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By Dr. Walid Hejazi, Rotman School of Management
you can’t manage it!
Measurement beforehand, the identification and deployment of strategies, followed by measurement afterwards, are all necessary to determine if any given strategy is effective. This process also informs how strategies can be revised to achieve optimal outcomes. This describes an iterative process that results in the development and deployment of the most effective policies. This approach applies everywhere.
This same logic applies in, for example, public relations. In deploying a campaign meant to enhance the reputation of a police service in the community it serves, it is necessary to measure public attitudes towards policing beforehand. With that “baseline measure”, it is then possible to identify the impact that results from any given public relations campaign. Formal analysis can then enable a better understanding of how a public relations campaign impacts public perceptions towards the policing service. Such an analysis is made more complex given that public attitudes are not unidimensional, and different demographic groups have different attitudes, but such complexities are easily addressed in a formal analysis.
In the realm of measuring the effectiveness of policing activities on crime rates, there are additional challenges that must be considered, and frankly make the analysis much more complex than is the case in other areas. And there are two broad reasons for this.
First, true crime rates are not directly observable. We know that many crimes go unreported or are undetected, and this discrepancy varies across crime categories and communities. When more resources are put towards addressing these crimes, then there is an impact on actual crime, but at the same time, more crimes that otherwise would have been undetected or unreported become detected or are reported. These are counteracting effects. Increased detection and reporting of crime increases crime rates, and the impact of the additional resources works to reduce crime rates. The net impact of these effects is uncertain but limits our ability to measure the true efficacy of policing practices.
After the fact, many analyses demonstrate that crime rates are higher after the increased resources were made available to policing, thus leading to the common refrain in the media that there is little evidence that increased police resources reduce crime. This perception has been used to argue that allocating more resources to policing is not justified, and other approaches to reducing crime should be considered. The point here is that when an appropriate analysis is undertaken, a more precise understanding of the efficacy of policing can be documented. Not doing so would underestimate the efficacy of policing strategies and leads to less police resources than a fully informed analysis would imply.
There are many careful studies that have been undertaken to measure the efficacy in policing strategies. These studies demonstrate that increased police resources do result in reduced crime rates. These analyses can also inform how policing strategies can be revised to enhance their effectiveness, and thus achieve optimal outcomes.
In conclusion, the key ingredients needed to demonstrate the efficacy in policing strategies is accurate data, and formal methods that consider differences between true and measured crime rates, and that also address the reactive (or endogenous) nature of the allocation of police resources. Together, such an approach results in a much-enriched understanding of the efficacy of policing strategies, thus improving outcomes for police services, the communities they serve, and funding agencies.
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Why Policing is More Than a Career: It’s a Paradigm Shift
If you are passionate about making a difference in your community, policing might be the perfect path for you. The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) Constable Selection System (CSS) emphasizes qualities such as integrity, honesty, and a commitment to public safety, qualities that resonate with those driven to serve. However, it is more than just enforcing the law.
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Introducing the PRF-R for Policing: A New Era of Precertification Testing
On June 1, 2024, a new chapter began in Ontario’s approach to police recruitment with the launch of the Personality Research Form – Revised (PRF-R) for Policing. Developed by SIGMA Assessment Systems in partnership with TNT Justice Consultants and the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP),
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Understanding Personal Leadership Strengths
Ironically, not understanding your strengths can amplify your weaknesses by leading you to hold back when the potential for your impact is greatest. This problem is compounded by the premium we tend to put on humility. For fear of coming across as arrogant, we hold back even more, but the result can be that we leave important opportunities for serving others on the table.
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What We Can Learn in Policing from Wildfires
I had trouble figuring out where to begin this year’s renewed version of the Police Leadership Program. The challenge was too many options. The leadership issues in policing today range all the way, for example, from community mental health to organizational budgeting to technical skill development.
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The Complexity of Police Leadership
Yet leadership effectiveness is, simply put, about people understanding people. It is a skillset that can be learned, and that depends quite simply on leaders investing in themselves. With social-scientific discoveries, self-awareness, and powers of observation and communication, leaders can pull others together around a common goal. Among others, the below three skill sets help to get you there:
1
What We Can Learn in Policing from Wildfires
I had trouble figuring out where to begin this year’s renewed version of the Police Leadership Program. The challenge was too many options. The leadership issues in policing today range all the way, for example, from community mental health to organizational budgeting to technical skill development.
2
The Complexity of Police Leadership
Yet leadership effectiveness is, simply put, about people understanding people. It is a skillset that can be learned, and that depends quite simply on leaders investing in themselves. With social-scientific discoveries, self-awareness, and powers of observation and communication, leaders can pull others together around a common goal. Among others, the below three skill sets help to get you there:
3
Countering Incivility, Harassment, and Discrimination in Policing
Creating a workplace environment that is inclusive, respectful, and free from harassment and discrimination is an ongoing priority for ontario police services. However, services face systemic challenges in their efforts to prevent these negative behaviours, effectively address them, and change their culture.
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The Leadership Imperative: Leader development in Ontario
Modern policing is complex. Whether mediating a dispute or managing a crisis, it’s a job that not only requires a deep understanding of the law and society, but also the ability to lead with confidence and compassion.
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THE FUTURE OF LEADERSHIP IN POLICING
Under the leadership of Chief Jim MacSween, the executive leadership team at York Regional Police (YRP) established a mission to re-imagine leadership development within the organization. YRP knew that standardizing leadership principles and delivering them to all ranks of the organization would enrich the development of ethical and professional leaders.
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Connect, Lead, Inspire
As policing leaders, there are key elements to consider when it comes to developing outstanding organizations. Opening conference keynote presenter Tanya McCready of the Winterdance Dogsled Tour and author of Journey of 1000 Miles opened the conference with a timely message: time, dedication, trust, and practice are key elements to leadership, as well as ensuring that leaders know their team and where they thrive best.
