Toward New Images of Policing: Herman Goldstein's "Problem-Oriented Policing"

A review essay on a book by Herman Goldstein, Problem-Oriented Policing (New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Co, 1990 [see listing in IRPS No. 70]). Goldstein's methodology & approach are said to diverge from the two dominant ways of thinking about police in the late twentieth century -- as crime fighters, & as the front end of the criminal justice system. The unintended effects of these metaphors are assessed & criticized. Goldstein addresses many of the non-law enforcement aspects of policing. This approach: treats problems as the basic unit of police work; views incidents as possible symptoms of larger problems; & emphasizes identifying & analyzing problems as necessary precursors to suggesting alternative responses, & thus preventing crime. D. Schwartz