Problem-Oriented Policing and Promoting Public Confidence

The police in England and Wales appear to be losing the support of the communities that they are employed to engage with and to protect. It is argued that one way of regaining this lost ground is to revitalise the Problem-Oriented Partnership approach to tackling issues that matter to communities, thereby encouraging the police to engage with partnerships and the public. Highlighting areas of concern within the partnership approach to dealing effectively with problems, and illustrating how these may be overcome, this article suggests that, whilst not being the panacea for all community issues, the Problem-Solving approach appears to offer a credible alternative to traditional ideas about policing and at the same time assisting the regaining of public confidence in a time of severe economic constraints and complex social change.