Community Policing
Community Policing
Kerry D. Turner
Florence Darlington Technical College
Community policing is, in essence, a collaboration between the police and the community that identifies and solves community problems. 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. Community policing has far-reaching implications.
The expanded outlook on crime control and prevention, the new emphasis on making community members active participants in the process of problem solving, and the patrol officers’ pivotal role in community policing require profound changes within the police organization. The neighborhood patrol officer, backed by the police organization, helps community members mobilize support and resources to solve problems and enhance their quality of life. Community members voice their concerns, contribute advice, and take action to address these concerns. Creating a constructive partnership will require the energy, creativity, understanding, and patience of all involved (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 1994). Reinvigorating communities is essential if we are to deter crime and create more vital neighborhoods. In some communities, it will take time to break down barriers of apathy and mistrust so that meaningful partnerships can be forged. Trust is the value that underlies and links the components of community partnership and problem solving. A foundation of trust will allow police to form close relationships with the community that will produce solid achievements. Without trust between police and citizens, effective policing is impossible (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 1994). Community policing could arguably be called the new orthodoxy of law enforcement in the United States. It has become an increasingly popular alternative to what many police administrators perceive as the failure of traditional policing to deal effectively with street
Kerry D. Turner
Florence Darlington Technical College
Community policing is, in essence, a collaboration between the police and the community that identifies and solves community problems. 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. Community policing has far-reaching implications.
The expanded outlook on crime control and prevention, the new emphasis on making community members active participants in the process of problem solving, and the patrol officers’ pivotal role in community policing require profound changes within the police organization. The neighborhood patrol officer, backed by the police organization, helps community members mobilize support and resources to solve problems and enhance their quality of life. Community members voice their concerns, contribute advice, and take action to address these concerns. Creating a constructive partnership will require the energy, creativity, understanding, and patience of all involved (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 1994). Reinvigorating communities is essential if we are to deter crime and create more vital neighborhoods. In some communities, it will take time to break down barriers of apathy and mistrust so that meaningful partnerships can be forged. Trust is the value that underlies and links the components of community partnership and problem solving. A foundation of trust will allow police to form close relationships with the community that will produce solid achievements. Without trust between police and citizens, effective policing is impossible (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 1994). Community policing could arguably be called the new orthodoxy of law enforcement in the United States. It has become an increasingly popular alternative to what many police administrators perceive as the failure of traditional policing to deal effectively with street
Cited: Bureau of Justice Assistance. (1994, August). Understanding community policing. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/commp.pdf COPS Mastrofski, Stephen D. (1988) Community Policing in Action: Lesson From an Observational Study. U.S. Government Documents. McGlothian-Taylor, Florene. (1997). Community Policing and Minorities. US Government Documents. Murray Police Department (2000) Crime Prevention and Neighborhood Watch. http://www.ci.murray.ut.us/nw.htm San Diego Police Department (2000) Neighborhood Policing: Building a Problem Solving Partnership Series: BJA (1994) Working as Partners with Community Groups. United States Government Documents. http://www.ncjrs.org/txfiles/wpcg.txt Susan Shah, Insha Rahman, and Anita Khashu for Law Enforcement. New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2007. Available at http://www.cops.usdoj.gov and http://www.vera.org/overcomelangbarriers. Trojanowicz, Robert (1992) The Basics of Community Policing. http://www.ssc.msu.edu/~cj/cp/thebasic.html Trojanowicz, Robert