Traditional policing is primarily characterized as what type of approach?

Traditional policing is primarily characterized by an incident-driven approach. This means that law enforcement activities are primarily reactive; officers respond to calls for service and incidents as they arise, rather than actively seeking out crime or addressing root causes beforehand. This methodology relies heavily on responding to specific incidents, complaints, or emergencies in the community, often leading to a focus on enforcement rather than prevention.

In contrast, other approaches like proactive policing aim to prevent crime before it occurs, while community-oriented policing focuses on building relationships and collaboration with the community to address broader issues surrounding crime and public safety. Preventive policing, similar to proactive methods, emphasizes strategies designed to reduce opportunities for criminal activity. The distinction lies in the fact that traditional policing prioritizes an immediate response to incidents rather than a broader, proactive stance towards crime prevention.