There are many concepts, theories, and practices that relate to effective policing. Some of these practices are used in a day to day basis by The Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) - which is a state-wide investigation and law enforcement agency in Georgia. The organization consists of departments such as the Division of Forensic Sciences, Georgia Crime Information Center, Investigative Division, Medical Examiner's office, and the Crisis Intervention Team. It is independent and works in collaboration with the criminal justice system of Georgia. The GBI uses several practices from concepts discussed in the study.
First and foremost, it is important to note that the primary duty of police officers is to prevent crime ( Geller & Stephens, 2003) . One major policing practice is a patrol. Patrol plays a major role in the investigation and apprehension of criminals. It is not only very important but also challenging and hazardous. Most officers have the perception that they should go beyond patrol to more prestigious and specialized administrative roles ( Greenberg, 2019) . With the use of police cars and telephones, a random mobile patrol is one of those practices that is used in the daily operation of GBI’s daily operations. The GBI patrol officers in the state occasionally do interceptions, where they may witness a crime in progress and arrest the offenders. Based on statistics, however, the number of crimes interception is a small percentage of the crimes that happen daily because most crimes happen behind closed doors ( Greenberg, 2019) . Patrol officers deter criminal activities by continually roving patrol cars in the street to create the illusion of omnipresence.
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Patrol officers provide rapid response to reported crimes. The urgency of response allows more on-scene arrests, more witnesses and more satisfied citizens. In fact, the time elapsed between when a citizen reports a crime and police response determines the likelihood that police will be successful in apprehending offenders and finding witnesses. From research, the single most important factor in determining the success of a criminal investigation is information gathered by patrol officers at the time of the initial report ( Whisenand & McCain, 2014) . Any information gathered during the initial stages of a crime is very beneficial for the follow-up investigation. The GBI patrol officers receive instructional training regarding the criminal investigation process. Moreover, they partner with detectives during the course of an investigation which also enables them to instinctively understand the beneficial steps to take in any preliminary investigation. The documentation the officers make at that stage is indispensable during court preceding because normally victims and witnesses usually flee the scene leaving little or no evidence. The evidence gathered by the patrol officer is, therefore, the most reliable source of information for detectives report ( Whisenand & McCain, 2014) . Furthermore, successful prosecutions are the hallmark of good investigations. Skilled GBI patrol officers know the points of egress and escape for offenders in the patrol area. They have established contacts with the community and are familiar with the hotspots and identities of suspected offenders even before a crime event occurs.
Community-oriented policing is a philosophy and management approach that promotes the partnership of the community, government, and police in proactive engagement aimed at solving a crime, fear of crime and other community issues. Unlike traditional policing, community-oriented policing is result oriented, the number of arrests is not considered as a success metric. Instead of reacting to incidents, the police partner with the citizens in proactive problem solving aimed at crime reduction. Community-oriented policing offers closer contact between the police and citizens who essentially are their customers in control of crime and enhancement of safety ( Whisenand & McCain, 2014) . The GBI has focused on crime prevention. The state-wide organization has been enabled cooperation between government agencies, the police, and the community. This has been integral to their success in crime prevention. Patrol officers should are always hands-on in cooperating with detectives at a crime scene. The skills acquired by patrol officers as they work with detectives are valuable for their current jobs and for the future when they are promoted to the status of investigators. They focus on addressing the underlying causes of problems by involving community residents. They rely on listening to the needs and concerns of the citizens as work philosophy and organizational culture.
Surely, the police cannot prevent crime alone, they understand that the involvement of citizens needs to be extended beyond observing and reporting criminal activities. Community-oriented policing has the best chance of enabling the police to prevent crime. Police officers cannot take full control of protecting the community. Citizens control crime, and police are the catalysts to that effect ( Geller & Stephens, 2003) . The GBI has, therefore, placed emphasis on the quality and quantity of police-citizen interactions. They often consult the community about which problems they are facing and request their input for developing plans to address these challenges. Furthermore, the GBI has increasingly empowered the police officer through decentralization of decision making within the police department. Consequently, the use of these concepts and practices has enhanced the value of police services in Georgia. A particular practice that has proven effective is the assigning of a particular officer to a specific beat over a long period of time in order to allow the development of trust and familiarity with the community through repeated face-to-face interactions.
The GBI has restructured its governance style to adapt to an agile approach. The leaders focus on values, mission, and goals rather than policy and methods. Top leaders act only as facilitators instead of authority decentralizing leadership functions to all levels of the organization. The top leaders show their commitment to change by example and always have a willingness to experiment with new ideas. Moreover, they have established ministrations around the state near storefronts and malls that could be susceptible to robbery by gangs. These ministrations provide protection by crime prevention and close the physical and psychological gap between police and the community they serve.
Problem-oriented policing is a strategy used to solve persistent community problems by identifying, analyzing and responding to the underlying circumstances that create crime incidents. Problem-oriented policing works by being able to diagnose the underlying problems causing repeated incidents ( Geller & Stephens, 2003) . Unlike incident-driven policing which is reactive and makes much of police work to be handling crimes that have been committed, problem-oriented policing assumes that problems could be caused by particular continuing problems in a community such as a drug dealing business ( Geller & Stephens, 2003) . This allows the police to take preventive measures by diagnosing the root cause of an issue in the community. The steps involved in the process are scanning, analysis, response, and assessment ( Whisenand & McCain, 2014) . The informal control theory suggests that crime can be reduced by strengthening community norms through an informal mechanism. The GBI used the concept by making offenders of minor crimes engage in aspects such as littering to cut grass in public parks. The sneer and disapproval by other citizens enforce appropriate behavior to the offenders and the witnesses. The GBI also has policies that issue teaching self-defense that relies on special skills or weapons. Some residents are allowed to keep firearms to protect their homes. Establishment of citizen police academies exposes community residents to key elements of public safety training. Participants get opportunities to learn probable-cause rules, crime prevention and dispatch strategies for at least twenty four hours of training. They convert ordinary youth into crime prevention resources.
Theoretically, every crime requires a motive, capacity, and opportunity ( Whisenand & McCain, 2014) . The GBI relies on the opportunity reduction theory by reducing opportunities in which prospective criminals could commit crimes. This often involves repositioning the victim or property from sight. They also alter the environment to make it more likely for potential offenders to be heard or seen before or in the act. They encourage local authorities to install street lights and cut down shrubs in which burglars could hide. High-value areas are installed with cameras, locks, and alarms. Undoubtedly, the GBI uses technology such as cellphones and the internet for immediate crime reporting services such as 911 and real-time crime mapping. In conclusion, the GBI uses multiple practices from the study concepts not only to reduce crime incidences but also to prevent them in the community.
References
Geller, W., & Stephens, D. (2003). Local Government Police Management , 4th ed. Washington, DC: International City/County Management Association.
Greenberg, M. (2019). 5 myths about patrol officers and detectives . Retrieved from https://www.policeone.com/investigations/articles/2799817-5-myths-about-patrol-officers-and-detectives/
Whisenand, P & McCain, J. (2014). Managing Police Organizations , 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
