Chapter 9: Crime Reduction and Evidence-Based Policing in a Developing Economy: Leadership in Targeting, Testing, and Tracking

As the world experiences a significant increase in security threats, ranging from traditional crimes to emerging threats like terrorism, cybercrime, and organized crime, the role of police leadership becomes even more crucial in maintaining law, order, and public safety. In this chapter, we discuss the key principles of evidence-based policing and major models like the scanning, analysis, response, and assessment (SARA) model, the Evidence-Based Policing Matrix, the Targeting, Testing, and Tracking (3Ts) models, among others. We narrow focus on the Ghana Police Service as a case study and examine the leadership style at play at the national level that drives the activities of targeting, testing, and tracking in their effort to reduce crime. The emerging technologies being introduced by the Police Service are captured with discussions of the predominant challenges Police authorities in developing countries face. We provide real-life cases of national-level and community-level crises and highlight how the Police has navigated these challenges and draw out best practices and strategies to overcome bottlenecks to effective policing. Further, the chapter provides scenarios for readers to link the concepts discussed and contextualize them for their practical use. The case captures major crises related to environmental law, police-military nexus, autopsy or forensic analysis, and cybercrime. This chapter aims to highlight the lessons and the challenges and provide a case that resonates with developing countries with weak institutional systems while providing insights on how management has addressed the issues and the strategies to deal with the problems in full.