Evaluating Problem Solving in Colorado Springs: The 1999 School-Based Partnership Program

摘要

In 1998 and 1999 the COPS Office initiated major grant programs to deal with crime and disorder problems in schools. The idea behind the program was to assist police and schools in implementing Problem-Oriented Policing, a strategy first developed by Herman Goldstein in 1979. While police agencies had successfully used the problem-solving model for crime and disorder problems on city streets, in parks and recreational areas, and in public housing, rarely did they work with schools to deal with day-to-day problems. The School-Based Partnership program (SBP) was an attempt to encourage law enforcement to work with school administrators, students, faculty and parents using this model. Over 250 jurisdictions received funding in 1998 and 1999 at a cost of over $30 million. As part of the grant, the COPS Office required that law enforcement provide funds to evaluators to document and describe the implementation of the program. In 1999, the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) received one of these grants to conduct problem-solving projects in five high schools. CSPD selected 21st Century Solutions, Inc. as its evaluator. During a two-year period, staff of 21st Century Solutions, Inc. made site visits, conducted in-person interviews, analyzed data from the schools and police, worked closely with the School Resource Officers, and observed a variety of activities. This document describes the implementation of the problem-solving model and discusses possible impacts of the project on the schools and police. The report is divided into eight sections. The first section provides background information about Colorado Springs, the police department, schools, and the problem-solving partnership grant. We also discuss our research methods, including research questions, data sources, and analysis. Section 2 examines the literature on school-based programs and problem oriented policing to provide a context for this study and the work of police officers in schools. Sections 3 through 7 report on the problem-solving activities at each of the five high schools. Section 8 concludes with a summary of our findings and recommendations.