PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine an interagency collaboration (The Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council – Metro‐LEC), consisting of 42 law enforcement agencies that provide mutual aid and assistance to member agencies in times of need.Design/methodology/approachIn total, four sources of data (personnel interviews, written survey, organizational documents and participant observation) were used as part of a case study method, to assess the administrative and operational functioning of the Metro‐LEC.FindingsIn sum, the findings conclude that the organization is meeting the needs of the member agencies, with few unmanageable impediments.Research limitations/implicationsSince the current study relies on a case study from a single collaborative agency, the findings come with caution, in terms of generalizability.Originality/valueThis psprt contributes to the literature on police interagency collaboration and is the first known study on a Law Enforcement Council (LEC).

This study reviews findings from Project Regional Analytics for the Safety of Our Residents, a modified focused deterrence program operated across three jurisdictions in Massachusetts. Unlike most other evaluations of targeted high-risk offender programs, the impact on individual-level offending is examined. Data from records management systems in three police agencies were extracted and used to create social harm risk scores. The top 150 offenders were selected for inclusion in this study. Subjects were blocked into three groups according to their composite score and then randomly assigned into treatment and control groups. All treatment group offenders were invited to a notification meeting where they decided whether to participate in the program with a police and social worker case management team. The outcome examined in this study is time to a new arraignment. Nonparametric and semiparametric methods detected no significant difference between groups after approximately one year. Implications for future research and practice are then discussed.

This article analysed the finalists and winners of the Herman Goldstein Problem-Oriented Policing projects from 1993 to 2017, which provides a sample of 153 cases. The article reflects on the changes in the problem-solving process overtime in regards to the nature of crime and quality of life problems addressed, the involvement of collaborative partners, the use of technology, and the level of sophistication of the assessment phase of the Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment model. The processes used by the police agencies for each step of the problem-solving model (Scan, Analyse, Respond, Assess) were reviewed. Additionally, the authors measured the amount of outside collaboration for the project from crime analysts, researchers, and stakeholders. The issue of problem-solving being a viable strategy for 21st century policing is discussed.

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to gain the perspectives from social service providers that are a key component in focused deterrence programs. All focused deterrence/pulling levers programs have at least two essential elements: first, the message to the target population that reoffending will be met with swift and certain punishment, and second that social service providers are available to assist in their transition to a law-abiding lifestyle. Design/methodology/approach A case study approach was used to gather qualitative data with open-ended interviews of social service providers that participated in Operation RASOR, a modified focused deterrence initiative that identified cross-jurisdictional, chronic offenders across three cities in New England. Findings The results showed that many providers were unable, and sometimes unwilling, to participate in the strategy due to their lack of awareness of what focused deterrence strategies encompass, participant eligibility restrictions, and lack of funding. These findings may impact the success of focused deterrence programs. Research limitations/implications Future research should include a larger sample from programs operating in different cities. The importance of the social services component of focused deterrence strategies and their capability of serving clients within those programs needs further examination for the integrity of these programs to adequately serve the participants. Originality/value The perceptions from social service providers on the program elements and ability to provide necessary services to the targeted offenders have never been examined. This study aids in expanding the literature on focused deterrence programs. It can also inform law enforcement agencies on the services that are most needed by the target population and the importance of coordinating their initiatives with service providers.