Avoid leaving members of the community frustrated and disgruntled following contact with our department, as far as humanly possible. As we learned with an aggressive approach to domestic violence cases, repeat calls can be reduced through problem eradication. This consists of identifying the problem, analyzing potential options, and implementing a results-oriented action plan. To effectively resolve problems, beat officers need to be empowered with the ability to design their own problem-solving plans. Officers need to be allowed the freedom to use creativity and resourcefulness in attacking problems.
Supervisors become the resource providers, helping implement the officer's plans.
This led to a high value being placed on immediate response to crimes in progress, for example. For the most part, members of the community were seldom involved in input as to what was most important to them. It has been found that, quite often, the problems most pressing to the general public were nuisance crimes, and the general perception of fear in their neighborhoods. Fear of rape, homicide, etc., were at the bottom of the list of neighborhood concerns. It becomes an important factor in the COPS model to determine the actual needs and desires of the community as to what they expect of the police department.