Why proactive policing remains policing’s toughest balancing act

About this episode

This episode discusses the challenges of proactive policing and features an interview with Las Cruces Police Chief Jeremy Story on overcoming barriers to crime prevention.

Police leaders have long embraced the idea that preventing crime is more effective than simply responding to it. Yet despite decades of emphasis on proactive policing, many officers find themselves spending most of their shifts answering calls, writing reports and moving from one incident to the next. Results from Police1's “What Cops Want in 2026” survey highlight the challenge, revealing widespread frustration with limited time for proactive work and the growing demands placed on patrol officers. In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley spoke with Las Cruces (New Mexico) Police Chief Jeremy Story about the barriers preventing officers from engaging in proactive policing and what agencies can do to overcome them. Story discussed the role of evidence-based policing, crime analysis, technology and leadership accountability in helping departments shift from a purely reactive model toward one focused on crime prevention and community impact. About our sponsor This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by Oracle. Today’s public safety professionals face new and evolving challenges every day. The expectations of the communities you serve have…

People in this episode

Host: Jim Dudley

Guest: Jeremy Story

Topics covered

• proactive policing
• crime prevention
• community impact
• police leadership
• evidence-based policing
• patrol officer challenges

Keywords

• proactive policing
• crime analysis
• technology in policing
• leadership accountability
• patrol officer demands
• community safety

Sponsors

Oracle

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Police1.com

Places: Las Cruces, New Mexico

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