Conduct for Youth
30 Disorderly Youth in Public Places

12.

13.

14.

15.

21

22

22

23

Denying youths'

anonymity

Deploying police

paraprofessionals

to patrol public

places where

youth congregate

Enforcing truancy

laws

Enforcing curfew

laws

Makes youth

realize they can be

held accountable

for their actions

Increases the level

of surveillance of

public places;

imposes

supervision on

youth that is not

as threatening to

them as police

supervision might

be

Removes excuses

for youth to be on

the street during

school hours

Removes excuses

for youth to be on

the street at night,

thereby reducing

opportunities for

them to offend

and be victimized

...the same

individuals return

to the problem

location, and the

same police or

security officers

handle the

problem

...paraprofessionals are authorized

by local law to

patrol in public

and are properly

trained to handle

youth disorder

...there is a place

where police can

bring truants and

quickly return to

service, there are

meaningful

truancy

interventions by

schools, and likely

complainants are

educated about

truancy laws and

how to recognize

and report truants

...the general

public supports

curfew

enforcement, and

youth disorder

occurs at night

Compulsory

identification and

photographing of

offenders must

comply with

applicable laws and

policies

Neither the police

nor the general

public may support

paraprofessionals

Requires support

and resource

commitments from

school officials and

other juvenile

authorities

Potential legal

challenges to curfew

laws and

enforcement

thereof; without

public support, the

police will appear

heavy-handed and

youth will be

perceived as victims

Response

No.

Page No. Response How It

Works

Works

Best If...

Considerations
Appendix 31

16.

17.

18.

23

24

24

Banning

troublemakers

from private

property

Increasing patrol

by uniformed

police officers

Strictly enforcing

laws against youth

Removes the

worst offenders

from places where

they disturb

others

...private security

and police

maintain accurate

records of

banned people's

identities and the

time periods for

which those

people are banned

Potential legal

challenges to

banning that may

depend on whether

the property is

deemed private or

quasi-public

Labor-intensive and

only temporarily

effective 

Labor-intensive as a

long-term strategy;

police risk losing

public support by

appearing 

heavy-handed

Response

No.

Page No. Response How It

Works

Works

Best If...

Considerations

Responses With Limited Effectiveness

Endnotes 33

Endnotes

1 Skogan (1987); Beck and Willis (1995).

2 Beck and Willis (1995).

3 National Crime Prevention (1999); Lancashire Constabulary (1999); Parker (1993).

4 National Crime Prevention (1999).

5 Meehan (1992).

6 National Crime Prevention (1999).

7 White (1998).

8 White and Sutton (1995).

9 Bland and Read (2000); Lancashire Constabulary (1999); Ball (1994).

10 Lancashire Constabulary (1999). 11 Poole (1991). 12 New York City Police Department (1993); Lancashire Constabulary (1999); Cleveland

Police (1998). 13 Lancashire Constabulary (1999). 14 Phillips and Cochrane (1988); Bland and Read (2000); White (1998); Poole (1991). 15 Phillips and Cochrane (1988); White (1998); Ball (1994). 16 Eck and Spelman (1987). 17 Parker (1993). 18 Meehan (1992). 19 Poole (1991). 20 Poole (1991). 21 Poole (1991). 22 Lancashire Constabulary (1999). 23 Chambers (1991). 24 New York City Police Department (1993). 25 Cooper and Kracher (1996). 26 McKay (1997). 27 New York City Police Department (1993). 28 Brown (1997). 29 Ditton and Short (1998); see also Ditton and Short (1999). 30 Oc and Tiesdell (1997). 31 Green Mazerolle, Kadleck and Roehl (1998). 32 Bland and Read (2000); Lancashire Police Constabulary (1999); Cleveland Police (1998). 33 Bland and Read (2000); Lancashire Police Constabulary (1999). 34 Meehan (1992). 35 Phillips and Cochrane (1988); see also Parker (1993). 36 Bland and Read (2000); Lancashire Police Constabulary (1999).
34 Disorderly Youth in Public Places

37 Phillips and Cochrane (1988); Bland and Read (2000); Cleveland

Police (1998); Ball (1994). 38 New York City Police Department (1993). 39 Poole (1991). 40 Eck and Spelman (1987). 41 Hofstra and Shapland (1997); Southgate, Bucke and Byron (1995);

Lancashire Police Constabulary (1999); Jacobson and Saville

(1999). 42 Hofstra and Shapland (1997); Southgate, Bucke and Byron (1995);

Jacobson and Saville (1999). 43 Southgate, Bucke and Byron (1995). 44 Hofstra and Shapland (1997). 45 Bland and Read (2000). 46 Poole (1991). 47 Phillips and Cochrane (1988). 48 Bland and Read (2000); Lancashire Police Constabulary (1999);

Poole (1991); Books (1995). 49 White (1998); Bland and Read (2000). 50 White (1998). 51 White (1998). 52 Books (1995). 53 Eck and Spelman (1987). 54 Meehan (1992). 55 New York City Police Department (1993).
References 35

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Crime Prevention." In L. Green Mazerolle and J. Roehl

(eds.), Civil Remedies and Crime Prevention. Crime Prevention

Studies, Vol. 9. Monsey, N.Y.: Criminal Justice Press.

White, R., and A. Sutton (1995). "Crime Prevention, Urban

Space and Social Exclusion." Australian and New Zealand

Journal of Sociology 31(1):81-99.
About the Author 39

About the Author

Michael S. Scott

Michael S. Scott is an independent police consultant based in

Savannah, Ga. He was formerly chief of police in Lauderhill,

Fla.; served in various civilian administrative positions in the

St. Louis Metropolitan, Ft. Pierce, Fla., and New York City

police departments; and was a police officer in the Madison,

Wis., Police Department. Scott developed training programs

in problem-oriented policing at the Police Executive Research

Forum (PERF), and is a judge for PERF's Herman Goldstein

Award for Excellence in Problem-Oriented Policing. He is the

author of Problem-Oriented Policing: Reflections on the First 20

Years, and coauthor (with Rana Sampson) of Tackling Crime

and Other Public-Safety Problems: Case Studies in Problem-Solving.

Scott holds a law degree from Harvard Law School and a

bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Recommended Readings 41

Recommended Readings

• A Police Guide to Surveying Citizens and Their

Environments, Bureau of Justice Assistance, 1993. This

guide offers a practical introduction for police practitioners

to two types of surveys that police find useful: surveying

public opinion and surveying the physical environment. It

provides guidance on whether and how to conduct costeffective surveys.

• Assessing Responses to Problems: An Introductory

Guide for Police Problem-Solvers, by John E. Eck (U.S.

Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented

Policing Services, 2001). This guide is a companion to the

Problem-Oriented Guides for Police series. It provides basic

guidance to measuring and assessing problem-oriented

policing efforts. This is available at www.cops.usdoj.gov.

• Conducting Community Surveys, by Deborah Weisel

(Bureau of Justice Statistics and Office of Community

Oriented Policing Services, 1999). This guide, along with

accompanying computer software, provides practical, basic

pointers for police in conducting community surveys. The

document is also available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs.

• Crime Prevention Studies, edited by Ronald V. Clarke

(Criminal Justice Press, 1993, et seq.). This is a series of

volumes of applied and theoretical research on reducing

opportunities for crime. Many chapters are evaluations of

initiatives to reduce specific crime and disorder problems.
42 Disorderly Youth in Public Places

• Excellence in Problem-Oriented Policing: The 1999

Herman Goldstein Award Winners. This document

produced by the National Institute of Justice in

collaboration with the Office of Community Oriented

Policing Services and the Police Executive Research Forum

provides detailed reports of the best submissions to the

annual award program that recognizes exemplary problemoriented responses to various community problems. A

similar publication is available for the award winners from

subsequent years. The documents are also available at

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij.

• Not Rocket Science? Problem-Solving and Crime

Reduction, by Tim Read and Nick Tilley (Home Office

Crime Reduction Research Series, 2000). Identifies and

describes the factors that make problem-solving effective or

ineffective as it is being practiced in police forces in

England and Wales.

• Opportunity Makes the Thief: Practical Theory for

Crime Prevention, by Marcus Felson and Ronald V. Clarke

(Home Office Police Research Series, Paper No. 98, 1998).

Explains how crime theories such as routine activity theory,

rational choice theory and crime pattern theory have

practical implications for the police in their efforts to

prevent crime.

• Problem-Oriented Policing, by Herman Goldstein

(McGraw-Hill, 1990, and Temple University Press, 1990).

Explains the principles and methods of problem-oriented

policing, provides examples of it in practice, and discusses

how a police agency can implement the concept.
Recommended Readings 43

• Problem-Oriented Policing: Reflections on the First 20

Years, by Michael S. Scott (U.S. Department of Justice,

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2000).

Describes how the most critical elements of Herman

Goldstein's problem-oriented policing model have

developed in practice over its 20-year history, and proposes

future directions for problem-oriented policing. The

summary report is also available at www.cops.usdoj.gov.

• Problem-Solving: Problem-Oriented Policing in Newport

News, by John E. Eck and William Spelman (Police

Executive Research Forum, 1987). Explains the rationale

behind problem-oriented policing and the problem-solving

process, and provides examples of effective problemsolving in one agency.

• Problem-Solving Tips: A Guide to Reducing Crime and

Disorder Through Problem-Solving Partnerships by

Karin Schmerler, Matt Perkins, Scott Phillips, Tammy

Rinehart, Meg Townsend (U.S. Department of Justice,

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 1998)

(also available at www.cops.usdoj.gov). Provides a brief

introduction to problem-solving, basic information on the

SARA model and detailed suggestions about the problemsolving process.

• Situational Crime Prevention: Successful Case Studies,

Second Edition, edited by Ronald V. Clarke (Harrow and

Heston, 1997). Explains the principles and methods of

situational crime prevention, and presents over 20 case

studies of effective crime prevention initiatives.
44 Disorderly Youth in Public Places

• Tackling Crime and Other Public-Safety Problems: Case

Studies in Problem-Solving, by Rana Sampson and

Michael S. Scott (U.S. Department of Justice, Office of

Community Oriented Policing Services, 2000) (also available

at www.cops.usdoj.gov). Presents case studies of effective

police problem-solving on 18 types of crime and disorder

problems.

• Using Analysis for Problem-Solving: A Guidebook for

Law Enforcement, by Timothy S. Bynum (U.S.

Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented

Policing Services, 2001). Provides an introduction for

police to analyzing problems within the context of

problem-oriented policing.

• Using Research: A Primer for Law Enforcement

Managers, Second Edition, by John E. Eck and Nancy G.

LaVigne (Police Executive Research Forum, 1994). Explains

many of the basics of research as it applies to police

management and problem-solving.
Other Guides in This Series 45

Other Guides in This Series

Problem-Oriented Guides for Police series: (available at

www.cops.usdoj.gov):

1. Assaults in and Around Bars. Michael S. Scott. 2001.

2. Street Prostitution. Michael S. Scott. 2001.

3. Speeding in Residential Areas. Michael S. Scott. 2001.

4. Drug Dealing in Privately Owned Apartment Complexes.

Rana Sampson. 2001.

5. False Burglar Alarms. Rana Sampson. 2001.

6. Disorderly Youth in Public Places. Michael S. Scott. 2001.

7. Loud Car Stereos. Michael S. Scott. 2001.

8. Robbery at Automated Teller Machines. Michael S. Scott. 2001.

9. Graffiti. Deborah Lamm Weisel. 2002.

10. Thefts of and From Cars in Parking Facilities. Ronald V.

Clarke. 2002.

11. Shoplifting. Ronald V. Clarke. 2002.

12. Bullying in Schools. Rana Sampson. 2002.

13. Panhandling. Michael S. Scott. 2002.

14. Rave Parties. Michael S. Scott. 2002.

15. Burglary of Retail Establishments. Ronald V. Clarke. 2002.

16. Clandestine Drug Labs. Michael S. Scott. 2002.

17. Acquaintance Rape of College Students. Rana Sampson. 2002.

18. Burglary of Single-Family Houses. Deborah Lamm Weisel.

2002.

19. Misuse and Abuse of 911. Rana Sampson. 2002.

Companion guide to the Problem-Oriented Guides for Police series:

• Assessing Responses to Problems: An Introductory Guide for

Police Problem-Solvers. John E. Eck. 2002.
46 Disorderly Youth in Public Places

Other Related COPS Office Publications

• Using Analysis for Problem-Solving: A Guidebook for Law

Enforcement. Timothy S. Bynum.

• Problem-Oriented Policing: Reflections on the First 20 Years.

Michael S. Scott. 2001.

• Tackling Crime and Other Public-Safety Problems: Case

Studies in Problem-Solving. Rana Sampson and Michael S. Scott.

2000.

• Community Policing, Community Justice, and Restorative

Justice: Exploring the Links for the Delivery of a Balanced

Approach to Public Safety. Caroline G. Nicholl. 1999.

• Toolbox for Implementing Restorative Justice and Advancing

Community Policing. Caroline G. Nicholl. 2000.

• Problem-Solving Tips: A Guide to Reducing Crime and

Disorder Through Problem-Solving Partnerships. Karin

Schmerler, Matt Perkins, Scott Phillips, Tammy Rinehart and

Meg Townsend. 1998.

For more information about the Problem-Oriented Guides for Police series

and other COPS Office publications, please call the Department of

Justice Response Center at 1-800-421-6770 or check our website at

www.cops.usdoj.gov.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

1100 Vermont Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20530

To obtain details on COPS programs, call the

U.S. Department of Justice Response Center at 1.800.421.6770

Visit the COPS internet web site by the address listed below.

e050211549 Created Date: June 13, 2002

www.cops.usdoj.gov