Problem Oriented Policing Vs Community Policing

With community policing and the relationships that they have built, citizens can visualize that the majority of police are here to serve and protect the people and not to unlawfully

Herman Goldstein originally announced the policing method, Problem-Oriented Policing or POP in 1979 (Braga, 2010). The topic of Problem-Oriented Policing has been a very controversial debated throughout the years and whether or not the approach had a positive effect on policing and crime prevention. I personally think its beneficial to stay on a positive tract to approaching crime in different ways, but also advance theory’s of methods of policing and crime

Community policing has evolved to be the most used strategy for policing. “It is an approach to crime detection and prevention that provides police officers and supervisors with new tools for addressing recurrent problems that plague communities and consume a majority of police agency time and resources” (Peak, 2012, 65). It has been defined by various people differently. But all the definitions have similar principles (Chappell, 2009). They focus on proactive problem solving and create relationships with the community to address any issue that may arise. Community policing is a combination of client-oriented and problem-oriented policing.

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!

Problem-oriented policing presents an alternative approach to policing that has gained attention in recent years among many police agencies. Problem-oriented policing grew out of twenty years of research into police practices, and differs from traditional policing strategies in four significant ways.

Well first and foremost we have the Political Era, this era which was from 1840s to the 1930s. Strengths of this era are common to what we strive for in community policing today, for example in this era the police sought out a very close relationship with the community. Because of the tith act, which required every male to enroll for police duty in a group of families within a community, the police had a lot of man power which was a tremendous benefit for the “wards” (Miller, L., Hess, K., & Orthmann, C. 2005). With the tithing system this established the principals of collective responsibility for maintaining local law and order within their community or “ward” (Miller & all). One of the most important strengths but also a weakness was that the police officers lived within the community in which they

Problem oriented policing is geared toward solving problems. The first step in problem oriented policing is the identification and selection of a problem. One method of identifying, analyzing and selecting a problem is known as SARA. The acronym SARA stands for scanning, analysis, response, and assessment (Cronkhite, 2013). The Center for Problem Oriented Policing has several problem-specific guides for different problems that police and a community may face. The guides cover a variety of subjects ranging from burglary to gas drive offs. Each guide discusses the problem and factors involved and offers suggestions derived from police report and research of the problem (Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, n.d.).

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.

The focus of community-oriented policing is not simply on response, but on preventing crime and resolving community problems. This philosophy rests on the belief that the police and the community must work together as partners to solve the contemporary challenges faced in today 's society. (Community Policing Philosophy)

The strengths of Problem Oriented Policing are that it encourages Police Officers to work closely with the community to achieve the goals of the community. POP has over two decades of documented success in reducing crime rates in particular areas. One area in particular is Boston. The Police Officers utilizing the Problem Oriented

Community policing is a philosophy. It uses organizational strategies that support the use of partnerships and problem solving techniques to address issues of public safety.Community-oriented policing is collaboration between the community, organizations within the community, and the police that identify and solve community problems. Police officers work with the community to help solve problems related to crime, fear of crime, social and physical disorder, and neighborhood conditions. They do this to enhance the safety and quality of neighborhoods. Officers spend time in these neighborhoods getting to know the residents and business owners by talking to them about the problems that the community is facing or individuals who are causing problems. They are responsible for reducing crime in their beats.

Such as the police are not buying into it, many police officers do not consider these to be real types of policing; therefore, many agencies do not put a lot of focus into them (Klockars, 1988 as cited in Goff,2016). Another criticism is that in this style the police don’t always involve the public when trying to determine the crime problem, and that they rarely change their focus from crime control towards one of these methods. They also do not change their organizational culture, where they believe police are the only real crime fighters, and the community does not understand what the real issues

Amongst law enforcement personnel, there is a debate between traditional policing and crime prevention through problem solving. With a traditional approach, there is a swift response to incidents. However, there is a long-term benefit of crime prevention with a more proactive approach. During this article, multiple strategies will be discussed which have a direct relation to community-oriented policing. It is important to understand that any one strategy is not more important than the other, but they are all intertwined to ensure a successful outcome.

Community oriented policing is a working partnership between the police and the community, in which the community must play an active role against crime and disorder. Community oriented policing is a long term process that holds the views of the community members at a higher status than traditional models. With police officers being more proactive this causes a fundamental institutional change in the whole department. Problem oriented policing uses proactive police techniques while using the COP philosophy by examining the causes for recurring incidents. Problem oriented policing often causes officers and departments to think outside the box with its four stage problem solving process. Community oriented policing and problem oriented policing

They also, of course, respond to dispatch calls of crimes in progress. Crime prevention is achieved through mere police presence. Negative interaction between the community and police is generally the norm. In communities policing, on the other hand, police officers are typically assigned to specific geographic areas in their jurisdiction and establish ties with the various community groups. These groups may include ministerial (church) associations, neighborhood associations, youth groups, etc. The idea is that when police are involved with the community they are not viewed as outsiders who are there simply to enforce the law. Crime prevention is achieved through positive interaction with police and the community. The goals of community policing are to reduce crime and disorder, promote citizens’ quality of life in communities, reduce fear of crime, and improve police–citizen relations. These goals are achieved through three essential efforts: community engagement, problem solving, and organizational transformation. In other words, the police are the public and the public are the police.