Community Policing And The Police

“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

The third and present day era of policing is Community Policing. Community policing is an organization-wide philosophy and management approach that promotes community, government and police partnerships; proactive problem solving; and community engagement to address the causes of crime, fear of crime and other community issues (Hess, Wrobleski pg. 10). Community policing goes beyond the traditional policing from the previous eras. Officers are assigned to designated areas, in which they get to know the citizens of the neighborhoods they are assigned. They use a more effective means of patrol such as foot patrol, and bicycle patrol. They do not just patrol around in vehicles, and respond to service calls. This goes back to one of Peel’s principles, “Police must secure the willing co-operation of the public in voluntary observance of the law to be able to secure and maintain the respect of the public. The police must obtain a more involved relationship with the citizen of a community in order for the community to help the police with their patrolling to deter crime.

Sir Robert Peel’s London Metropolitan Police Act and his principles of policing have helped modern day policing in many ways. By gaining the public’s trust, enabling them to call local law enforcement when help is needed,

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).

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

Community-Oriented Policing involves giving the Community it serves a voice in how the Police Department a voice, a powerful voice in the daily operations. In the traditional model of Policing, the police drive policy and methodology while the community has few options if they are dissatisfied with the level of service aside from legal suits and political pressure. Recent police involved shootings and excessive force allegations across the United States involve various Police Departments claiming to have implemented Community-Oriented Policing have still resulted in public displeasure. I am going to compare three metropolitan police departments: Chicago, New York City and Houston who are all listed in our textbook Oliver, 2008 as having Community-Oriented Police programs and compare how they address Use of Force issues at the various departments and how effectively they involve the Communities they serve.

Law enforcement must endeavor to keep programs such as citizens’ academies, town hall meetings and philosophies such as community oriented policing. Why? Because they maintain the pipeline to the public and they keep law enforcement in touch with the community. There is a need for more communication between law enforcement and community stakeholders. For the police to maintain the public’s trust in the face of negative incidents and changing demographics, the manner in which they convey their trustworthiness may have to change. To achieve real transparency its going to take more that technical gadgetry. Tracie Keesee, a police captain who is also the co-founder of RCLA’s Center for Policing Equity, suggest turning precinct houses into public spaces. “It might be adjoined with a rec center,” she says. “There could be wireless in the lobby, a room for community meetings, so that it’s not just that you come in when you’re handcuffed or making a report. (Bennett, D, 2014).”

In spite of the fact that the United States still exceeds many other industrialized nations in overall crime and violent crime, it has been effective in decreasing its crime rate, particularly during the 1990s. While some coalitions have attributed this positive development to changes in socio-demographic trends and rigid enforcement approaches, one coalition highlights the success of the community-oriented policing and problem-oriented policing in eradicating the root causes of crime (Stephens, 2003). While I don’t believe that community oriented policing in the sole cause of decreased crime rates I do believe that it has its positive and negative sides.

Community-oriented policing consist of three generations: the innovation (1979-1986), the diffusion (1987-1994), and the institutionalization (1995 to present). The first generation, innovation, focused on Herman Goldstein’s concerning police improvement and “broken windows” theory by Wilson and Kelling (1982). The early trials conducted during this period were known as “experiments”, “demonstration projects” and “test sites”. Oliver stated, “The style of community-oriented policing what was generally employed during this generation consisted of a single method such as foot patrols, problem solving, and community substations” (Oliver, 2008). In the second generation, diffusion, was still limited to medium/large cities and tactics generally targeted drugs and fear of crime issues while addressing police-community relationships. More importance was placed on the evaluating outcome through the use of research procedures. By 1994, the form of community policing had spread to more than eight thousand agencies in the United States. The third generation, institutionalization, nearly 68% of the local police agencies have adopted the community-oriented policing strategy. Oliver stated, “nearly $10 billion has been sent to state and local agencies to assist them in the adoption and implementation of community-oriented policing, which has contributed to the institutionalization of the systemic approach” (Oliver, 2008). Today’s community-oriented policing programs address neighborhood problems such as firearm violence, domestic violence, gangs and includes crime mapping techniques to identify criminal activity to assist the police with crime

Having validated my plan to implement formal community oriented policing the department conducted research into various programs that have been implemented in police departments across the United States. Based on information obtained, it was decided the department would use a portion of the program developed by the Chicago Police Department. Although this department is much larger, there are strategies that can be utilized in our community.

How effective is community policing? Community policing has several different definitions. In this paper I will prove that community policing is effective by defining, community policing as the police and citizens coming together to create a safe community, stop crime and resolve problems and also urgently responding to the community. Throughout many years, the people’s view of community policing have remained the same. There are some valid causes as to why law enforcement leaders consider that it is time to change the way policing labors so that they are effectively helping the community. The way that community policing was trained in the past is not necessarily efficient in today’s society. For example, catastrophes in our communities continue to increase the need for security, citizens loose the feeling of protection and wellbeing, and this can be fixed by presenting advanced policing strategies. Law enforcement leaders are beginning to recognize that they must accept the responsibility for the safety of their communities. Community policing is as a law enforcement tactic enforced to progress a stronger connection between the police and the community.

Have you ever wondered why our communities are struggling, neighbors are fighting and everyone is against one another? This is because as a community not everyone is working on the mission to provide a safe and clean environment. A community includes residents, law enforcers, and government officials all working cohesively to provide better quality of life in our neighborhoods. In today’s society, we are trying to focus on the third era of policing known as community policing where the goal is to improve relationships with the police and the community to provide better environments. The police presence and implementing community policing would help improve this philosophy of community and improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods. Along with community policing youth prevention programs can be effective in helping deter and possibly solve crimes in our communities. Issues have risen about what police should and should not be allowed do. Many people have opposing views of the police and the work that they do. The police force is a combined body of individuals empowered by the state to enforce the law and protect citizens. Throughout the years the question of what is policing, has been asked. How society views policing is important to the police and the citizen input how well they carry out the mission of policing.

Community policing is a policy and a strategy aimed at achieving more effective and efficient crime control, reduced fear of crime, improved quality of life, improved police services and police legitimacy, through a proactive reliance on community resources that seeks to change crime causing conditions. This assumes a need for greater accountability of police, greater public share in decision-making and greater concern for civil rights and liberties.

Approaches of both community policing and traditional policing models differ in a variety of ways. The characteristics of the policing models are quite different from each other, and community based policing was considered laughable when suggested for the new approach in the early 1970s. Due to community policing’s new operating beliefs, new and unfamiliar expected officer behaviors, and that officers were being held legally responsible for their actions and inactions; the idea and implementation wasn’t widely accepted until 1980’s. Traditional policing was primarily dominated by rampant corruption and lawlessness that affected all levels of the police administration; therefore citizens had little trust if any, in the police officers of the time.

The philosophy of Robert Peel that “the police are the public and the public are the police”, is one that perfectly sums up the relationship between the police and the rest of the community (Lentz & Chaires 2007). This quote suggests that law enforcement needs approval from citizens and residents of neighbourhoods to perform their duties correctly. Meaning, this requires the police to maintain an informed relationship with the community. By doing so they are reducing the reoccurrence of the themes in crime prevention mentioned above.