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Making informed technology decisions through problem-solving, evidence-informed strategies, and practical policing. Technology and artificial intelligence have become major topics throughout the law enforcement profession. Whether it's real-time crime centers, automated license plate readers, drones, camera systems, crime analysis platforms, or emerging AI capabilities, agencies have more technological options available than ever before. Many of these tools offer tremendous b

Sound familiar? Every police officer knows the frustration of responding to the same problems over and over again. We handle the call, address the immediate issue, and move on. But before long, we’re right back dealing with the same thing. What if we could break that cycle? That’s where the SARA Model comes in. SARA (Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment) is a proven problem-solving approach that helps law enforcement identify recurring problems, understand what’s caus

My Latest Article Published in American Police Beat I'm pleased to share that my latest article, Every Great Sports Team Has a Playbook: Shouldn't Every Police Department?, has been published in the American Police Beat publication. In law enforcement, we spend a tremendous amount of time responding to calls for service, investigating incidents, and addressing problems as they arise. While these responsibilities are essential, they often leave little time to step back and con

1. The Problem Isn’t Always What It Appears to Be The same downtown block generates another complaint. Officers respond, outreach workers offer assistance, and a cleanup addresses the immediate conditions. A few days later, many of the same concerns return. Residents and businesses are frustrated, municipal leaders face pressure to act, and police find themselves responding to a problem that never seems fully resolved. After 24 years in law enforcement, I understand that frus

Law enforcement is very good at responding to incidents. But what happens when we begin looking beyond the individual call and asking why the problem keeps happening in the first place? I recently had the opportunity to join John Gabrielson on The Blue Line Project podcast (via The Crime Reduction Institute Network) for a conversation about crime prevention, evidence-based and problem-oriented policing, and how agencies can move beyond simply responding to recurring problems

Some of the most persistent problems in our communities are not caused by a lack of effort. Officers respond, reports are written, services are provided, arrests are made, complaints are documented, and resources are deployed. People are working hard, often under difficult conditions. Yet the same people, places, behaviors, and circumstances continue producing the same calls, the same victims, and the same harm. Sometimes the problem is not that no one cared or no one tried.

Staffing shortages are real. Limited budgets are real. Limited resources are real. Across the country, law enforcement agencies of every size are feeling it. Large agencies, small agencies, suburban departments, rural departments, county agencies, and mid-sized departments are all dealing with it in different ways. Some are stretching shifts. Some are relying heavily on overtime. Some are struggling to recruit and retain officers. Some are doing everything they can just to ke

“Real public safety begins when we care enough to see harm before it happens — and accept that preventing it belongs to all of us.” This quote reflects much of what I have come to believe through my experience, education, and real-world view of public safety. Too often, when people hear “public safety,” they immediately think of law enforcement. And make no mistake, law enforcement plays an incredibly important and necessary role. Police officers respond to danger, protect vi

By Inv./Sgt. Michael S. Burgess, M.S.S. (ret.) Toxicity inside a police agency rarely starts as an official policy problem. More often, it starts in the places leadership does not always see: the squad room, the report room, the parking lot, text threads, ride-alongs, social circles, side conversations, and the quiet moments between calls. It can come from a senior officer who has become cynical. It can come from an FTO who teaches new officers to distrust every initiative be

Why evidence-based and problem-oriented policing must be translated into practical, everyday police work Law enforcement has always changed. Sometimes that change happens gradually through leadership, training, experience, and research. Other times, it happens suddenly after a major incident, public pressure, or civil unrest. Either way, the profession has never stayed the same. That does not make change easy. Cops work in a difficult profession. They face danger, uncertainty

Officer wellness is not talked about enough. When we talk about proactive crime prevention, we often focus on safer communities, fewer victims, reduced repeat calls, smarter use of resources, and better outcomes for the people we serve. Those things are all important. But there is another part of this conversation that deserves more attention. Every problem prevented is one less crisis someone has to respond to. Every victimization prevented is one less trauma for a victim, a

Have you ever wished there was a simpler way to understand the SARA model and quickly assess whether a planned response is realistic, practical, and workable in the real world? That is the purpose of this simple SARA + R.E.A.L. visual reference. The SARA model provides a step-by-step problem-solving process: Scan — What is the problem? Analyze — Why is it happening? Where is it happening? When is it happening? Who is involved or affected? Respond — What should we do to addres

A practical, proactive approach for law enforcement and key partners If you have worked patrol, investigations, supervision, dispatch, crime analysis, prosecution, victim advocacy, or any other role connected to domestic violence response, you know the pattern. The address comes out over the radio and you recognize it before the dispatcher finishes the update. Same house. Same people. Same situation. The responding officers already have a sense of what they may be walking int

No one wants to live in a place where they feel on edge, where they second‑guess a walk to the car, or worry about the people they love just getting through the day. We all want the same basic things: to see our kids grow up, to come home from work, to enjoy our neighborhoods without constantly looking over our shoulder. That feeling of safety is not about statistics or headlines; it is about what it’s like to live everyday life on your street, in your building, in your town.

Practical, evidence‑informed steps for law enforcement and partners The frustration is real. The same youth keep showing up. The same places keep generating problems. The same stolen cars, the same masks, the same group behavior, the same repeat calls. In some communities, it is youth violence. In others, it is robberies, stolen vehicles, assaults, weapons, or ongoing group conflicts. In many places, it is not just one incident or one “bad kid.” It is a repeating pattern invo

Practical, Realistic Uses of AI to Support Proactive Crime Prevention Artificial intelligence is a growing part of modern policing and public safety operations. As its role expands, it must be governed, tested, monitored, and used in ways that protect both public safety and public trust. Current guidance from IACP, NIST, NIJ, and the Council on Criminal Justice reflects that same basic idea: AI may offer real value, but it should be introduced carefully, evaluated honestly, a

Do you a college or university near your jurisdiction? If so, you may have one of the most overlooked partners in proactive crime prevention sitting just down the road. When people think about key partners in crime prevention, they often think of other justice-system partners, community organizations, schools, service providers, or local government. All of those matter. But colleges and universities can also play an important role, and too often, they are overlooked. Th

Violent crime grants should fund more than “stuff.” They should fund clear, focused strategies that agencies can actually run in the real world. This article shares a simple way to move from “we have a violence problem” to a concrete problem picture, a SARA based playbook, and a plan that uses technology and partners realistically. Whether you’re writing grants or leading strategy, I hope this mindset is helpful.

For years, law enforcement has been told to “be proactive.” The problem is that the phrase is often used without enough clarity behind it. Sometimes it gets interpreted as making more stops, writing more tickets, making more arrests, or simply doing more visible enforcement. Other times, it is used as a general expectation without any real explanation of what proactive policing is supposed to look like in practice. Officers hear it. Supervisors repeat it. Agencies talk ab

When people hear the phrase proactive crime prevention , they often think of police officers, investigators, supervisors, and crime reduction units. That makes sense. Law enforcement plays a primary and highly visible role in responding to crime, investigating offenses, enforcing the law, and helping protect the community. But if we are being honest about what it really takes to address, deter, and prevent recurring crime problems , law enforcement cannot do it alone. In fact