Compstat

Abstract

This essay examines Compstat as a new paradigm of policing as presented in The Meaning of Compstat: A Theoretical Analysis by William F. Walsh and Gennaro F. Vito. Compstat has been implemented in some form by many police agencies in the U.S. as a means to produce a resultsoriented strategy to achieve effective crime control. Some view this as a revolutionary process replacing community policing, while others observe that Compstat is an evolutionary policing strategy synthesizing effective elements of the rational-legal bureaucratic and community policing-problem solving models of policing. The argument is made that Compstat has been very effective as a means of focusing police tactical efforts on specific crime and disorder problems while effectively maintaining consistency with the more philosophical and strategic elements of community policing. The key factor is the application of strategic management principles to create a new level of accountability for achieving goal-oriented results.