MANCHESTER, NH – This week Manchester Police Department released a 32-page report, the culmination of an in-depth examination of crime in the city.
In late fall 2020, Manchester Police partnered with the National Policing Institute to adopt the CompStat360 problem-solving model in an attempt to integrate community needs and feedback on public safety issues.
The process began with a community assessment conducted by the Policing Institute, which identified several priority areas. The issue of gun violence and fear of gun violence was identified as the most significant problem area.
In consultation with community partners, a Gun Violence Problem Solving Team (PST) was established to analyze the problem, understand contributing factors, and identify impactful responses to reduce gun violence and fear of gun violence in Manchester.
Collaboration and input from representatives of the following organizations were used to create this comprehensive strategy:
- Manchester Health Department
- Manchester Department of Public Works
- Manchester Office of Youth Services
- MY-TURN
- The Conservation Law Foundation
- The Mayor’s Multicultural Advisory Board
- Amoskeag Health
- Manchester Police Athletic League
- CONstruct Youth Outreach
- Chandlers Angels
- Victory Women
- Manchester Mayor’s Office
- Manchester City Solicitor
- Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office
- United States Attorney’s Office
- Juvenile Probation and Parole
- Adult Probation Parole
- Manchester Police Department
The Problem Solving Team met several times throughout 2021, analyzed and assessed relevant data, and had detailed discussions about the contributing factors and possible solutions to gun violence in Manchester. The resulting report [see below] provides an overview of the data regarding gun violence as well as a data-informed strategy to reduce gun violence and fear of gun violence in Manchester.
From the Executive Summary:
Working alongside community members from various sectors a problem-solving team identified the circumstances and conditions that could be influencing the gun violence problem. Through this work, four focus areas were identified:
- Focus on Youth – Support and collaborate with youth-serving organizations. Fill Gaps in needed services
- Focus on Places – Leverage the projects developed through American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to focus on neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by gun violence.
- Building Community – Enhance community cohesion through developing opportunities for people to come together. Increase positive community engagement between the police and those they serve.
- Focused Policing – Use evidence-based efforts that rely on focusing on the right people and the right places. Use both enforcement and outreach to reduce gun violence.
Community-based interventions and responses were identified for each focus area. Each response has a defined list of program measures to ensure proper tracking and assessment.
What is CompStat360?
[From the website] CS360 comprehensively addresses and promotes the foundations of effective policing. This model employs a 360-degree approach to data collection, analysis, and decision-making to enable law enforcement agencies to approach public safety comprehensively. In the research leading up to the development of the prototype, experts identified several positive outcomes of a CS360, such as:
