Based on a general policing disorder strategy, the response was comprised of four approaches to reduce disorder-related crime and improve physical and social disorder in area hot spots:

• Increase misdemeanor arrests. component entailed the use of aggressive order maintenance techniques by police, including increased arrests for public order violations. This component was intended to take high-risk individuals off the street and to reduce disorder-related crime.
• Implement situational prevention strategies. This component was designed to improve physical and social disorder in target areas through the installation of improved street lighting and video surveillance, dispersing groups of loiterers, performing code inspections, cleaning up vacant lots, razing abandoned buildings, and evicting problem residents. Through partnerships with the city, police, and local community groups, these activities promoted a generalized sense of order in problem areas.
• Increase social service actions. This component entailed receiving assistance from social service agencies to help police increase social order, including providing youth with recreational opportunities, working with local shelters to provide housing for homeless individuals, and connecting problem tenants to mental health services. These activities were intended to create opportunities for high-risk individuals in targeted locations to assist police efforts in promoting social order.
• Incorporate research partnershipsThe Lowell Police Department initiated research partnerships to affirm its commitment to gathering and acting upon research gathered from the community.
• Lowell Implementation Project Plan

With the success and lessons learned derived from the hot spots policing program, the Lowell Police Department sought to use another evidence-based program to effect a department-wide philosophical change . The program was called the Smart Policing Initiative. The department initiated this change by using evidence to:

• Restructure the role of detectives. The department used evidence to determine how detectives could play a more proactive, rather than reactive, role in the occurrence of crime. This effort involved sharing information between law enforcement organizations, analyzing crime maps, and assessing offender bases to identify where to focus prevention efforts.
• Allocate limited staff. With limited budgets and resources, the Lowell Police Department found that using data was imperative to economically allocate diminishing funds and staff. The department used data to identify the specific location, days of the week, and times that additional officers should be placed in order to promote public safety while efficiently using resources.
• Refresh the CompStat process. The department restructured the way that it shared and used crime analysis information. Instead of simply presenting past crime analysis to patrol forces, the new CompStat process involves conversations focused on problem-solving. These discussions involved relevant stakeholders from the community, including university police and district attorneys, to share ideas and information, identify areas for improvement, and develop and assign specific action items.
• Develop working groups. The organizational change included the creation and execution of working groups involving the sergeant, crime analysts, various unions, representatives from research and development, and patrol officers in order to address and discuss training needs. This group served as a venue for members to identify existing training gaps and needs and to generate ideas around training enhancements. The group also shared lessons learned and best practices with each other to enhance their individual development.
• Incorporate research partnershipsThe Lowell Police Department initiated research partnerships to affirm its commitment to gathering and acting upon research gathered from the community.