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Center for Problem-Oriented Policing

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The Problem Analysis Triangle

While the SARA model is useful as a way of organizing the approach to recurring problems, it is often very difficult to figure out just exactly what the real problem is. The problem analysis triangle (sometimes referred to as the crime triangle) provides a way of thinking about recurring problems of crime and disorder. This idea assumes that crime or disorder results when (1) likely offenders and (2) suitable targets come together in (3) time and space, in the absence of capable guardians for that target. A simple version of a problem analysis triangle looks like this:

Offenders can sometimes be controlled by other people: those people are known as handlers. Targets and victims can sometimes be protected by other people as well: those people are known as guardians. And places are usually controlled by someone: those people are known as managers. Thus, effective problem-solving requires understanding how offenders and their targets/victims come together in places, and understanding how those offenders, targets/victims, and places are or are not effectively controlled. Understanding the weaknesses in the problem analysis triangle in the context of a particular problem will point the way to new interventions. A complete problem analysis triangle looks like this:

Problems can be understood and described in a variety of ways. No one way is definitive. They should be described in whichever way is most likely to lead to an improved understanding of the problem and effective interventions. Generally, incidents that the police handle cluster in four ways:

• Behavior . Certain behavior(s) is (are) common to the incidents. For example, making excessive noise, robbing people or businesses, driving under the influence, crashing vehicles, dealing drugs, stealing cars. There are many different behaviors that might constitute problems.
• Place . Certain places can be common to incidents. Incidents involving one or more problem behaviors may occur at, for example, a street corner, a house, a business, a park, a neighborhood, or a school. Some incidents occur in abstract places such as cyberspace, on the telephone, or through other information networks.
• Persons . Certain individuals or groups of people can be common to incidents. These people could be either offenders or victims. Incidents involving one or more behaviors, occurring in one or more places may be attributed to, for example, a youth gang, a lone person, a group of prostitutes, a group of chronic inebriates, or a property owner. Or incidents may be causing harm to, for example, residents of a neighborhood, senior citizens, young children, or a lone individual.
• Time . Certain times can be common to incidents. Incidents involving one or more behaviors, in one or more places, caused by or affecting one or more people may happen at, for example, traffic rush hour, bar closing time, the holiday shopping season, or during an annual festival.

There is growing evidence that, in fact, crime and disorder does cluster in these ways. It is not evenly distributed across time, place, or people. Increasingly, police and researchers are recognizing some of these clusters as:

• Repeat offenders attacking different targets at different places.
• Repeat victims repeatedly attacked by different offenders at different places.
• Repeat places (or hot spots) involving different offenders and different targets interacting at the same place.

The Problem Analysis Triangle was derived from the routine activity approach to explaining how and why crime occurs. This theory argues that when a crime occurs, three things happen at the same time and in the same space:

• a suitable target is available.
• there is the lack of a suitable guardian to prevent the crime from happening.
• a motivated offender is present.

Check out the list of readings under the POP Center recommended readings .

El Triangulo de Análisis de Problemas (Triángulo del Delito)

El Triángulo de Análisis de Problemas o más comúnmente conocido como el Triángulo del Delito, proporciona una forma de evaluar y analizar los problemas recurrentes del delito y de la alteración del orden público. Esta idea se fundamenta en que el delito o la alteración del orden público es una consecuencia producida por: (1) La acción o accionar de delincuentes (2) se conduce sobre objetivos adecuados, convenientes o lucrativos (3) se ejecuta en un tiempo y en un lugar determinado, en la ausencia de un protector/guardián competente del objetivo. Una versión sencilla de un triángulo de análisis de problemas se observa de la siguiente forma:

Los delincuentes pueden estar controlados a veces por otras personas; a estas personas se les denomina en el presente modelo como manipuladores. Los objetivos y las víctimas pueden estar protegidos a veces también por otras personas; a estas personas se las define como protectores/guardianes. Los lugares normalmente pueden estar controlados por alguien; a estas personas se las define como administradores/gerentes. De modo que, el desarrollo efectivo de solución de problemas (en nuestro caso problemas delictivos) pasa por entender como los delincuentes y sus víctimas/objetivos convergen en un lugar; también entender como esa convergencia de los delincuentes, las víctimas/objetivos, en unos lugares no está efectivamente controlada. Entendiendo las vulnerabilidades que se observan en el triángulo de análisis de problemas en el contexto de un problema en particular, nos indicará el camino a seguir para desarrollar nuevas formas de intervención. Una versión del triángulo de análisis de problemas completo se presenta y luce de la forma siguiente:

Los problemas delictivos pueden entenderse y describirse en diversas formas. Es importante destacar que ninguna forma es definitiva. Los problemas debieran describirse de forma tal, que facilite su comprensión y que a su vez esta comprensión origine formas efectivas de intervención del problema. Generalmente, los incidentes que la policía maneja se pueden agrupar de estas cuatro maneras:

• Conducta: Algunas conductas son comunes a los incidentes, por ejemplo: Robar a personas comunes o a comerciantes, manejar bajo la influencia de drogas, chocar vehículos, vender drogas ilícitas, robar vehículos. Hay diversas formas de conductas que pueden constituir un problema.
• Lugar: Algunos lugares pueden ser comunes a los incidentes. Incidentes donde se involucran uno o más problemas de conducta pueden ocurrir por ejemplo en: Una esquina, en una casa, en un comercio o negocio, en un parque, en un vecindario o en una escuela. Algunos incidentes pueden ocurrir en lugares abstractos como el ciberespacio, en el teléfono, o a través de otras redes de información.
• Personas: Ciertas personas o grupos de personas pueden ser comunes a los incidentes. Estas personas pueden ser tanto víctimas como delincuentes. Incidentes donde se involucren una o más conductas, que ocurren en uno o más lugares pueden atribuirse a, por ejemplo: Una pandilla juvenil, una persona solitaria, un grupo de prostitutas, un grupo de alcohólicos, o el propietario de una casa. O también, incidentes donde se cause un daño por ejemplo a: Los residentes de un vecindario, a personas ancianas, niños, o a individuos solitarios.
• Tiempo: Algunos tiempos pueden ser comunes a los incidentes. Incidentes donde se involucren una o mas conductas, en uno o mas lugares, causado por o afectando a una o mas personas pueden ocurrir por ejemplo en: La hora pico del tráfico automotor, a la hora de cerrar bares o discotecas, al comienzo de las fechas de las vacaciones Decembrinas/Carnavales/Semana Santa o durante un día de fin de año.

Si bien es cierto que existe una creciente evidencia que indica de hecho, que el delito y las alteraciones del orden público se agrupan en las cuatro áreas descritas previamente, no hay evidencias de que exista una distribución igualitaria entre el tiempo, el lugar o las personas entre los incidentes; lo que si han reconocido de forma creciente las policías y los investigadores, es que las características de los incidentes se pueden agrupar de la siguiente forma:

• Repetidamente los mismos delincuentes atacan diferentes objetivos en diferentes lugares.
• Repetidamente las mismas víctimas son atacadas por diferentes delincuentes en diferentes lugares.
• Repetidamente en los mismos lugares (zonas rojas) interactúan en el mismo lugar diferentes delincuentes en contra de diferentes objetivos.

El Triángulo de Análisis de Problemas fue desarrollado como una actividad rutinaria para enfocar y explicar como y cuando ocurre el delito. La presente teoría argumenta que cuando un delito ocurre, tres cosas convergen a la misma hora y en el mismo lugar:

• Existe un objetivo conveniente/apropiado/lucrativo está disponible.
• No existe un guardián/protector que efectivamente prevenga la ocurrencia del delito.
• Existe un delincuente que está motivado y presente.
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Crime Analysis for Problem Solvers in 60 Small Steps

Step 8: use the problem analysis triangle.

• For the target/victim, this is the capable guardian of the original formulation of routine activity theory - usually people protecting themselves, their own belongings or those of family members, friends, and co-workers. Guardians also include public police and private security.
• For the offender, this is the handler , someone who knows the offender well and who is in a position to exert some control over his or her actions. Handlers include parents, siblings, teachers, friends and spouses. Probation and parole authorities often augment or substitute for normal handlers.
• For the place, the controller is the manager , the owner or designee who has some responsibility for controlling behavior in the specific location such as a bus driver or teacher in a school, bar owners in drinking establishments, landlords in rental housing, or flight attendants on commercial airliners.

Problem Analysis Triangle

• Repeat offending problems involve offenders attacking different targets at different places. These are ravenous WOLF problems. An armed robber who attacks a series of different banks is an example of a pure wolf problem. Wolf problems occur when offenders are able to locate temporarily vulnerable targets and places. The controllers for these targets and places may act to prevent future attacks, but the offenders move on to other targets and places. It is the lack of control by handlers that facilitates wolf problems.
• Repeat victimization problems involve victims repeatedly attacked by different offenders. These are sitting DUCK problems. Taxi drivers repeatedly robbed in different locations by different people is an example of a pure duck problem. Duck problems occur when victims continually interact with potential offenders at different places, but the victims do not increase their precautionary measures and their guardians are either absent or ineffective.
• Repeat location problems involve different offenders and different targets interacting at the same place. These are DEN of iniquity problems. A drinking establishment that has many fights, but always among different people, is an example of a pure den problem. Den problems occur when new potential offenders and new potential targets encounter each other in a place where management is ineffective. The setting continues to facilitate the problem events.

When crime is occurring, all inner elements of the triangle must be present and all outer elements weak or absent. If potential offenders are constantly present, for example, but crimes occur only when guardians are absent, then rescheduling guardians might be a useful solution. Ask yourself, "What does the problem analysis triangle look like before, during, and after crimes?"

Understanding how problems are created by opportunities will help you think about what might be done to: prevent offenders from reoffending by making better use of handlers; help victims reduce their probabilities of being targets; and to change places where problems occur, be these schools, taverns, or parking lots. In short, right from the beginning, it helps you to focus data collection on those six aspects most likely to lead to practical solutions.

What is Crime Science?

Traditional criminology seeks to improve understanding of the psychological and social forces that cause people to become criminals in the hope of finding ways to change these causes. Crime science takes a radically different approach. It focuses not on the reasons why criminals are born or made, but on the act of committing crime. It seeks ways to reduce the opportunities and temptations for crime and increase the risks of detection. In doing so, it seeks contributions from a wide range of disciplines, including psychology, geography, medicine, town planning, and architecture. Crime science explicitly seeks to be judged by the extent to which it helps to reduce crime on our streets, and in our homes and businesses.

Source: Jill Dando Institute for Crime Science. (2004). www.jdi.ucl.ac.uk

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Successful police problem-solving: a practice guide

• February 2020

• University College London
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