Role of Police and Policing Today

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.

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).

Recent incidents of police brutality have brought up critical discussions on policing and law enforcement across the country. The nation seems to have come into a consensus about police reforms, and find an alternative way to fight crimes while assuring the safety of the public . At a time where unarmed black teenagers are being gunned down by police officers who were there to protect, and police departments are more militarized than ever; one wonders about the legitimacy of the police system that is in place. The mistrust of the public on police, and the costly militarization of police are the results of “aggressive” policing approach that has been practiced for years. An alternative way of policing, community policing, has been recommended

What is community policing? Every so often the American policing system evolves. These changes have taken on the terms of political era, the reform era, and the community problem-solving era. By dividing policing into these three periods domi-nated by a particular strategy of policing we can get a better understanding of the phi-losophy behind the operations of a police force. According to Kelling and Moore “cer-tain professional ethos that defines standards of competence, professionalism, and excellence in policing; that at any given time, one set of concepts is more powerful, more widely shared, and better understood than others; and that this ethos changes over time. Sometimes, this professional ethos has been explicitly articulated, and

The two supervisory styles that are most inclined to encourage community policing are innovative and active supervisor. Innovative supervisors are more likely to encourage officers to interact with the community. These supervisors strongly officer to communicate with the community and hear their opinions about issues are having the most impact on the neighborhood. Innovative supervisors are 96 percent more likely to have this thought process “compared to 48 percent of traditional supervisors, 68 percent of supportive supervisors, and 68 percent of active supervisors.” However, despite having the highest percent as far as thought process, innovative supervisors spent that least amount of time community policing.

In the 1970s, big cities began using a method known as community policing which caught political attention with its positive outcomes. It began to be implemented in smaller communities with federal funding and studies showed that departments employing community policing jumped from 34% in 1997 to 64% in 1999 (Hickman & Reaves, 2003, p 506). Community policing appeals to the five key elements set forth by traditional policing; routine patrol, rapid response to calls for service, arrests, investigations, and law enforcement information sharing (Community Policing Dispatch, 2008). Routine Patrol is improved with community policing because it reduces fear with police presence and sets up preventative patrol in areas of high crime rates. Technology and

Community policing fits in with community justice in several ways, for one it has the potential over time to rebuild trust between the two groups which is an essential to both public and police safety. Secondly, it allows for people who reside in their communities a voice, encourages more social interaction and brings about more collaborative means in solving issues that the particular community faces (Giacomazzi, 1995). It also has the potential to rebuild communities, as of now most of the comminutes most affected by policing are the disadvantaged, lower economical and African Americans (Clear, 2007). These communities are being devastated by the constant revolving door of the

Lastly, I would like to take some time to reflect back on the way policing was back in the 40’s and 50’s and how it changed for the better or worst in today’s 21st century. From what we already know about Devil in the Grove by Gilbert King. He gives us the perspective where Sheriff McCall and his county sheriffs are members of the Ku Klux Klan back when they Jim Crow Laws were in full effect. Now fast forward it about fifty or sixty years into modern day society. Think to yourself, would it be necessary to be in a group that is associated with killing off innocent African Americans today? These great individuals that make up their race have contributed to our society in so many ways. So being a member of a group to wipe out a particular race

The community policing idea stresses on the way that departments are organized and managed and how the organization can be changed to support the moral shift behind community policing. It promotes the use of modern supervision practices to increase efficiency and effectiveness. Community policing emphasizes changes in organizational structures to institutionalize its adoption and infuse it throughout the entire department, including the

. Tracing the history of Community policing, There are Compelling reasons why law enforcement leaders believe that time has come to alter the police and practice of their organization. These reasons are rooted in the history of policing and police research during the last quarter of a century in the changing nature of communities, in the shifting characteristics of crime and violence that affect these communities Throughout history individuals have been expected to follow the rules of the majority, the demands to control the behavior of individuals can be traced to the ancient times when the tribe, clan or family controlled the behavior of the individuals and had the responsibility to enforce its informal rules or customs.

Due to the ever-changing political climate and needs of the community, policing models frequently change (McElvain, Kposowa, & Gray 2012, 1). During the periods of enactment, numerous policing models served specific purposes but would quickly become outdated due to research or differing approaches to problem solving. Researchers McElvan, Kposowa, and Gray introduce a number of past policing models that have become outdated. Introduced around the mid-1900s the Professional model sought to fight corruption within the police culture and asked officers to gather facts and nothing more. The effectiveness of the strategy was based upon crime statistics and response times to calls (Ibid, 1). Over the years, policing models have gone through periods of evolution and reform, leading to the establishment of numerous modes by either law enforcement agencies or universities. In time, the Professional model was transformed by public criticism of the police being out of touch with the public they were serving. The new model required a different approach-one that humanized police officers.

Community policing is an overarching law enforcement strategy that works to integrate police departments and officers with the neighborhoods they serve (Carney, 2015). Community policing strives to create a partnership between officers and citizens such that all parties are working towards the common goal of crime prevention and safety (Siegel &Welsh, 2015); as described by the Bureau of Justice Assistance “with the police no longer the sole guardians of law and order, all members of the community become active allies in the effort to enhance the safety and quality of neighborhoods” (1994, p. vii). Community policing is a more recent development in law enforcement policy, but is a strategy that many see as a particularly useful tool when confronting juvenile crime problems (Siegel & Welsh, 2015). Community policing’s efficacy—in terms of responding to juvenile offenders—may stem from the fact that children who enter the justice system often have a need for a variety of services and resources; community policing allows officers to take on broader roles, as opposed to just that of enforcement (Siegel & Welsh, 2015).

Community policing is strongly enforced based off consent of the neighborhoods involving the needs, strategies, and outcomes of the communities involved (Brogden, 2013, pg. 2). COP has become the primary need for reform in communities with rising crime rates, helping bring security, but not eliminating the increase in crime (Brogden, 2013, pg. 2). Although, community policing holds

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 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