Community Policing Awards: Finalist - Leesburg, Virginia Police Department

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Community Policing Case Studies with IACP/ITT Night Vision Community Policing Award

The Problem
The Leesburg Police Department is responsible for policing the fastest growing county in the United States, and, as the surrounding jurisdiction continues to grow, so does the population and traffic. The nighttime residential population is approximately 35,000, and the daytime population is approximately 70,000. On any given day, approximately 600,000 vehicles will enter or pass through Leesburg en route to the technology corridors of Northern Virginia and Western Maryland. This explosion of citizens and traffic has created an overwhelming surge in demand for law enforcement services.

As crime and traffic became a daily concern of citizens, police began to look for more accurate ways to track and account for the activities within their jurisdictions and focused on how best to keep patrol officers involved in the solution. The goal was to develop a program whereby the officers working the streets would be responsible for accounting for the criminal and traffic activities they encounter on a daily basis. The program needed to convey the needs of the community in a concise and direct manner so that department resources could be directed at a problem before it had a chance to grow.

The Solution
The Leesburg Police Department looked for a way to track crime and traffic trends while keeping the patrol officers involved in the decision-making process. In order to meet its goal, the department had to develop a means of information exchange in which relevant and timely information could be utilized. The exchange of timely information would help facilitate decision-making in regards to department assets and resources in a more effective manner.

As a result of these goals and objectives, the Crime and Traffic Accountability Program (CTAP) was born. This program addresses all crime and traffic concerns in each sector of the Leesburg police jurisdiction. Every 30 days, the assigned sector officers produce a CTAP report outlining the activities and concerns from their respective sectors. This report then is evaluated, and department resources can be directed to a problem area.

This approach not only targets crime and traffic concerns, but is a valuable tool for focusing resources on quality of life issues such as public intoxication, littering, noise violations and loitering. These reports provide a singular point where activities can be examined and the response can be evaluated for effectiveness. This program forces the re-evaluation of the activities within the jurisdiction every 30 days. Through this constant re-evaluation, it is easy to see if department activities are having an effect on the problem or if a new approach needs to be considered.

The CTAP program, when used for tracking criminal activity, is a valuable resource for identifying both the enforcement and educational needs of a particular sector. Through the application of directed initiatives, the department can, in most cases, impact immediate results. The criminal activity or lack thereof can be tracked quickly, and the results can be shown, whether positive or negative. This type of tracking makes it easier for police to take immediate action on problems. The department also has found that in many cases when the same problem arises in a different sector, there is already a proven method of addressing the problem, which can expedite the process in new areas. This makes the direction of department resources even faster since a proven method already exists for a given problem. The CTAP reports also aid in the development of a crime prevention/public education program. The identified needs of a sector can facilitate the use of community awareness meetings, safety classes, public safety events, or direct educational efforts for risk behaviors.

CTAP also provides police with critical information when citizens’ concerns arise due to isolated incidents. Through the community awareness meetings, the department’s crime prevention specialists can address concerns from citizens related to the frequency of crime in their sectors. An evaluation of the CTAP reports can show any increases in crime should they exist. In many cases, citizens perceive an increase in visible police activity as a sign of additional crime. Through the CTAP reports, police can show citizens true crime trends in their sector. In nearly every case since the CTAP program started, the increase in crime was a false perception on the part of the citizen. It is reassuring to the citizen when police show them real crime statistics that are produced every 30 days. In most cases they leave the community awareness meeting relieved that what appeared to be occurring was not.

The second part of the program is traffic accountability. Through CTAP, accidents can be tracked and causes evaluated so that changes can be effected. CTAP also gives the department leverage when it needs to show traffic engineers or members of Town Council the need for roadway improvements. If the CTAP program identifies an area that needs enforcement activities, that information then is directed to the Traffic Management Unit. These officers will conduct pre-enforcement studies to set a statistical baseline. The enforcement phase will be conducted, followed by a post-enforcement study. The post-enforcement will determine if there has been a significant impact on the problem or if additional enforcement is necessary. This portion of the program, like the criminal aspect, aids in educating the general public.

This portion of the program has been met with great excitement since police actually take the time to show the citizens what is occurring versus what they perceive. In some cases, citizens are even allowed to use such items as radar in the presence of an officer so that they can see firsthand what is truly taking place. This excites the citizens since they realize that police truly care enough to take the time to address their concerns on a one-on-one basis.

Evaluation
Through the CTAP program, police have been able to evaluate the needs of the community and address them in a timely manner. This program also has allowed police to track crime throughout the jurisdiction. It’s been found that through this program, assets can be directed at problems while they are still manageable. Through identification of the problem in its early stages, police can have a greater impact, which in most cases prevents any reoccurrence of the problem.

When a reoccurring problem happens, which is rare, police have in their possession the prior activities or initiatives that were undertaken. This information is invaluable to preventing the waste of man hours and resource duplication common in the previous approach. This ability to adapt to the reoccurrence and immediately target the problem with a new approach and initiative, in most cases, prevents any further reoccurrence. This program also has afforded police the opportunity to show the public exactly what is occurring in Leesburg, which in turn gives citizens peace of mind since they know they are informed as to the activities in their areas. The CTAP program has strengthened the bond between police and citizens.

The Leesburg Police Department has seen the positive impact it can have on the community by including the citizens as part of the process. Informed citizens almost always will praise their police department when they have a better understanding of what it’s trying to accomplish. In a day and age when most citizens’ knowledge of law enforcement is what they see on television, it is vital to keep the citizens informed. The bond that police have developed with the community has built a foundation that will continue to strengthen and be used to fight crime and solve problems in Leesburg.

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