This Guide begins with the most essential component of any crime-fighting strategy: Leadership. It then discusses the importance of the problem-solving process: Violent Crime Identification and Analysis. While this theory of the craft may be intuitive to many law enforcement executives, the importance of this process cannot be overstated. Problem identification and analysis are the first steps of any successful strategy. This Guide outlines “Critical Elements,” essential components of crime-fighting strategies, in a format that can assist agency executives in determining their respective capacity in each of these areas. The “administrative” side of the crime fight is discussed, as well as the importance of grants management. The Resource and Program Appendix provides a high-level outline of resources, training, and assistance available to assist police executives in building capacity and case studies feature examples of how those resources have been implemented nationwide. Presenting these items in one place makes evident the challenges that law enforcement leaders face and the ever-changing natures of those challenges. However, in the context of any local agency, the contents of this Guide can assist the executive, and his or her staff, in focusing on each of these areas in a deliberate, piece-by-piece fashion that supports their current violence-reduction strategies.
