Understanding Community Policing

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).

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.

Community Policing is a value system which infuses a police department, in which the main organizational goal is working helpfully with individual citizens, groups of citizens, and both public and private organizations to identify and resolve issues which possibly effect the livability of specific neighborhoods, areas, or the city as a whole. Community policing can be beneficial to communities. Community policing can help prevent crimes from occurring. As officers get to know a community, they also get to know what is right and wrong with it. Typically, officers remain entitled to an area where crime happens often and as such they are left with fighting it as it is going or after it happened. In community policing neighborhoods, the officers are able to tell what might happen and as

Community based policing can best be defined as, "a collaborative effort between the police and the community that identifies problems of crime and disorder and involves all elements of the community in the search for solutions to these problems" (Sykes). Community based policing is the role of the police not that of catching bad guys, but more that of helping the public. In order for community based policing to have an effect or benefit the role of the police officer has to have an active part in the community. Police departments have always looked to the community for help when it came to reporting a crime or help solving a crime. The point was to engage with the citizens and build a trust between the people and police so the community could once again feel safe and trust that police officers are there for them and working with them directly. Police must maintain a positive rapport to overcome all the negativity placed on officers." Strong, positive relationships between children and police officers often grow into

When police departments and crime rates of the past are examined there are some apologist who believe that America would be in a better law enforcement situation provide the policies of the past we put back into use. With the public becoming more technologically advanced and criminal’s awareness of prosecution avoidance, community policing is the best solution for the modern community. The introduction of the different models of community policing and the problem solving policing tactics employed will be covered in this essay as well as the changing needs of communities

Preventative and collaborative measures, as described in the community policing model, are necessary to facilitate change. Although law enforcement officers are doing their jobs to the best of their ability, the time has come when another layer of support is a necessity. To be successful in the reduction of crime, law enforcement agencies need to enlist the resources of the community. Together this partnership can provide the comprehensive approach defined by the community policing model. A 2003 Department of Justice survey revealed 58% of all law enforcement agencies used full time community policing officers (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2012).

Over time the policing community has faced many different changes to be able to keep up with the new times. The system has adapted many new techniques and a different approach to how they solve problems. Community policing has taken on a number of definition, but put simply it is a working partnership with a community that helps make the area a better environment to subside in. The main goals of community policing is to reduce neighborhood crime, help reduce fear of crime and enhance the quality of life in the community. The United States Department of Justice has defined community policing as a philosophy that “focuses on crime and social disorder through the delivery of police services that includes aspects of traditional law enforcement, as well as prevention, problem-solving, community engagement, and partnerships.” However, community policing can be looked at as not so much a strategy, but a philosophy about how things should be done. According to The Unites States Department of Justice “At its core, community-oriented policing is based on law enforcement and the community joining together to identify and address issues of crime and social disorder.” With new advances and community oriented policing, law enforcement is taking steps in the right direction.

Community Policing is a concept that involves both the community(civilian) police to help aid in solving and prevention of crime within the community. This is a necessary interaction with officer to help prevent crime and or help solve crimes. “The philosophy of community policing is both police and people of the community form a partnership, in which they jointly approach the problem of maintaining order, providing services, and fight crime.” This become problematic because of the pre-conditions between police and the community it serve makes community policing very difficult as a whole.

What is community policing? According to Pollock (2017), community policing is the movement in which law enforcement officers create a closer relationship with community leaders to help them solve social problems that are associated with the development of disorder that leads to crime. In community policing, law enforcement is involved in cleaning up graffiti, parks, helping to develop programs, just to name a few. According to Jackson (2005), the communities rely heavily on law enforcement to "protect and serve, " and law enforcement relies on the communities for support and cooperation. However, this has not been the case, and the relationship between the police and the communities have not been harmonious. In recent events relating to policing,

Community policing can be defined as a system of allocating police officers to particular areas so that they become familiar with the local inhabitants (Oxford Living Dictionary). The campaign toward community policing policies has picked up steam in recent years as police and community leaders search for more powerful approaches to improving the sense of public safety and the quality of life in their communities. The relationships forged through community policing policies, between citizens and members of law enforcement, become an invaluable asset. Community policing is a valuable asset to the members of law enforcement and the communities’ citizens.

Community policing is considered to be one answer of how to maintain social area. It is considered as collaboration between the police and the community in which it seeks to identify and solve community problems. Community policing has a mission to enhance the quality of police services. Community policing has evolved over the years encountering several benefits as well as criticism, developing initiatives and a host of programs. Community policing focuses on crime and social disorder through the delivery of police services that includes: traits of traditional law enforcement, as well as problem solving, prevention, partnerships, and community engagement.

Since the surface of Community policing in the 1970’s and making the mark of influence on the strategies of policing throughout the United States, community policing has slowly become the direction of police interaction (Sozer and Merlo, 2013). Originally, having a breakthrough of helping reduce crime in the larger cities of America, smaller cities took the initiative and began the tactic of using community policing in the same efforts to reduce crime in local communities (Sozer and Merlo, 2013). With help from Federal funding agencies throughout the states such as, The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), the peak of utilization of community policing was on the right path for effectiveness in the areas (Sozer and Merlo, 20132013). The size of the communities became factors that were not up for discretion, it became rudiments for change in American communities. State Chief Police officers (CPO) and Lieutenants are the first line commanders when dealing with community policing. They are the main leaders and the key to the process of change (Sozer and Merlo, 2013).

Community policing implications are shown through policies and research. The majority of police agencies in the United States have community policing (Skogan, 2004), but some police agencies have introduced small aspects of community policing. To see implications for community policing there needs to be more than just a few hours of training and policies written. For full implementation of community policing there needs to be external relations throughout the community including school officials, community leaders such as religious leaders, social service providers, and more.

Community policing is a one solution to improve the tension. It is a joint effort between police officers and the community to recognize crime, disorder, and work together. If the public is involved in police activities the people will feel they are being treated justifiably. Officers will understand the people and their frustration. “With fear dissipated and relations improved, community

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.