Policy Text
\n\n--- Page 1 ---\n\nSEMINOLE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE NUMBER:
G - 43
GENERAL ORDER
RESCINDS:
SUBJECT: Problem Solving
EFFECTIVE: March 1, 1998
REVISED: October 10, 2017
I. Purpose
II. Scope
III. Definitions
IV. Problem Recognition
V. The Problem Solving Process
VI. Responsibilities of a Deputy Sheriff/Field Service Officer
VII. Responsibilities of the Immediate Supervisor
VIII. Lieutenants/Managers
IX. Training
I. PURPOSE:
The Sheriff’s Office is committed to timely complaint response, effective problem resolution and establishing
partnerships with our communities. Embracing the philosophy of Seminole Neighborhood Policing (SNP) and
exercising the values to which we are dedicated, encourages the formulation of a sound alliance with the
community. Establishing a partnership with open communications is an integral element for the successful
achievement of our mission. Problem solving is a core component of SNP. It is essential for each employee to
embrace this process.
II. SCOPE:
The fundamental process for attaining our projected goals and objectives is focused upon problem solving. The
prescribed mechanism for deploying this process is the SARA Model.
III. DEFINITIONS:
A. SARA:
An acronym for Scanning, Analysis, Response and Assessment.
B. Scanning:
The identification and acknowledgment of a problem in the community either observed by law
enforcement or conveyed to law enforcement by concerned citizens.
C. Analysis:
An analysis of the problem reveals issues and conditions relevant to the complaint that may reveal
underlying causes.
GENERAL ORDER
Problem Solving
GO # 43 PAGE 1 OF 5\n\n--- Page 2 ---\n\nD. Response:
A strategy, determined by the complexity of the problem, to develop and implement solutions by means of
a collaborative effort between the Sheriff’s Office and the community.
E. Assessment:
An evaluation of the overall process that is conducted to determine the success/results of our approach to
the problem.
F. Problem:
Two or more incidents that are similar in nature, capable of causing harm, and issues that the public
expects law enforcement to do something about or an extended investigation to solve a problem that may
take several outside agencies to assist with the solution.
G. Incident:
One or more of the following: location, suspect, victim group, behavior, and time.
H. Problem Solving:
The process of looking beyond individual incidents to the underlying patterns and reasons.
IV. PROBLEM RECOGNITION:
A. All employees are expected to recognize and document community problems or concerns and to take a
team approach to their elimination.
B. Problem solving and community partnerships are the key components in community policing. An in-depth
focus on crime, the fear of crime, and disorder problems are essential to the success of Seminole
Neighborhood Policing.
C. It is important to visualize crime, the fear of crime, and disorder as a combination of factors connecting the
victim, offender, and location. The SARA Model is used to focus on the different steps of problem
solving.
D. Collaboration between law enforcement, community members and other government agencies should be
stressed, since solutions are more likely to be effective and sustainable if "stakeholders" are included in the
problem solving effort. Conveying information from citizens’ organizations to the appropriate division or
section should also be documented in the initiative.
V. THE PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS:
A. Problem solving is a process of continuously looking at crime and disorder problems, analytically
understanding those problems, drawing from a range of solutions (not just criminal justice and not just
arrest) to address the problems, and assessing and reassessing over time the effectiveness of solutions
applied to impact the problems. To do problem solving well requires training, skills, and tools.
B. Problems need to be analyzed thoroughly so that solutions are tailored to the exact parameters of the
problem being addressed. Analysis is information drawn from many sources including the people being
affected by the problem (law enforcement, crime analysis, information from surveys, calls for service),
other government agencies (code enforcement, probation, parole, planning), neighborhood associations,
county laws and codes, environmental laws and codes, and other areas. Analysis should include both
quantitative and qualitative data/information.
C. Scanning:
GENERAL ORDER
Problem Solving
GO # 43 PAGE 2 OF 5\n\n--- Page 3 ---\n\n1. A problem consists of two or more incidents similar in one or more ways that are a problem to
the community and a concern for the Sheriff’s Office.
2. A problem is different from an individual or isolated incident. Much of the crime, fear of crime,
and disorder in our communities are connected, not individual or random incidents.
3. Sheriff's Office employees should look for patterns or persistent problems in our community. By
focusing our problem solving efforts on things that happen more than once, we are likely to have
a substantial impact on crime in our communities.
4. Employees should develop a "laundry list" of problems that are in his/her area of responsibility.
This list should be long and comprehensive, and should not include only crime issues. The list
should also include community concerns, which may be very different from those of the
employee. Employees should actively seek community input at this stage and include citizen-
identified problems on their list.
5. Employees should not rely solely on their own observations to identify community crime
problems. There are many ways community crime problems can be identified:
a. Citizen surveys;
b. Community meetings (homeowner’s associations, Neighborhood Councils);
c. Individual conversations with citizens;
d. Community forums;
e. Conversations with county workers;
f. Information/data from other agencies;
g. Complaints or calls for service (citizen, Deputy Sheriff, and Field Service Officer);
h. Crime analysis / MapInfo Analysis (including repeat calls for service analysis reports);
i. Conversations with agency Detectives;
j. Review of information captured in agency records;
k. Information from Sheriff’s Office staff and county government; and
l. The media.
D. Analysis:
1. Analysis is the most difficult part of the SARA Model. Law enforcement has a tendency to skip
this process in their enthusiasm to develop timely solutions. Without understanding the targeted
problem, there is high risk of developing solutions that don’t work in the long term. The problem
will likely persist because responses are based on guesses, not facts, or other reliable information.
2. Problems rarely develop overnight and quick solutions rarely eliminate them. If analysis is not
done, there is a tendency to apply standard solutions to problems (directed patrol). Law
enforcement presence alone, is rarely the best solution to a problem and generally indicates that
full analysis was not done.
3. Sheriff's Office employees should be seeking:
a. What conditions or events preceded the problem?
b. What events were happening concurrently with the problem?
GENERAL ORDER
Problem Solving
GO # 43 PAGE 3 OF 5\n\n--- Page 4 ---\n\nc. What are the consequences of the problem behavior (both positive and negative
outcomes of the problem behavior)?
d. What harm results from the problem?
e. What environmental factors allowed the problem to occur in that location, and what
efforts were made to identify what can be changed?
E. Response:
1. Five Ways of Impacting Problems:
a. Eliminating the problem;
b. Reducing the harm from the problem;
c. Reducing the number of incidents;
d. Improving the handling of the problem; and
e. Referring the problem to the proper authority.
2. Conditions may be intolerable to those affected by the problem. Although short-term relief may
be imperative, long-term solutions should be pursued as well.
3. Problems will likely persist if long-term solutions are not tailored to key causative factors. To be