In the Assessment stage of SARA, what happens?

• A. Gather feedback from stakeholders after actions
• B. Identify ongoing symptoms of the problem
• C. Implement patrols in targeted areas
• D. Police and community measure the result of the problem solving response

Answer: (D)

In the Assessment stage, the emphasis is on measuring what happened as a result of the problem-solving effort, with input from both police and the community. The idea is to determine whether the response actually reduced the problem, met its objectives, and produced desired outcomes. This involves collecting and analyzing data—such as crime or nuisance indicators, calls for service, and perceptions of the problem—to see if conditions improved and to decide whether to continue, adjust, or stop the approach.

This is why measuring the results is the best choice. The other options map to different parts of the process: implementing patrols in targeted areas belongs to the Response stage, identifying ongoing symptoms of the problem belongs to the Analysis stage, and gathering feedback from stakeholders after actions can occur but is not the central task of Assessment, which is about evaluating outcomes and effectiveness.