Community Oriented Problem Solving (COPS)

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2014

In 2012 the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office started a new project entitled the Community Oriented Problem Solving (C.O.P.S.) Team. These five person teams are assembled intra-agency, with members appointed representing detention, court security, patrol, criminal investigations, civil process and support operations divisions. Each team is assembled for four weeks, with a specific, focused community or internal agency problem for them to address. Each community problem is assigned in a problem based learning format, in which the team is given autonomy over most of their decisions and are encouraged to use their individual experiences and personality to impact the community problem. Each team is encouraged to utilize as many community and nongovernmental resources as possible. Although, enforcement action is a normal ingredient in most community problems, the teams are challenged to investigate long term solutions that are not enforcement oriented. This provides each team with the opportunity to reach into the community they are assigned and develop long lasting relationships while promoting community responsibility regarding crime and other quality of life issues the residents may be facing. All teams assigned a community problem start with a community meeting in the area of the problem. Each community meeting is attended by the Sheriff, appropriate command staff and the assigned C.O.P.S. Team. A follow-up community meeting is also held after the team addresses the problem to communicate to the community any action taken and how the C.O.P.S. Team addressed their issue. The C.O.P.S. team concept has been a success for employees and the community. The concept allows employees to work diligently and directly with their community to solve a specific problem or problems. It has been a success for the community allowing them to reach out in a positive manner and embrace the vision the teams were working toward. Assignment to this team also allows team members to work in areas not normally associated in their daily duties. For example, a detention officer assigned to a C.O.P.S. Team has the opportunity to see from a working standpoint how the Sheriff’s Office as a whole operates and what each division is responsible for. It also allows any team member to branch out into other government agencies who partner with law enforcement to impact community quality of life issues.