Problem-oriented policing (POP) is an approach to policing introduced by Herman Goldstein in 1979. Its core observation is simple: most police work responds to individual incidents, but incidents cluster. The same places, people, and conditions generate calls again and again. Treating each call as a one-off means treating symptoms forever.
POP shifts the unit of work from the incident to the problem — a recurring set of related incidents that concerns both the community and the police. Instead of asking “how do we respond faster to thefts from cars?”, a problem-oriented approach asks “why do thefts keep happening in these three parking facilities, and what would make them stop?”
Answering that question takes analysis: data about where and when incidents occur, research about what has worked elsewhere, and honest assessment of whether an intervention actually reduced the problem. That is exactly the material this hub collects — research guides, documented projects from other agencies, and open data about jurisdictions — in one place.
The authoritative library of POP resources is maintained by the ASU Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, whose published guides and conference projects are indexed throughout this site.
Most POP work follows the SARA model: Scanning for recurring problems, Analysis to understand their causes, Response tailored to those causes, and Assessment of whether the response worked. Each stage maps to concrete resources on this hub.
Walk through SARAWhat's known about your problem
POP guides synthesize research and practice for specific recurring problems, from burglary to graffiti to thefts from vehicles.
What other agencies tried
POP project submissions document real interventions — the analysis, the response, and whether it worked.
Data about your jurisdiction
Agency profiles carry crime trends, NIBRS incident detail, staffing history, policies, and open data links.
Looking for the wider research world — evidence-based policing societies, what-works clearinghouses, data sources, and grant funders? See where to look.