Which step of the SARA process focuses on confirming that the problem exists and identifying the consequences of the problem?
by Kelly M. Glenn, 2020When we prevent crime, we prevent victimization, which is the ultimate goal! Several theories exist involving crime prevention, including (but not limited to): Show
The S.A.R.A. Model of crime prevention is a part of what was coined as “Problem-Oriented Policing” by Herman Goldstein in 1979. Problem-Oriented Policing, or POP, was a response to reactive, incident-driven policing in which successes in addressing community problems were short-lived. Before we get into how the S.A.R.A. Model changed that, let’s take a look at an example of a law enforcement response that would be considered reactive and incident-driven with short-lived success: Officer Comar was assigned to patrol a densely populated downtown area where foot traffic was fairly moderate. Maris, owner of a local convenience store, called 9-11 nearly every day wanting the police department to come run off the drunks that would come into her store, buy a beer, and then hang around on her sidewalk drinking and asking other patrons to buy them more alcohol. For Maris, her store felt more like a get together for middle-aged men who traded showers, shaving, and jobs for getting drunk on her doorstep by 10 a.m. Once the store closed for the night, she would spend considerable time waking up the ones that had passed out and cleaning up their trash. Her main complaint, though, was that they alienated customers and that she was losing good business because of them. Going to the store and running them off was part of Officer Comar’s daily routine. In fact, because she went so often, she got into the habit of pulling into the parking lot, even if Maris didn’t call, hitting her siren, and watching them disperse. Officer Comar considered this good, proactive police work, and Maris was happy that she didn’t always have to pick up the phone to solve the problem. In our scenario, we can clearly identify a community problem: the local convenience store was overrun by alcohol addicts, and law-abiding citizens were avoiding the business to avoid the drunks. But was Officer Comar truly doing good, proactive police work by showing up several times a shift to run them off, and was Maris getting the best service from her local police department? We’ll find out! In 1987, Eck and Spelman built upon the Problem-Oriented Policing approach by using the S.A.R.A. Model to address community problems and crime. S.A.R.A. looks to identify and overcome the underlying causes of crime and disorder versus just treating the symptoms. It can be applied to any community problem by implementing each of four steps in the model: Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment. First Step – Scanning During the scanning phase, law enforcement works with community members to identify existing or potential problems and prioritize them. It’s helpful to answer a few questions within this phase:
If we think about Maris and her convenience store, we can clearly identify a few existing symptoms of a problem. First, Maris is losing business due to the drunks hanging out on her sidewalk all day. Second, other community members who may rely on this convenience store as their easiest option for groceries and goods, may be avoiding it to avoid the drunks. Third, Maris is maintaining somewhat of a common nuisance. She has an environment that is conducive to crime and disorder, which is creating a burden on local police services. Prioritizing this community problem and reducing or eliminating the aforementioned symptoms by tackling the root cause(s) could be a win for many people. Let answer the above questions with our scenario in mind:
Now that we’ve scanned for the community problem, identified it, and prioritized it by answering some questions, let’s tackle our next step! Second Step: Analysis When we analyze a known community problem, we use relevant data to learn more. Our goal is to be effective in reducing or eliminating it, so we must pinpoint possible explanations for why or how the problem is occuring. Again, we can ask some useful questions to guide us:
Let’s take a look at how we can answer these questions when working with Maris within our scenario:
Now that a lot of the brain work is done, it’s time to turn ideas into action. Let’s take a look at the third step in the S.A.R.A. Model: Third Step: Response In this phase of addressing crime, law enforcement and community partners work together to identify and select responses, or interventions, that are most likely to lead to long-term success in reducing or eliminating the community problem they have scanned and analyzed. Two questions should be asked during this phase:
Using our scenario, let’s list some possible ways to address Maris’s problem at her convenience store, as well as select the interventions that are likely going to lead to long-term success. Remember, this is a team effort, and Maris definitely should have some input!
As we can see, out of all of that scanning and analyzing, only two responses appear to be a viable long-term strategy, but that’s okay! Even one effective strategy is better than a dozen ineffective ones. Now that we have two good possibilities, let’s look at what needs to be included in our response plan:
Let’s finish out our plan of action for the interventions Maris, Officer Comar, and the police department agreed upon. RESPONSE PLAN – Intervention #1
RESPONSE PLAN – Intervention #2
Now, we sit back and wait! The team agreed to carry out the last step of the S.A.R.A. Model, Asssessment, in six months. Let’s take a look at what that will entail. Fourth Step – Assessment During the final phase of the S.A.R.A. Model, the team evaluates two questions:
When the team from our scenario met again six months later, they assessed their response by answering both questions:
Of course, not every response is going to be as successful as the one in our scenario, but in those cases, teams can demonstrate their commitment to Problem-Oriented Policing by revisiting the S.A.R.A. Model and determining which steps need to be repeated. One pitfall should also be noted, even with the most successful responses: As with any success, we can sometimes become complacent, and when we become complacent, we let down our guard. This is when small cracks in the response occur, and the problem can get a foothold again. For example, in our scenario, if Maris feels like things are going so well that she can probably start selling single beers in the cooler again, the problem behaviors could eventually return. It’s never a bad idea to schedule follow-up assessments just to ensure the response is still working! Finally, it’s important to highlight again that the S.A.R.A. Model cannot be successful without the involvement of community partners. In our scenario, it took collaboration at each stage to reach a long-term solution that worked. Many thanks to two former students, Miller Comar and Maris Benar, and former law enforcement officer John Moisa, for serving as inspiration for the S.A.R.A. Model scenario! Suggested Citation for this ArticleGlenn, K.M., Criminal Justice Know How, LLC, 2020, The S.A.R.A. Model, https://criminaljusticeknowhow.com/the-sara-model/ What are the 4 stages of Sara?The SARA Model.
The acronym SARA stands for scanning, analysis, response, and assessment. This model has become the basis for many police agencies' training curricula and problem-solving efforts.
What are the four steps in the SARA problemThis paper uses the four stages of the SARA (scanning, analysis, response, and assessment) model of problem-solving to identify ways in which the current practice falls short and offer recommendations for how it might be used appropriately.
Which step in the SARA model of problemAssessment: Often the most ignored part of the SARA model, this requires assessing and evaluating the impact of a particular response and being willing to try something different if the response was not effective.
What is the most important step in the SARA model?The scanning phase is perhaps the most critical part of the SARA model. In this phase, law enforcement officers and other community members keep an active lookout for existing problems in their community. During this phase, police officers use community input and data to: Identify problems.
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