(Extract from the San Antonio police)

P.O.P., or Problem-Oriented Policing is the tactic used to produce long-term solutions to problems of crime or decay in communities. Police, residents, and other agencies or organizations work together to identify and find the causes for neighborhood crime problems, then develop responses to the problems based on the problems' causes. Responses are NOT cookie-cutter, one-response-fits-all. Responses are not 100% police responses. In most cases, the responses developed through P.O.P. are joint police-community actions, which also involve participation by agencies such as parks, code enforcement, youth services, solid waste, and others.

	S = Scanning : Identify and describe the PROBLEM.
	A = Analyze : How much of a problem is it? When is it a problem? Who is affected? What are the problem's causes?
	R = Response : Based on the two steps above, devise an appropriate response to the problem. There may be several responses. Responses may be done over a long period of time.
	A = Assess : Evaluate the results of the responses. If the results are not satisfactory, re-analyze the problem, or try another response.
	M = Maintanence : Problem solving is only successful if it produces a long-term solution. A POP response may have short-term positive results, but can these results be maintained over a longer term (6-month? 1-2 years?) without constant intervention by police, residents and/or other agencies? In other words, "Has the Problem been Solved?"