Operation Ceasefire A Problem Oriented Policing...

Abstract Operation Ceasefire is a problem-oriented policing intervention aimed at reducing youth homicide and youth firearms violence in Boston. Project design began in 1995 and it was implemented in 1996. It is based on the â€Å"pulling levers† deterrence strategy that focuses criminal justice attention on a small number of chronically offending gang-involved youth responsible for much of Boston’s youth homicide problem. This paper will explore the problem Operation Ceasefire is trying to solve and examine the effectiveness of its implementation through the assessment of the 7 stages of the model. Stage 1: Analyzing the Problem There was a clear need for change in Boston as youth gun violence had risen dramatically in the years leading up to Operation Ceasefire. Between 1984 and 1994, juvenile homicide victimizations committed with handguns increased by 418 percent, and juvenile homicide victimizations committed with other guns increased 125 percent (Braga, Kennedy, Waring, and Piehl 2001). During this time period, young adults (ages 18 to 24) had the largest absolute increase in homicide commission and victimization, while adolescents (ages 14 to 17) had the highest proportional increase in numbers, and with a great deal of crossfire between the two age groups (Braga, Kennedy, Waring, and Piehl 2001). The history of this problem primarily focuses on the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the rate of youth homicides increased dramatically for many cities. Specifically inShow MoreRelatedThe Effectiveness Of Gang Prevention Programs Essay1861 Words   |  8 Pagesstrategy, proble m-solving policing, and situational crime prevention. Deterrence strategy or theory states that crimes can be prevented when the costs of committing the crime are perceived by the offender to outweigh the benefits of committing the crime (Braga et al., 2001). Programs that use the theory of situational crime prevention believe that crime can be reduced by identifying and then eliminating the forces that facilitate would-be offenders’ criminal acts (Clarke, 1992). Problem-oriented policingRead MoreThe Effects Of Gun Violence On Children3143 Words   |  13 PagesStep 1: Problem Definition (Inputs) Need for Change More than 20,000 children and youth under the age of 20 years are either killed or injured by firearms every year in the United States (Garbarino, Bradshaw, Vorrasi, 2002). Even though youth gun violence is only a part of the larger issue of youth violence, it imposes detrimental effects on our children, youth, families and overall communities. Additionally, gun violence can cost us $63 to $158 billion per year (McGarrell, Chermak, Wilson, Read MoreIs Guns Off The Streets?1159 Words   |  5 Pagesbeing armed, that they can come and go in peace, that being unarmed will not cause them to be victimized, intimidated, or slain. (Wright) Programs such as Youth Firearms Violence Initiative, Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Exile, and Operation Ceasefire, have all been successful programs in removing guns off the streets. These programs have succeeded by removing firearms from the ones that are more at risk for harming and hurting others. For programs such as these to have a greaterRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency : A Serious Concern For Many Law Enforcement Agencies Essay2260 Words   |  10 Pagesgangs may be defined as â€Å"criminal organizations formed on the street operating throughout the United States† (National Gang Intelligence Center, 2011, p. 7). Street gangs are currently one of the largest problems the American criminal justice system must face, but they are not a recent problem. Historians support the theory that groups resembling street gangs were common during the Middle Ages, and some believe that even revered figures such as Saint Augustine may have been members of gang-likeRead MoreNational Security Outline Essay40741 Words   |  163 PagesFederalist Approach -Concentrates only on the problem of world order (and not national security) -World Federalist Approach says that there should be one central government to provide world order -World Federalist theorists use the United States as a basis - if whole world can be governed like the United States, then could achieve world order -Many problems with this - assumes states can be ignored into oblivion, many potential political problems -Functionalist Approach -Functionalist Approach