Operation Safe Streets (OSS) teams work full time in a partnership with citizens of the community. The teams and their citizen partners share the responsibility for crime control in those communities. Through community interaction, the Fresno Sheriff’s Department coordinates cooperative efforts to attack mutually identified neighborhood problems. OSS Teams implement a concept we view as a natural extension of our current community policing efforts.

Operation Safe Streets strategies are permanent solutions to community problems rather than quick-fix remedies. While the impact on the community will be great, other criminal justice agencies should not experience a significant workload increase. By bringing together schools, private businesses, government and communities to deal with the risk factors causing crime, long-term changes can be achieved. The long-term OSS strategy goal is the reduction of criminal activity, eventually leading to fewer cases in the criminal justice system. OSS officers will be tasked with identifying community problems and working with the community to eliminate those problems in conjunction with our existing goals.

OSS Team’s responsibility will be to identify a problem that causes harm or concerns to the citizens. Problems may be identified as groups or patterns of crimes, cases, calls or incidents. The OSS Team’s focus will be to deal with the conditions that create the problems. Problems are described precisely and accurately and broken down into specific aspects of the problem, keeping in mind the various interests at stake. All responses to the problem will be considered so that potentially effective responses are not overlooked. OSS Team members then mobilize other County agencies, the private sector and the community in helping to solve the identified problem.

OSS Team members will be directed to scan report data and calls-for-service to identify problem areas that may warrant further examination; analyze the risk factors that cause these problems; respond to these factors using conventional and non-conventional strategies that involve partnerships in problem solving; assess the results of the OSS Teams efforts; and make modifications as needed.

OSS team members will use the "SARA" (Scanning, Analysis, Response, Assessment) strategy by scanning Department and Area reports, calls-for-service, briefings, and meetings with community members to identify problem areas causing continued law enforcement response and citizen concern. By analyzing risk factors and problem components, they will develop a thorough, creative and innovative response to the problem. A complete analysis will provide information that reveals the underlying nature of the problem. The response or action plan developed will include input from all components of the community who are affected, so an agreement on the nature of the problem is reached. Working with citizens, business, public and private agencies, OSS team members can tailor an action plan to the specific characteristics of the problem. Finally, the impact of the intervention efforts is evaluated to see if the desired goals and objectives were achieved and if the problem was solved or reduced in severity.