Which description best defines incident-driven policing?

• A. Traditional reactive investigation - call to call
• B. Proactive problem-solving through neighborhood partnerships
• C. Random patrols to deter crime
• D. Community education campaigns

Answer: (A)

Incident-driven policing focuses on how officers respond when incidents are reported and how investigations unfold after a run of events begins. It’s a reactive approach: actions are guided by calls for service and incident reports, with officers going from one event to the next, investigating, collecting evidence, and resolving cases as they come in. This description fits best because it emphasizes handling incidents as they are reported—responding to the scene, pursuing investigations, and addressing each specific incident rather than pursuing proactive measures first.

By contrast, a proactive, problem-solving approach aims to prevent issues before they occur by building neighborhood partnerships and addressing underlying causes; random patrols are about deterrence through visibility rather than responding to specific reports; and community education campaigns focus on prevention and information rather than immediate investigation of reported incidents.