Introduction
One of the police’s primary responsibilities is to ensure that they protect the citizens from harm such as gang-related violence. Riverside High School’s board of management (BOM) has raised concern over gang-related graffiti on the school premises. As the Chief of Police of Riverside, I have to make sure that I calm down the stakeholders’ fears in Riverside High School. I have to solve this issue, and I will communicate with the relevant stakeholders during the next Town Council meeting. There are several methods people use to solve problems, and I will employ the SARA model to evaluate the implementation plan of solving the problem in Riverside High School. The essay will discuss how this method will seek to figure out whether the graffiti is gang-related and how we will keep all stakeholders in the school safe as the police.
Discussion
Problem-solving is essential as it helps people move on from the issues that are troubling them and focus on other things in life. I plan to use the SARA model to help implement a plan to find the solution to the graffiti problem in Riverside High School. SARA stands for scanning, analysis, response, and assessment (Borrion et al., 2020). It is a systematic policing approach used to reduce recurring problems, which often lead to harm in communities and neighborhoods.
Scanning
Scanning is one of the essential steps, and it will require the police recognize the recurring issues, which is graffiti on the school premises. The police have identified that one of the significant problems this issue will bring is gang violence, such as shootings and murders. The Riverside community will become unsafe, and students might also join gangs, which will negatively affect their futures. Having gangs in the Riverside community will negatively affect the society as the people will deem it unsafe. The community has a significant teenage population, and some might join the gangs if they become popular in Riverside. There is a high possibility that the residents might move out and withdraw their children from the Riverside High School. The business community might also move their businesses to other locations, which will affect Riverside’s economy.
Analysis
In this procedure, we will analyze the problem seeking to identify and understand the causes and ailments of the main problem that Riverside is facing while collecting data on it. Borrion et al., (2020) propose that the police should undertake research and specify the current responses to the possibility of a gang’s existence, the scope of the problem, and the potential reason why gangs have infiltrated Riverside High School. The police and the relevant stakeholders will have to understand the conditions that made it possible for gangs to infiltrate the school (Burton & McGregor, 2018). We will also have to figure out the data that the stakeholders should collect and research the kind of problems that gangs might bring to the school. I have good experience in multiculturism and diversity, and I will need to apply this to analyze the potential issue we are facing. I learned that some communities also use graffiti as a way of expression, and there is a possibility that graffiti in school is expression (Sitas, 2020). Using this information will help us narrow down the problem to as specific as possible.
Response
The response step will require us to use the data collected from the analysis to brainstorm ideas that will help us intervene, outline a plan to solve the problem, and implement those plans. Some of the factors that we will pursue are first trying to understand whether the graffiti is gang-related or just an expression of art (Sitas, 2020). Solving this problem will then help us brainstorm ideas that will help us sort this issue out. The relevant stakeholders should also look at what other communities have done, especially schools in the neighboring areas and cities such as Rockville. These other schools and communities’ experience will be essential in helping Riverside formulate a good response plan while identifying the responsible parties (Burton & McGregor, 2018). We will finish this step by carrying out the planned activities and implementing the proposed project plans.
Assessment
The assessment will be the final plan in which we, as the police and other relevant stakeholders, will be assessing the plans we had implemented. According to Burton & McGregor (2018), this step will also determine whether the initial goals we have achieved are the initial goals we set. The relevant stakeholders will also identify any new strategies that will be required to supplement the initial plans. In this step, the conclusion will focus on carrying out an ongoing valuation to ensure continued efficiency.
Conclusion
The Riverside High School and the relevant stakeholders fear that gangs might have penetrated and entered the school because of the graffiti art in the institution’s premises. The report analyzes this fear, and as the Chief of Police of Riverside, I have used the SARA model to help solve the problem. I have also applied my knowledge in multiculturism and diversity to understand whether graffiti is an expression of art and not gang-related.
References
Borrion, H., Ekblom, P., Alrajeh, D., Borrion, A. L., Keane, A., Koch, D.,… & Toubaline, S. (2020). The problem with crime problem-solving: Towards a second-generation POP? The British Journal of Criminology, 60(1), 219-240. Web.
Burton, S., & McGregor, M. (2018). Enhancing SARA: a new approach in an increasingly complex world. Crime Science, 7(1), 1-5. Web.
Sitas, R. (2020). Creative Cities, Graffiti and Culture‐Led Development in South Africa: Dlala Indima (‘Play Your Part’). International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 44(5), 821-840. Web.