Problem Solving - For the Community Policing Officer and Citizen

During this highly interactive 8-hour class in Tampa, students focused on the problem solving process of community policing. Through various realistic scenarios, citizens and law enforcement officers achieved a better understanding of the historical aspects of traditional policing practices and its evolution towards Problem Oriented Policing (POP), involving the entire community. 

Throughout the course, Captain James Steffens of the Pasco County Sheriff's Office and Training Officer Detective Mark Deasaro highlighted holistic policing models as a break from more traditional incident-driven strategies, allowing officers to gain the trust and assistance of neighborhood residents as partners in achieving public safety.

More than 50 attendees participated in the tuition-free class presented at Hillsborough Community College's Ybor City Training Center.  This class was presented by trainers from St. Petersburg College's Center for Public Safety Innovation and sponsored by the U.S. Attorney's Office, as part of the SMART on Crime Initiative.