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Solution Proposal

Final Project: Solution Proposal

Southern New Hampshire University
James L. McLamb
August 17, 2017
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Solution Proposal

I. Introduction
Throughout the United States, there are many different criminal justice organizations that face

many different obstacles and issues that arise within their designated patrol areas and

communities. These criminal justice organizations must develop strict policies and evidence-

driven operations in order to effectively deliver criminal justice to their communities and

working partners. When a criminal justice organization is face with a direct issue such as the

increase of crime rates, an increase of community complaints, and the increase of possible

internal and external issues, an organization must develop intelligence collection disciplines or

research methods in order to collect all the valuable and necessary data that they can later

analyze to develop solutions and evidence-driven operations to combat the issues. Not only will

the data collected through research provide criminal justice organizations with the proper

information and intelligence they need to propose solutions, the data collected may also allow

them to analyze their organization as a whole and identify internal and external trends that are

effecting the organizations operation. Within Maine, the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department

has recently seen an increase in crime rates relating to drug offenses and burglaries. This solution

proposal will provide information relating to the theories and methods, evidence supporting

trends, root causes that correlate to the increase of specified crimes, solution and defense

proposals, and a communication plan all to combat the issue of rising drug and burglary offenses.

II. Theory and Methods

A. Identifying Foundational Criminology Theories

When examining different issues within a criminal justice organization that pertains to the

increase of certain crimes within an area, leaders within the organization and analysts must use

and incorporate the different types of criminological theories that may provide information as to
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Solution Proposal

why there is an increase in specified rimes. Also, these theories may lead organizational leaders

in the right path to find information that will lead them to the development of a solution. With

the recent increase of drug and burglary crimes within the region, the Oxford County Sheriff’s

Department (OCSO) has chosen to correlate the crimes being committed to the criminological

theory, The Rational Choice Theory. The rational choice theory is a criminological theory and

approach used by many law enforcement organizations and social scientist to understand human

behavior (Green, 2002, p.1). The rational choice theory, connecting it with the recent increase of

drug and burglary crimes, looks at the criminal offender and asks the question, why are they

committing the crime? This criminological theory suggests that a criminal offender chooses to

commit a crime after they have weighed their options, and determined that the rewards of

committing the crime outweigh the risks. Even though this theory can be utilized greatly to

determine the root causes of one’s behavior, the challenges this theory faces is the collection of

information as to what the offender is thinking. Not only will the Oxford County Sheriff’s

Department utilize the rational choice theory within the region, the department should also take

the regions socioeconomic factors into consideration as well. Socioeconomic factors within the

region can be linked to the Strain Theory. The strain theory is based on the stress and pressure

that society puts on individuals to achieve socially excepted goals; which they may lack the

means to accomplish, leading to the strain to commit crimes (Boundless, 2016). After collecting

the necessary information from the community and criminal offenders, the Oxford County

Sheriff’s Department can use the rational choice theory and strain theory in the development of

solutions and evidence-driven operations to combat the rise of drug and burglary crimes.

B. Examine Strategic Methods

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Solution Proposal

When choosing strategic methods in order to effectively approach problems within Oxford

County, it is detrimental to the success of the organization to use specific methods of

intervention to seek success in the proposed solutions. Criminal justice organizations, especially

the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department, as been using community relation techniques for

decades; leading to the increase of a positive rapport with the community. The Community

Relations Service (CRS), within the U.S Department of Justice, has been assisting law

enforcement agencies all over the country with coming to grips with the difficult task of

maintaining law and order in a multicultural society (USDOJ, 2003, p.4). The CRS focuses on

the strategic methods relating to the role of the police officer, police culture, developing a set of

values, using community resources, police-community partnerships, and a conflict management

approach. By focusing on these strategic methods placed by the CRS, the Oxford County

Sheriff’s Department can collect information from the public and from within the agencies own

statistics in order to further develop solutions and evidence-driven operations to combat the

rising issues.

C. Similarly, Identify Best Practices

Creating a positive rapport with the community and developing a line of communication

provides the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office with important information and is key to the

intelligence collection process. Within Oxford County, there are many rural towns and larger

towns with a diverse population. The area is largely populated during the winter and summer

months due to the vast areas that have recreation services. In order for the sheriff’s department to

effectively communicate with the population during all seasons, and gather information

pertaining to the increase of drug and burglary offenses, the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department

must increase our presence and community based relations. Community policing has been shown
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Solution Proposal

to decrease actual crime activity and reduce the fear of crime (USDOJ, 2003, p.43). Community

policing methods can also incorporate the sheriff’s department working with local business that

include mental health counselling, and drug abuse counselling. If the Oxford County Sheriff’s

Department creates avenues of communication with the public, the organization can collect

information and share information to develop solutions to the rise in drug and burglary crimes.

Once the information has been collected pertaining to drug offenses, the sheriff’s department has

the opportunity to share this information with existing drug rehabilitation centers and counsellors

within the county to develop programs to combat the issue. This practice may also work with the

increase of burglary crimes. By collecting information that relates to who and where these crimes

are being committed, and where they seem to be occurring more, the sheriff’s department can

provide extra-patrol and focus on our presence within the area to lower the risk of recidivism and

future burglaries.

III. Literature Review

A. Data Analysis
According to the recent statistics shown over the past eight years regarding the number of

incidents that officers responded to and the number of officers employed with the Oxford County

Sheriff’s Department, it is evidence that each officer responds to approximately 5.2 and 8.6 calls

per shift. In 2009, there were 25 deputies employed by the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department

and there were approximately 206 incidents. These statistics may no appear to be an overload of

work; however, it may be a leading factor in the crime rate and recent spike in drug and burglary

offenses. Having each officer assigned to approximately 8.2 incidents per shift, this may take

their attention away from being proactive within the high-crime rated areas involving drug

offenses and burglaries. Thus, leading to each officer being unable to focus on their patrol areas
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Solution Proposal

where these crimes are being committed. Since 2014, within Oxford County, there has been a

significant increase of drug offense regarding the abuse of Heroin, Fentanyl, and other CNS

Stimulants, CNS Depressants, and Narcotic Analgesics. According to the Public Safety

Commissioner, John Morris, the Main Drug Enforcement Agency has continued to see a

significant abuse of prescription drugs and heroin; leading drug arrests to increase from 5,801 in

2014 to 5,943 in 2015 (Russell, 2016). This epidemic can also be attributed to the out-of-state

drug dealers. Even though there was a four-year stretch of declining crime number that was

encouraging, four of the five categories that saw increases last yea were crimes against people –

rape, robbery, aggravated assaults, and homicide (Russell, 2016). Burglaries within Oxford

County have seen a 7% increase within the past year in 2016. It is evidence through crime

statistics that law enforcement agencies within Oxford County have seen an increase in drug and

burglary offenses; leading the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department to believe that the two

crimes may potentially be related in some indisputable way. This trend that may be occurring

involves the opioid addiction and having to commit crimes such as burglary and thefts to

continue and support their drug addiction.

B. Research
Though most of Oxford County has seen a downward trend with crime rates, the urban regions

have seen an overall 7.6% increase; all relating to drug offenses and violent/burglary crimes.

Rewinding back to the Rational Choice Theory and Strain Theory, the increase of drug and

burglary crimes may be more closely related than most think. With the rise of these crimes being

nearly 7%, there may be a connecting variable between the drug abuser having to burglarize

homes and vehicles in order to collect money or items to pay for their addiction. If the Oxford

County Sheriff’s Department is able to identify key trends within the crimes being committed, it
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Solution Proposal

will be most valuable asset when it comes to developing a solution. Being able to identify why

an offender commits a crime, whether it is related to drug addiction or the strain theory, is

important when attempting to use data collection disciplines to research information. The

growing drug abuse problem still affects all Maine Law Enforcement, as hopeful as the overall

crime numbers are, drugs are still the driving force for most of Maine crime. (Russell, 2016). In

2016, there were 26,00 report crimes by local, county, and state law enforcement organizations;

averaging approximately 20 offenses per 1,000 people. Being able to effectively collect

qualitative and quantitative research on crime trends is a tremendous way for the sheriff’s

department to collect data and information that will lead to the proposal and development of

potential solutions and evidence-driven operations. Using qualitative research will avow the

sheriff’s department to develop theories to crime trends that can be used to develop a hypothesis.

Then, using quantitative research and the statistics provided to collect numerical data to test the

hypothesis and create conclusive clarifications. Using these two research methods can also be

used to better understand why the criminal offender commits the crime and will aid in combating

the issue. Before identifying trends, the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department must identify key

factors as to why the crimes are being committed. This research will lead to the identification of

behavior patterns and weaknesses. Many law enforcement organizations such as the Community

Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has implemented many different forms of methods and

strategies to combat the rising crime rates all over the country. COPS have implemented

strategies and programs to law enforcement agencies all over the country that focus on building

successful partnerships with communities, drug intervention education, and crime prevention

techniques that have proved to be successful (COPS, 2017).

C. Root Causes
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Solution Proposal

After using different raw data and structured analytic techniques to analyze the data collected

through research, the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department believes that the rise in crime can be

contributed to the drug epidemic within the county. Criminal offenders appear to be abusing

prescription medication, heroin, and other illegal drugs, that are potentially leading to the

increase of home invasions and burglaries. This recent spike in crime may be leading to the

trends regarding the lack of resources within the sheriff’s department. Having deputies assigned

to different calls throughout their designated patrol zones is taking each deputy focus off of the

high-crime rated areas. Also, incorporating socioeconomic statuses of criminal offenders and

using the criminological theories of rational choice and strain theory, can provide the sheriff’s

department with the hypothesis and theory that the drug addiction and low socioeconomic status

of the criminal offenders is causing them to commit burglaries to support their drug addiction;

leading to the increase of both crimes since 2014.

IV. Proposal

A. Solution
I. When it pertains to the deliverance of criminal justice to a community within Oxford

County, while focusing on the extreme issues such as the increase of crime rates relating

to drug and burglary offenses, it is important to develop solutions that effectively address

the issue. With the recent increase of drug arrests going from 5,801 in 2014 to 5,943 in

2015, it is evident that illegal drugs have taken a deep root within Oxford County

(Russell, 2016). Having each officer assigned to approximately 8.2 calls per shift is also a

contributing factor to the 7% increase of crime. To combat the issue and develop a

solution to the drug epidemic and rise of burglaries within the area, the Oxford County

Sheriff’s Department must develop a strategy that directly attacks the problem. The

sheriff’s department must provide the community with the education and resources
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Solution Proposal

needed for drug counselling and rehabilitation; while assigning officers to patrol the high-

drug and burglary areas. Providing the public with drug-rehabilitation education and

focusing on patrolling the high burglary crime areas will hopefully reduce the drug and

burglary incident. Assigning more officers to those high-crime areas will increase officer

presence within those areas and hopefully deter criminal offenders from committing

future crimes. Officer presence and community education are two of the most effective

tools within law enforcements belt when it comes to combating the increase of crime.

II. Once the sheriff’s department has developed a plan of action, specific steps must be taken

in order for that plan to be effective. First and foremost, the sheriff’s department must

begin by educating the public and providing the communities within Oxford County the

chance to come forth with their drug addiction. Many of the local municipalities within

Oxford County, including the sheriff’s department, partake in a process called drug

takeback weeks. This week includes officers being assigned to various locations within

the county with drug takeback boxes. These boxes are locked and secured where the

public can bring back their expired medications and dispose of them with law

enforcement being present. The sheriff’s department can also provide pamphlets to the

public with information regarding rehabilitation centers and counselling opportunities.

Lastly, the sheriff’s department can partake in the SaveMe program. This program is

designed to offer those addicted to drugs the opportunity to turn in their illegal substances

to law enforcement and be offered the chance to get help instead of criminal charges.

This will increase the rapport between law enforcement and the community and aid in

combating drug addiction and drug offenses. When it comes to combating burglaries,

local municipalities and the sheriffs department must educate the public on when to
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Solution Proposal

report suspicious activity and the process of creating neighborhood watch programs.

These programs and educational opportunities will provide the public with the chance to

be a first reporter of incident that may involve drug offenses and potential burglaries.

Knowing when to report a crime is half the battle, and with officers assigned to those

designated high-crime areas, law enforcement and the community can work together to

fight crime and reduce burglaries.

III. Implementing these programs and educating the public is going to take time. The first

step that the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department administration can do is to inform the

public of the serious drug problem and increase in burglaries. The sheriff’s department

can take courses of action such as educating the public through hearings and press

conferences. This is the most effective way to deliver information to a large community

at one time. Also, utilizing news-stations is key to communicating to the public. Once the

information has been provided to the public on drug addiction help, drug takeback

locations, and locations where drug addicts can utilize the SaveMe program, the sheriff’s

department must stick to their role of providing the county with the deliverance of

criminal justice and drug addiction education.

B. Defense
I. Providing the public with the SaveMe program, drug takeback locations, drug

rehabilitation information, and information regarding neighborhood watch programs, it

will aid the community with the information necessary to work with the sheriff’s

department to combat the rise in drug and burglary crimes. The SaveMe program and

other drug rehabilitation education will provide those addicted to drugs the opportunity to

get help. A vast majority of the time, these addicts will seek illegal means to cope with

their addiction. By providing them will the chance to get help through a law enforcement
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Solution Proposal

agency in a legal manner, it will hopefully reduce their recidivism rate and lower the drug

arrests and incidents within the county. In 2009, a woman named Patricia Plummer

within the town of Paris, located in Oxford County, utilized the SaveMe program to get

her son on the road to sobriety for his heroin addiction (Place, 2016). Plummer had been

dealing with her son’s addiction for years, hoping he would end up in jail only to restrict

him from abusing illegal drugs. The SaveMe program, which was new to the area,

allowed Plummer and her son to find help and make a full-recovery from an opioid

addiction. Providing the community with the tools and resources needed to combat drug

addiction and reduce the chances of burglaries will make Oxford County a safer place to

live in. If the public is aware of the increase of drug and burglary crimes, and notify law

enforcement so the sheriff’s department can make their presence known within those

regions, it will potentially reduce the number of burglaries and drug offenses. While

creating a positive rapport and working relationship between the Oxford County Sheriff’s

Department and the community.

II. In 2016, Maines Public Safety Commissioner John Morris, stated the Maine Drug

Enforcement Agency has continued to see a significant increase in abuse of prescription

medication and heroin (Russell, 2016). Matching the increase of burglaries within Oxford

County to rise 7% in 2016. These statistics alone force the Oxford County Sheriff’s

Department to implement new tactics in combating the rising issues. Morris also stated

that the recent increase of drug incidents can be attributed to the out-of-state drug dealers

coming into Maine. Even though the sheriff’s department has a large number of

attractions that out-of-state tourist come to see, knowing when to report a crime is key to

combating the issue. “See something, say something” is a quote that is heavily used when
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Solution Proposal

attempting to educate the public on when to report a potential crime. This quote can be

used when discussing the reporting of suspicious activity that involves illegal drugs, and

people or circumstance near private property. Data collection is paramount to the

development of evidence-driven operations to combat rising crime rates, and with the

increase of drug and burglary crimes rising an astonishing 7%, it is clear that the sheriff’s

department must incorporate solutions to combat the issue.

III. After collecting the data and analyzing it through raw data and structured analytic

techniques, evidence-driven operations are then formed to combat the issue at hand.

While researching the topic, the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department reveled data that

showed a significant increase in drug crimes and crimes pertaining to burglaries. This

information was then analyzed to produce various solutions to combat the issue. Even

though it is evident that there has been an increase in drug and burglary crimes, the

sheriff’s department must take a closer look at where those crimes are being committed

and focus the solutions and evidence-driven operations to those specified regions. The

data and information collected have let to the implementation of the SaveMe program,

public education on drug abuse counselling and rehabilitation centers, and public

education on neighborhood watch programs to combat the rise of drug and burglary

incidents within Oxford County.

V. Communication Plan
A. Presenting Information
Internal and external audiences are those who are directly involved to the solution within

the growing drug epidemic and rise in burglary crimes. Those internal and external audiences are

the public, local drug rehabilitation centers and counsellors, local municipalities within Oxford
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Solution Proposal

County, the media, and the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department. The most effective way to

communicate to drug counsellors and local rehabilitation centers is to have a departmental

meeting or public hearing; with one person serving as a liaison from each organization. This

method would ensure the most important people to the cause receive the information and then

can return to their respected drug rehabilitation or drug counselling centers and provide the

information to the rest of the organization; limiting the risk of confusion. When sharing and

educating the public, the most effective way would be to communicate through social media,

news-networks, pamphlets, public hearings, and everyday contact with the general public. Also,

having an open-door policy would be effective as well. In order to be effective and provide all

internal and external parties with the information, an open line of structured communication must

be developed.

B. Internal Audience
Within law enforcement, the internal audience is the audience that must have the most

information and be proficient with said information. In this circumstance, those working for the

Oxford County Sheriff’s Department are the internal audience and must be most knowledgeable.

Once the SaveMe program has been established, along with the information from local drug

rehabilitation centers is communicated, congregating all respected parties involved in one

location is the most effective way to communicate the information from one source to another.

Once all liaisons are in one location, the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department can deliver the

information pertaining to the SaveMe program and all other forms of drug rehabilitation centers,

and drug takeback locations. This information provided to all agencies and entities involved, will

lead to the success of the programs and ensure the reduction of drug offenses and potentially

even burglaries.
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Solution Proposal

C. External Audience
The public and those living within Oxford County are the most important external audience.

They are the ones that the SaveMe program and other drug rehabilitation and counselling

services pertain too. Providing the public with the information about the programs and

“neighborhood watch” programs is the first step in the solution, and assuring it becomes

successful and effective. Being able to provide the knowledge and information about these

programs through news-networks, pamphlets, social-media, and public hearings, is the most

effective line of communication. Also, having an open-door policy with the sheriff’s department

where the public can come into the main office or any local substation and ask questions and

gather information is also an effective means of communication. This is an effective way to build

a positive rapport with the community; leading to the working relationship between the public

and law enforcement to reduce drug and burglary incidents within Oxford County.
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Solution Proposal

VI. References

COPS. (2017). Drugs: The Community Policing Response. Retrieved July 20, 2017, from
https://cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=2470
Green, S. L. (2002). Rational Choice Theory: An Overview (Rep.). Baylor University.
Baylor University Faculty Development Seminar on Rational Choice Theory
Russell, E. (2016, September 26). Crime in Maine on the decline, but still driven by drug abuse.
Retrieved July 20, 2017, from Crime in Maine on the decline, but still driven by drug abuse
Place, E. (2016, April 14). After saving 10, Oxford County's Project SaveMe needs some
financial help. Retrieved August 05, 2017, from http://advertiserdemocrat.com/after-saving-10-
oxford-countys-project-saveme-needs-some-financial-help/
Source: Boundless. "Strain Theory: How Social Values Produce Deviance." Boundless
Sociology Boundless, 26 May. 2016. Retrieved 20 Jul. 2017 from
https://www.boundless.com/sociology/textbooks/boundless-sociology-textbook/deviance-social-
control-and-crime-7/the-functionalist-perspective-on-deviance-62/strain-theory-how-social-
values-produce-deviance-375-6183/
USDOJ. (2003). Principles of Good Policing: Avoiding Violence Between Police and Citizens
(United States of America, United States Department of Justice, Community Relations Service).
USDOJ.