COP-Community Oriented Policing Case Study

“Community policing is, in essence, a collaboration between the police and the community that identifies and solves community problems” (U.S. Department of Justice, 1994, p. vii). Throughout the years, community policing has become a more popular strategy to help law enforcement officials control and deter crime; however, some areas across the United States has had problems in the past with communities and law enforcement working together to ensure a secure and safe environment. Although it is an officer’s duty to maintain order, keep the peace, and solve problems within the area he or she

Policing is a very difficult, complex and dynamic field of endeavor that is always evolves as hard lessons teach us what we need to know about what works and what don’t work. There are three different Era’s in America’s policing: The Political Era, The Reform Era, and The Community Problem Solving Era. A lot has changed in the way that policing works over the years in the United States.

In cities and towns across the country, tragic deaths of citizens in confrontations with police have have spiked a wave of distrust for law enforcement. The bad perception for law enforcement is unfair to the officer’s who are dedicated, and mean well in their duties, yet unfortunately, it has created tension between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. Due to the recent deaths and confrontations, reform proposals and new policies have been a national conversation to implement new initiatives to strengthen the bonds between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve. Although, confrontations between law enforcement and citizens in the community have spiked, the concept of community policing is not new. Throughout the years the philosophy of community policing has been to

The Community Policing era has been one of the contemporary police activities in the last 30 years. It is more of a decentralized approach to reducing crime by involving the same officer in the same community on a long term basis, so residents will develop trust and then provide information and assistance to the officer. Community Policing does not replace motorized patrol or other police tactics but instead compliments them with community partnership and problem solving (Bailey, 2011).

Law Enforcement officers have one of the most critical jobs in the United States. Their lives are always on the line and they are of high regards. This means they cannot fail! The results of their jobs do not only depend on their actions but also on the people. What this means is the community has a huge role when it comes to solving crime. Though many people may not believe it, they are the key to a successful crime prevention community. The people of the United States don’t really understand both the positive and negative effects that community policing actually brings. Some may say it is very dangerous based on their experiences. Others may say it’s the best way to do away with crime. Today the two will be compared and put to test by true officers serving our country. The facts will be stated and questions will be answered. Let’s take a look at what community policing is really all about!

Although many may find community policing and problem-oriented policing to fall in the same category, there is (surprisingly) a difference between the two. For one, community policing has many definitions. For some, it means instituting foot and bicycle patrols and doing acts pertaining to the ideal bond between police officers and their community. While for others it means maintaining order and cleaning up neighborhoods in desperate need of repair (Dunham & Alpert, 2005). However, an idyllic definition of community policing is altering the traditional definition of crime control to community problem-solving and promising to transform the way police do their job. Within the past two decades, there has been much research on community

The Community Orientented Policing Services wrote about how the events after Ferguson affected the Community Policing aspect for officers on the job. Community Policing is a topic of discussion because people do not like the rules that officers have to follow in their jobs. The services believe that everyone is a leader not just police officers, but they have noticed that the Community thinks they are just followers who give information to the police. From the Wisconsin’s chiefs point of view he states “fully 80 percent of African-American respondents said “yes,” in contrast to 37 percent of White respondents. Three-quarters of African-American respondents said that they had “little or no confidence in the investigations” into the shooting;

Throughout our country, we obtain a plethora of demographics, cultures and traditions. Within these communities, we have individuals who protect and serve, ensuring a safe environment for all. Understanding community life, as well as proper community communication can ensure a healthy bond between police and society. Within the line of duty, the men and women of the police force tie bonds between safety and community relations. In order for the relationship to be hand in hand, the community and unit must work together as a team to ensure a decrease in crime.

There is clearly a need to reduce violence in the minority communities; however, getting to the root cause of these crimes can be challenging. Having a department that is reflective of the community they serve is important, but not the panacea. The community policing philosophy that engages the broad spectrum of community provides the basic foundation for police-community engagement; however, for a diverse community such as Queens, law enforcement must break down the bulwark with tailored solutions. First, the community must be separated by cultures and languages. Second, each group must have an advisory board consist of community members and leaders. Finally, law enforcement must engage each of these communities with the same message and effort in their outreach attempts. This is referred to as individualization of community policing. By empowering each community to have an equal voice without being over shadow by larger, more vocal communities, NYPD will be able to identify the root cause of issues that has pervaded the

Law-abiding citizens of the United States follow the rule of law and respect one another. Unfortunately, confrontations between minority groups and the police departments have turned deadly. The proven irresponsibility of publishing misinformation by the media without first verifying their sources has caused rioting and destruction in these communities. The current murderous assaults of law-enforcement personnel throughout the United States and the criminal actions of some law-enforcement personnel against minorities, and others, created a gulf between the police and the communities they serve. The communities, government, and police have an agenda that they believe is a pathway to establish a respectful, lawful, understanding between law-enforcement and the communities they serve. Empathy requires the understanding and respect of the problems, feelings, and conditions endured by others. The proposed agenda may begin the process of understanding.

An important aspect of all police departments is their relationship with their community. The article I chose was “Community Policing Expands in New York, but Some Question if it Works” by Ashley Southall. This article was written fairly recently on August 17 of this year. The article went into detail about how the New York police are trying to make a stride closer to better community policing. This requires creating relationships with those in the community, but it is easier said than done. The New York police believes that creating this relationship with their district will lead to more effective policing. They would like to know all of the people in the neighborhoods that they patrol, and want them to not be scared to reach out to them.

Community policing is an area that I am extremely passionate about due to first-hand experiences encountered over the years. Earning the community's trust and building relationships helps to facilitate relationships to reduce crime on the streets. Allows the community to see police officers are people and community members, just like them. Police officers just are upholding the letter of the law, providing increased safety for the community at large. Educating the community on how to prevent crimes in hopes they do not become a victim. Encouraging individuals in the community to help stop the cycle of violence and showing them a way to chose a different avenue for themselves. Working with inner-city youth, providing programs for them,

Modern police practices have been changing dramatically through the years. The impact of different kinds of events such as the terrorist attacks of 9/11 is creating a different perspective in the way that police department respond to the necessities of the communities in the United States. The terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001 changed and redefined the approach that police agencies used which was focus on community policing where officials had a greater levels of interaction with the general public. Following the attacks police departments across the United States changed dramatically where now the main focus is homeland security. This approach that the police department is using now is more centralize leaving

There are multiple approaches to engaging a police force with the community in order to most effectively prevent and respond to crime, and considering the relative strengths and weakness of each of these strategic models will demonstrate how models can impact the operation of daily policing practices and activities. The model under discussion here is called community oriented policing (COP), and focuses on building relationships and rapport between officers and the community in order to more effectively prevent crime. It is augmented by a model called problem solving policing (PSP), and depends upon rank-and-file officers identifying community problem areas through direct observation and analysis. Each model excels at slightly different things, and in practice most police agencies deploy a mix of models. By examining the Miami-Dade Police Department's handbook for school resource officers, it will be possible to view a COP/PSP policy in action in order to better understand how these models practically affect policing.

Community policing as a concept is mainly about allowing the community a voice in determining the priorities law enforcement. Allen & Sawhney (2015) defines community police as collaborative effort between police and the community they serve to customize the delivery of police services (p. 307). In order to utilize the community policing approach, it is important for agencies to have a strong bond and trust with the community they serve. Without this trust, creative policing innovations fall short. Despite what shortcomings the approach to policing may have for law enforcement, the popularity of community led or community based policing is on the rise in America. American law enforcement as an industry faces a never-ending public relations crisis, especially during the onset of tough on crime approaches prevalent in of the last forty years. Within the two decades, community police strategies based on bringing key stakeholders together to