Chapter 13: Community and Problem-Oriented Policing Study Notes

Historical Change: Since the 1970s, police departments have started working more with communities to build trust and cooperation for safety.
New Focus: This change shows a shift in values, moving from just reacting to crime to focusing on the community's needs.

Old Policing: Before the 1960s, police were mainly seen as a way to control crime.
Reactive Policing: This method was all about responding to crime, using: - Preventative Patrol: Random patrolling to stop crime. - Quick Response: Getting to crime scenes fast after calls.
Problems with Reacting: Rising crime rates showed that this approach had limits.
Organizational Theory: Police structures were influenced by military-like or strict rules, believing that a clear chain of command is essential.
Main Rules of Organizational Theory:
  1. Hierarchy: Clear authority structure.
  2. Division of Tasks: Specific jobs for individuals or units.
  3. Rules and Procedures: Guidelines for operations.
  4. Written Rules: Must be recorded for consistency.
  5. Authority: Clear power structures in the organization.
  6. Qualifications: Standards for hiring and promotions.

Old Demographics: Pre-1970s, police were mostly white males.
Legislation for Change: Laws promoting equal opportunities and affirmative action pushed for more diversity in police departments.
Post-1970s Changes: Police forces became more diverse to better reflect their communities.

What is Community Policing?: It's about building relationships with the community to prevent crime through collaboration.
When It Started: This idea began in the 1970s and became popular in the 1990s.
Common Strategies: Involve foot patrols, neighborhood watches, and community engagement.
Changes in Structure: Requires changing the roles of officers and decentralizing power.
Shared Crime Prevention: Police and citizens both have roles in preventing crime.
Ethics: Community policing is based on strong values: - Service Focus: Service should be a core quality of police departments. - Culture of Service: Must be maintained within agencies. - Accountability: Police must be accountable to the public. - Community Involvement: Success relies on active community participation.

Public Involvement: Everyone should have a say in how they are policed.
Right to Inclusion: The public should help set police goals and methods.
Power to the Public: The ultimate power to control crime belongs to the public, not the police.
Building Trust: Trust leads to better cooperation with police.
Empowerment: Community policing should empower marginalized groups by giving them a voice.

National Neighborhood Foot Patrol Center: Aims to engage communities through foot patrols.
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS): Established in 1994, provides funds and training for community policing initiatives.
National Night Out: A program to strengthen community ties and relationships between police and residents.

Broken Windows Theory: It suggests that crime comes from disorder in neighborhoods.
Over-policing Issues: This idea has often led to zero-tolerance, criticized for excessive policing.
Crime and Disorder Link: Research shows little evidence that disorder directly leads to crime; both may come from economic issues.
Collective Efficacy: This means communities work together with police to keep areas safe.
Fear of Crime: Efforts to reduce disorder relate to lowering fears about crime, which can make residents take precautions.

Citizen Attitudes: Better interactions with police can lead to more positive views and lawful behavior.
Procedural Justice: It's about fairness in how police use their authority, based on:   1. Fairness
  2. Transparency
  3. Voice
  4. Fair Treatment
Police Legitimacy: How the public views police authority.
Disparities in Attitudes: Research shows white citizens tend to have more positive attitudes toward police than minority groups.

Origin: Developed in 1979 by Herman Goldstein.
Key Focus: It emphasizes cooperation between citizens and police to solve problems affecting community life.
Comparison with Community Policing: POP focuses more on specific issues than general community engagement.
The SARA Model (Four Steps):   1. Scanning: Finding community issues.
  2. Analysis: Understanding why problems exist.
  3. Response: Deciding whether police or other agencies should handle the problem.
  4. Assessment: Reviewing the outcome after addressing the issue.

Research-Based Approach: POP relies more on research than traditional methods.
Scope of Issues: Some problems might be too big for police to handle alone.
Implementation Challenges: While POP works, it can be hard to put into practice in traditional police settings.
Barriers to Problem Solving:   1. Officers may lack skills for complex analysis.
  2. Managers might not promote problem-solving environments.
  3. Police agencies often resist changes.
  4. Heavy workloads limit thorough issue analysis.
  5. Insufficient community participation or cooperation.
  6. Lack of local government support.
  7. Uncertainty about what strategies work best.
  8. Problem-solving processes are often too linear for real-life issues.
  9. Without understanding the problem, solutions are difficult to find.