Compstat and Community Policing: Are They Compatible? James Willis & Stephen Mastrofski With Tammy Kochel Research questions on community policing and Compstat * Extent of implementation? * Compatibility? Organizational theories and police reforms * Theory X: CS - Top-down control - Accountability * Theory Y: CP - Bottom-up initiative - Creativity Community policing v. Compstat doctrines Reform Element / Community Policing / Compstat Mission / Community is central / Community is peripheral Policing methods / Community is central / Community is peripheral Performance accountability / Peripheral or nonexistent / Highest priority Decentralize decision making / Lowest level in org. / Middle managers Organizational flexibility / Linked to community / Linked to mission Data-driven / Valued / Essential Innovative problem-solving / Valued / Valued Our prior field work on Compstat and community policing * Police Foundation study funded by NIJ * In-depth study of 3 departments in 2000-2001 * All had adopted by CP and CS * CS in place for at least 2 years Community policing and Compstat in practice Reform Element / What we observed / Relationship between CS and CP Mission / Mission in 2 PDs was vague or unstated 1 PD - focus on CS and CP generated resistance / CS independent of CP or incompatible Policing methods / CS did not involve community CP structures not incorporated into CS / CS independent of CP Performance accountability / CS strongly implemented at DC level Little impact on CP / CS independent of CP Decentralize decision making / Both CS and CP supported, but CS was for DCs and CP for specialists and rank and file / CS and CP somewhat compatible, possibly independent Community policing and Compstat in practice (cont.) Reform Element / What we observed / Relationship between CS and CP Organizational flexibility / Flexibility limited by bureaucracy & politics CS harnessed to crime; CP harnessed to neighborhood concerns / CS and CP somewhat compatible Data-driven / Improved data availability and utility CS data of little relevance to CP and vice versa / CS independent of CP Innovative problem-solving / CS accountability limited innovation / CS independent of CP National survey on community policing and Compstat * Funded by COPS * Municipal and county departments with 100+ sworn * Conducted spring/summer 2006 * Sample pool: 566 departments * Completed surveys to date: 338 (59.7%) Adoption of reforms Question: How much is this reform a part of the agency’s organization and operations? Pie chart for Community Policing Minor = 6% Planning = 0% No Part = 3% Moderate = 31% Major = 60% Pie chart for Compstat Major = 31% Planning = 11% Moderate = 19% No Part = 29% Minor = 10% Community policing and Compstat adoption profile for U.S.A. Percent of Departments Pie Chart Minor or no adoption 27% Lopsided hybrids 27% Strong hybrid 25% Moderate hybrids 21% Implementation of community policing elements Bar graph Question: To what extent has your agency implemented this approach? Officers more caring to public 90% Partnership w/other orgs 75 % Community work w/police 65 % Multi-faceted mission 60% Delegate nbhd authority to officers 55% Help citizen collective action 50 % Community groups get a say 45% Many non-law enforce. svcs 40% % mostly or completely implemented Implementation of Compstat elements Bar Graph Hotspots policing 85% Delegate authority to geog. cmdrs 70% Crime stats for operational decisions 70% Broken windows policing 60% Concentrate on single mission 35% Set specific crime reduction target 35% Replace mid-mgrs if not meet goals 20% % mostly or completely implemented Implementation of shared CP and CS elements Teamwork btw units 75% Problem-oriented policing 60% Use data to ID probs & evaluate 60% New crime reduction methods 55% % mostly or completely implemented Most popular reasons to adopt community policing and Compstat * Community policing - Increase citizen satisfaction - Responsive to neighborhoods - Reduce fear of crime - Reduce serious crime - Increase citizen participation * Compstat - Reduce serious crime - Responsive to neighborhoods - Increase service efficiency - Reduce fear of crime - Reduce minor offenses High intensity challenges to implementation How challenging is this feature of community policing/Compstat? * Not at all * Somewhat * Moderately * Very * Extremely Community policing’s most widespread challenges * Organization culture - Officers’ support - Officers accept greater community role - Officers try innovative prob-solving - Support of mid managers - Mid managers take prob-solving initiative - Officers accept community priorities * Technology - Data on officer CP performance * Resources - Sufficient resources to do CP right - Doing CP and meeting CFS and CID demands >30% of departments experienced these as very or extremely challenging. Compstat’s most widespread challenges * Conflicting Demands - Thorough crime analysis & rapid problem response - Reduce crime & be innovative - Cmdrs help each other but individually accountable - Respond to community priorities & focus on mission - Being innovative but risking failure * Technology - Compatible data systems - Timely crime analysis reports - Managers w/ability & desire to do Compstat - Hire well-trained crime analysis staff * Organization culture - Getting police to use crime maps >30% of departments experienced these as very or extremely challenging. Success in overcoming community policing’s most widespread challenges * Organization culture - Officers’ support (45) - Officers accept greater community role (38) - Officers try innovative prob-solving (40) - Support of mid managers (52) - Mid managers take prob-solving initiative (40) - Officers accept community priorities (41) * Technology - Data on officer CP performance (28) * Resources - Sufficient resources to do CP right (30) - Doing CP and meeting CFS and CID demands (39) (% of departments very or extremely successful in overcoming the challenge) Success in overcoming Compstat’s most widespread challenges * Conflicting Demands - Thorough crime analysis & rapid problem response (38) - Reduce crime & be innovative (42) - Cmdrs help each other but individually accountable (52) - Respond to community priorities & focus on mission (48) - Being innovative but risking failure (48) * Technology - Compatible data systems (41) - Timely crime analysis reports (58) - Managers w/ability & desire to do Compstat (54) - Hire well-trained crime analysis staff (54) * Organization culture - Getting police to use crime maps (56) (% of departments very or extremely successful in overcoming the challenge) Leader views on CP and CS compatibility in general Pie Chart 1% Absolutely incompatible 5% Somewhat incompatible 3% No influence 49% Absolutely compatible 42% Somewhat compatible Self-reported challenges of CP and CS implementation in same agency * Resource demands * Getting acceptance from officers, supervisors, & middle-managers * Missions conflict - Community priorities v. crime stats - Employees perceive mission conflicts - Satisfy community v. crime stat reduction Sample quotes on CP/CS conflict “Coordinating COP and CS goals. Officers who work COP resist merging with CS.” “Fear that the agency will become stat-driven, as quality of life issues don’t always create big numbers.” “Getting everyone to understand that data produced through CS cannot alter partnerships developed through CP” “With CS an emphasis is placed more on officer accountability to serious crime v. neighborhood problems.” “CS emphasizes management from above, while CP seems to be the opposite direction.” Self-reported benefits of CP and CS together * CS shows what & where problems are; CP provides effective strategies * Increased community satisfaction/support/engagement * Reduced crime, neighborhood problems * Greater internal & external accountability and communications * CP & CS provide complementary information to the department Effect of department features on overcoming CP implementation challenges Table Department Feature / Effect Number sworn / None CP model department / None PERF membership / None No. professional meetings in last 3 years / None Pre-COPS adoption of CP / None Strong hybrid department / None CALEA-accredited / Positive N=252 departments adopting CP Effect of department features on overcoming CS implementation challenges Table Department Feature / Effect Number sworn / None CS model department / None PERF membership / None No. professional meetings in last 3 years / None No. of years since CS implemented / Positive Strong hybrid department / Positive CALEA-accredited / Positive N=168 departments adopting CS Conclusions about community policing and Compstat * Widespread dual implementation * Some shared goals, some unique * Both are unevenly implemented * Evidence of conflict * Need to acknowledge challenges of dual implementation and focus on them * Reason for optimism, but requires hard work