Routledge Reducing Crime: A Companion for Police Leaders

How do I reduce crime in my police command? How do I tackle chronic crime problems? How do I address the long-term issues that have plagued my community? How do I analyze crime and criminal behaviour? How do I show evidence of success in crime reduction? What works, what doesn’t, and how do we know? Providing answers to these questions and more, this engaging and accessible book offers a foundation for leadership in modern policing. Blending concepts from crime science, environmental criminology, and the latest research in evidence-based policing, the book draws on examples from around the world to cover a range of issues such as: how to analyze crime problems and what questions to ask, why the PANDA model is your key to crime reduction, key features of criminal behavior relevant to police commanders, the current research on what works in police crime prevention, why to set up systems to avoid surprises and monitor crime patterns, how to develop evidence of your effectiveness, forming a crime reduction plan, tracking progress, and finally, how to make a wider contribution to the policing field. Crammed with useful tips, checklists and advice including first-person perspectives from police practitioners, case studies and chapter summaries, this book is essential reading both for police professionals taking leadership courses and promotion exams, and for students engaged with police administration and community safety. Review "This is an accessible guide for everyday policing. There is a real need for an informed practical approach to leadership practice. It’s an easy interesting read, and Ratcliffe deserves some kind of award for collating these checklists. I wish I had had this as a superintendent." - Sir Denis O’Connor, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary (rtd.) and affiliated lecturer, Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge, UK "Whether you are just beginning as a Police leader or have been in a leadership position for years, Reducing Crime should be the first call for back up when you are faced with a complicated crime problem. Of all the books I have read on crime science, this wins hands down on its ability to explain how to approach problems practically in the complex world of modern day policing. This is a book I would like to see as part of police leadership curriculum. The structure of the book and the personal touch of real police leaders’ experiences makes it the best I have read." - Bruce O’Brien, Inspector, New Zealand Police "Reducing Crime is a must-read for any senior leader in today’s evolving police environment. 21st century policing demands more than the standard reactive-model approaches from decades past. Today’s police leaders require more strategic responses to crime prevention, awareness of community harms, and education regarding evidence-based practices. Often missing in today’s command level training, this book bridges the gap and should sit as a ready-reference on every commander’s desk." - Chris Vallejo, Lieutenant, Austin Police Department, Texas, USA "I have read the book which is excellent and I only wish I had been able to read this five years ago. It is full of information, reflections, observations and resources that will support any serving police officer either in post or thinking about future roles. I recommend it as a must read for all police professionals. Jerry has done the almost impossible by presenting solid academic material in a format that appeals and is easy to understand and more importantly, put into use." - Dan Reynolds, Inspector, Cheshire Police, UK   About the Author Jerry Ratcliffe is a professor and former British police officer who works with police agencies around the world on crime reduction and criminal intelligence projects. After an ice-climbing accident ended a decade-long career with London’s Metropolitan Police, he earned a first-class honors degree and a PhD from the Univer