Which term describes a law enforcement approach driven purely by incidents that have occurred?

The term that describes a law enforcement approach driven purely by incidents that have occurred is "Incident Driven." This approach is characterized by responding to specific incidents or calls for service as they arise, without an overarching strategy focused on crime prevention or community engagement.

Incident-driven policing relies heavily on calls from the public, reports of crimes, and immediate situations that demand police attention. It is reactive in nature, meaning that law enforcement actions are primarily initiated based on events that have already happened, rather than being predicated on strategies aimed at preventing crime before it occurs.

In contrast, proactive policing involves taking measures to prevent crimes from happening in the first place, while community policing emphasizes building relationships and partnerships with community members to collaboratively address safety and quality-of-life issues. Prevention models also focus on strategies designed to address and mitigate potential problems before they escalate into actual incidents. Thus, the term "Incident Driven" accurately highlights a policing approach that is fundamentally reactive, directed by past occurrences rather than future prevention efforts.