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14 - Critic
- from Part VII - Hot Spots Policing
- Edited by David Weisburd, George Mason University, Virginia, Anthony A. Braga, Northeastern University, Boston
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- Book:
- Police Innovation
- Published online:
- 09 August 2019
- Print publication:
- 29 August 2019, pp 314-344
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- Chapter
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Summary
I begin this chapter with a brief acknowledgement of the potential benefits of hot spot policing, followed by a serious critique. The thesis of this paper is that, while the concept of hot spots policing is attractive, we should be concerned about how scholars have narrowly defined it in theory and research and how police organizations have narrowly practiced it. While recent experimental tests have improved the situation, in general, the practice of hot spots policing has failed to embody the fundamental principles of problem-oriented policing, community policing and procedural justice, which many scholars believe represent the basic pillars of “good policing” in the twenty-first century. Too often, place-based or hot spots policing fails to specify innovative strategies or tactics for police officers once they arrive at hot spots and the hot spots themselves are poorly specified. Consequently, the reliance on conventional enforcement tactics can lead to collateral damage to the community, especially people of color and those of low income.
13 - Critic The limits of hot spots policing
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- By Dennis P. Rosenbaum, Professor of Criminal Justice and Director of the Center for Research in Law and Justice University of Illinois
- Edited by David Weisburd, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Anthony A. Braga, Harvard University, Massachusetts
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- Book:
- Police Innovation
- Published online:
- 22 September 2009
- Print publication:
- 04 May 2006, pp 245-264
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Summary
Introduction
This author is a strong advocate of using sophisticated information technology and the latest research findings to guide decisionmaking in police organizations. Hence, this article begins with a brief acknowledgment of the potential benefits of hot spot policing in theory, followed by a serious critique. The thesis of this chapter is that, while the concept of hot spots policing is attractive, we should be disappointed in how scholars have narrowly defined it in theory and research and how police organizations have narrowly practiced it. This approach has failed to embody the fundamental principles of either problem-oriented policing or community policing, which many scholars believe represent the basic pillars of “good policing” in the twenty-first century.
Acknowledging the benefits
The concept of hot spots is indisputable as a criminological phenomenon and suggests the need for focused responses. From the very beginning of criminological inquiries in nineteenth century France, scholars noted that criminal activity is not randomly distributed, but rather varies by geographic area such as regions, states, and communities (see Eck and Weisburd 1995). More recent micro-level analyses have focused on sizable variations between and within urban neighborhoods. Hence, a sensible policy implication is to recommend the concentration of more resources in these high-crime areas, including police resources (Sherman, Gottfredson, MacKenzie et al. 1997). The most important question, however, is not whether we should assign more resources to problem areas, but rather, what resources should be deployed and how should they be deployed?