Stratified Policing Resources

STRATIFIED POLICING: AN ORGANIZATIONAL MODEL FOR PROACTIVE CRIME REDUCTION AND ACCOUNTABILITY

By Roberto Santos and Rachel Santos, Published December 2020

For individual copies go to online book sellers. 

For bulk orders, go directly to the publisher: Rowman & LIttlefield

Implementing effective crime reduction requires deliberate thought and effort to integrate processes into the police organization, its culture, and the day-to-day work. Stratified Policing: An Organizational Model for Proactive Crime Reduction and Accountability provides police leaders a clear path for institutionalization of crime reduction modeled after current police processes. It sets up an organization to more easily incorporate evidence-based strategies into everyday operations with the goal of changing a police organization from reactive to proactive. Stratified Policing incorporates what works for crime reduction and how to realistically make it work in police practice. The book details the specific and adaptable framework that infuses small changes by rank and division into daily activities that build on each other resulting in a comprehensive and focused approach for crime reduction. It also lays out a multifaceted accountability process that is fair and transparent. Importantly, the book dedicates entire chapters to methods for developing crime reduction goals, addressing immediate, short-term, and long-term crime and disorder problems, and implementing a stratified accountability meeting structure. Chapters include recommendations supported by research and grounded in what is realistic in police practice for application of evidence-based strategies, assignment of responsibility and accountability, crime analysis products, and assessment measures for impact on crime and disorder. 

“A key criticism of criminology is that it fails to provide clear and direct guidance to the police about how they should organize to carry out crime prevention. This book, written by two scholars who have real-life experience in the field, does just that. It summarizes the science of crime and crime prevention, and then develops a practical approach—stratified policing—that can be used to organize successful proactive policing. This is an important book for police, and one that should also be read by police scholars.” —David Weisburd, PhD, Professor and Executive Director, Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy, George Mason University

“I have had the honor of working directly with Dr. Roberto Santos and Dr. Rachel Santos for more than a decade. Their combined contributions to the development of essential and effective crime analysis practices to guide the deployment of police and community resources in rapid response to emerging crime patterns as well as to solve difficult crime problems, all supported by an accountability structure within police organizations, has been a major contribution to the fields of modern policing and crime prevention. This book should be on the desk of all law enforcement professionals dedicated to improving public safety by reducing crime and its harm.” —Richard S. Biehl, Director and Chief of Police, Dayton, OH Police Department

“Read this book.  When I found stratified policing, I was looking for something foundational to bring crime reduction, community engagement, and accountability into the daily business of a police department. Working with Roberto and Rachel, we crafted a model of stratified policing that works specifically for my department. We have experienced substantial reductions in crime and continue to do so while having a community that supports our efforts.   If you want a blueprint for effectively integrating evidence-based practices in your agency, this is it. —Chief Scott C. Booth, Danville, VA Police Department

"Stratified Policing has been a very effective crime reduction strategy for the Port St. Lucie Police Department. As the chief of police over the last 8 years, we have sustained the principles of Stratified Policing and have seen a steady downward trend resulting in a 53 percent reduction in index crime incidents. We have also achieved a 39 percent increase in our index crime clearance rate from 28.6 percent to 47.2 percent. During this time period, our population has increased by approximately 14 percent to 191,000 citizens. At this point, I can't imagine serving our community without Stratified Policing."  —Chief John A. Bolduc, Port St. Lucie, FL Police Department

“Stratified Policing is a critically important book for American policing. It represents the true integration of police science with police practice. By reengineering the way police agencies utilize and integrate accountability, crime analysis, and evidence-based practice Santos and Santos explain how police leaders can focus the collective power of their agencies and generate sustainable proactive responses that make their communities safer. Stratified Policing is an insightful and indispensable guide for law enforcement executives seeking to maximize the effectiveness and legitimacy of their agency’s crime fighting efforts.” —Tom “Tad” Hughes, JD, PhD, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, Southern Policing Institute, University of Louisville

“What the authors have articulated in this book is an evidence-based approach to crime reduction that capitalizes on measurable outcomes. By empowering all levels of an organization with the responsibility, and frankly the motivation to become engaged, we see significant improvements in individual law enforcement officer performance. The Stratified Policing approach provides a significant return on investment. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office is consistently recognized for our success in crime reduction which can largely be attributed to our adherence to the Stratified Policing model developed by the authors.” —Sheriff Michael Adkinson, Walton County, FL Sheriff’s Office

“The Stratified Policing model has proven to be effective in a Statewide Police Agency. The flexibility of the model has allowed Troop Commanders of each region to draw from proven evidence-based approaches to shape and modify their policing strategies to meet the needs of their community. Stratified Policing provides clear processes that have helped the Delaware State Police achieve significant reductions in crime while maintaining a strong positive relationship with the community.” —Nathaniel McQueen, Jr., Secretary of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, State of Delaware and retired Delaware State Police Superintendent