Community_Policing

COVER PAGE (TO BE SUBMITTED WITH ALL ASSIGNMENTS) Community Policing Crime prevention, deterrence, assistance, emergency services, and protection are just a few of the titles and labels of being a police officer. Whereas the duties of policing vary depending on the economic and communal needs of society, there are different fields and techniques that can be applied for effectiveness. Whereas some techniques are more effective than others, the correct policing field depends on numerous contributing factors. For the purpose of this paper, this student will discuss the topic of community policing. Components Community policing has become the new favorite technique in solving problems within communities. This technique is founded upon a philosophy that employs strategies proactively to address concerns and conditions that affect the safety of a community (e.g. crime, disorder, nuisances, etc.). Community policing uses numerous resources and partnerships to develop a problem-solving strategy to tackle the most common reasons the police are summoned. With community policing, many police officers are permanently attached to a certain community. Upon closer inspection and with thorough research, the effectiveness of community policing can be broken down into three categories: communal partnerships, organized transformation, and problem-solving techniques. Communal Partnerships The communal partnerships portion of this technique involves the partnerships of outside resources. These partnerships can be made between government agencies, community groups and members, businesses, media outlets, and not-for-profit groups and service providers. One example of partnerships coming together is businesses bringing in material that could improve the appearance of dilapidated housing complexes that attract illegal and dangerous persons. These partnerships help communities to make necessary and crucial upgrades to their areas with little to no cost to the community itself. Organized Transformations Organized transformations play another critical role in the effectiveness of community policing. With organized transformation, the ability to align all the necessary resources plays a significant role. Oftentimes, resources such as personnel, finances, training, and communication provide the backbone of support for a community. Police officers normally become permanently attached to a community and can establish a relationship with said community. This relationship between the community and officer allows multiple advantages such as: increased communication between community members and law enforcement, better understandings of community needs and issues regarding law enforcement, etc. Problem-Solving For some, problem-solving is simply determining the problem at hand, and then finding a quick solution to solve the issue at hand. Problem-solving in the policing field has four main steps. The first step is scanning. This process involves determining the issues at hand and prioritizing those issues. The second step, analysis, involves researching the issues discovered and gaining as much information as possible. The third step, response, involves making and implementing decisions that have a lasting impact on the problem. The final step, assessment, is the process of evaluating the decisions and solutions implemented for conformance and success. Implementation Whereas community policing practices are gaining popularity in many neighborhoods, the process has not gained the momentum needed to be implemented in every community. One major factor in implementing such a field of policing is the size of the community. Generally, larger communities require more manpower and resources, more communication between officers and citizens, and more coordination. In direct comparison, smaller communities reap the greatest benefits of community policing because of the smaller amount of citizens and the ability to keep direct communication with the community. Summary Each community has its own unique characteristics and statistics concerning needing the services of law enforcement and other services. While there are multiple fields of policing that can be applied to these communities, not every field will apply dynamically. Each community may have similar statistics, but require different policies and resources to overcome those issues. The one field gaining popularity among many communities is the community policing technique. This technique involves permanently establishing police officers within a community in hopes of establishing a relationship with the community. Community policing allows members of that particular community to communicate directly with law enforcement officials. Community policing also allows law enforcement agencies to determine common problems and issues commonly found, build a response to combat the issue, and analyze the procedures implemented by determining if the outcome is successful. This practice of policing also allows law enforcement agencies to work with other agencies (e.g. state, federal, businesses, media, etc.) to maintain and improve opportunities within that community. The general idea is for communities to become better protected and served by having law enforcement agencies decentralized and more focused on the community itself. References Walker, Samuel, & Katz, Charles. (2007). The Police in America. McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages. Department of Justice, Improving Police/Community Relations (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1973). Wesley G. Skogan and Susan M. Hartnett, Community Policing, Chicago Style (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997).