Chapter 6 CJS 21-33

Community Policing

Objective

• The primary objective of community policing is to activate and leverage community norms to foster crime resistance and enhance public safety. This approach emphasizes proactive measures and community engagement, creating a partnership between police and the community to identify and address safety challenges.

Challenges

• A significant challenge in community policing is the geographical and social complexity of neighborhoods, which can hinder the ability to effectively access and mobilize community strengths. Different areas may have varying levels of trust and cooperation with law enforcement, and strategies must be tailored accordingly.

Defining Roles

• Community Police Agents:

  • Clear role definitions are necessary for community policing to effectively integrate officers with traditional patrol forces, including differentiating between foot patrols, which may foster closer community ties, and patrol cars, which could limit interaction.

  • The roles of community police agents need to encompass responsibilities that promote community collaboration, problem-solving, and active engagement rather than solely focusing on enforcement.

• Integration Importance:

  • It is crucial to determine officers' primary responsibilities within policing strategies to ensure accountability and clarity of purpose in engaging with the community.

Changing Supervisor Attitudes

• Supervisor Concerns:

  • Some supervisors may be wary of decentralized command structures due to fears about losing authority, influence over officer promotion opportunities, or overall control over departmental operations. This mindset can be detrimental to fostering a culture of community engagement.

• Active Engagement:

  • Only those supervisors willing to embrace the principles of community policing can effectively motivate and inspire officers to engage in self-initiated problem-solving, which is essential for diminishing crime and enhancing community relations.

Reorienting Police Values

• Satisfaction Levels:

  • Studies have shown that officers who adopt service-oriented values exhibit higher satisfaction levels with community policing compared to those who prioritize crime control. This satisfaction impacts officer morale and effectiveness in community relations.

• Cultural Issues:

  • Traditional officers may stigmatize their peers engaged in community policing initiatives, creating a divide within departments that could lead to reduced support for community-focused strategies. Addressing cultural biases is essential for cultivating a unified approach to policing.

Revising Training

• Training Adjustments:

  • Police departments must undergo substantial changes in their training protocols to emphasize community organization and problem-solving skills rather than just adherence to traditional policing methods.

  • Ongoing training should also incorporate community engagement tactics, conflict resolution, and communication skills to prepare officers for effective interaction with diverse community members.

• Skill Development:

  • A greater emphasis should be placed on developing skills related to identifying and solving community issues, as opposed to simply enforcing laws and achieving arrest metrics.

Reorienting Recruitment

• Hiring Focus:

  • Departments should prioritize hiring midlevel managers who not only support community-change strategies but also embody the values of engagement and collaboration.

• Candidate Criteria:

  • Recruitment efforts should target individuals who exhibit open-mindedness toward community engagement and proactive problem-solving, ensuring that new officers understand and value the principles of community policing.

Flexibility in Community Policing

• Neighborhood Variability:

  • Strategies employed in community policing must be customized to meet the specific needs, culture, and challenges of individual neighborhoods, necessitating that officers engage with community members to gather insights and feedback.

• Cohesion in Community:

  • Some neighborhoods may demonstrate a natural inclination to collaborate on policing efforts, while others may require additional facilitation and support to establish trust and cooperation between law enforcement and residents.

Overcoming Obstacles to Community Policing

• Evidence of Effectiveness:

  • Successful community policing initiatives have demonstrated compatibility with traditional policing methods, notably leading to significant crime reduction in cities like New York and Boston. These successes provide a model for replication in other jurisdictions.

• Challenges in Success Measurement:

  • A challenge in assessing the effectiveness of community policing is determining whether crime reductions can be directly attributed to community policing efforts or are influenced by broader national crime trends.

Problem-Oriented Policing (POP)

• Definition:

  • Problem-oriented policing emphasizes proactive problem-solving strategies aimed at understanding and addressing underlying public safety issues rather than simply responding to incidents as they occur.

• Strategy Focus:

  • Successful problem-oriented policing targets long-standing community issues, such as addressing drug dealers and gang hangouts, and collaboratively develops tailored elimination strategies that prioritize community safety.

• Community Engagement:

  • Effective POP hinges on the development of local resources and active collaboration with residents to facilitate actionable solutions that resonate with community needs.

Hot Spots of Crime

• Identification:

  • Law enforcement agencies routinely identify crime hotspots, where criminal activity tends to concentrate, often in specific locations such as bars, malls, or neighborhoods with high levels of reported incidents.

• Resource Allocation:

  • Allocating police resources to these identified high-crime areas can lead to significantly reduced crime rates, demonstrating the importance of targeted policing strategies.

Criminal Acts and Places

• Target Specificity:

  • Developing strategies that specifically address particular criminal locations or activities is essential in reducing crime and improving community safety.

Combating Auto Theft

• Bait Cars:

  • In high-theft areas, law enforcement utilizes bait cars—vehicles equipped with tracking technology and monitored remotely—to catch thieves in the act. This approach has led to substantial reductions in car thefts in multiple cities, showcasing innovative policing strategies.

Reducing Violence

• Operation Ceasefire:

  • Initially launched in Boston, Operation Ceasefire proved successful in reducing youth-related violence and has been effectively replicated in other cities, emphasizing the power of community intervention in crime prevention.

Intelligence-Led Policing (ILP)

• Definition:

  • Intelligence-led policing is a strategic approach that combines decision-making processes based on the collection, analysis, and dissemination of intelligence following the events of 9/11, emphasizing the importance of proactive policing.

• Focus Shift:

  • ILP marks a shift from reactive responses to a model centered on information sharing, collaborative efforts, and strategic allocation of resources based on gathered intelligence.

• Methodology:

  • This approach utilizes confidential informants, comprehensive crime report analysis, and active collaboration with community sources to inform policing strategies and decisions.

Differences Between ILP and Other Approaches

• Compared to CompStat:

  • Unlike CompStat, which focuses on incident-based reporting, ILP is more concerned with threats and operates across multiple jurisdictions to ensure a comprehensive understanding of community safety dynamics.

• Operational Focus:

  • The emphasis of ILP is on the strategic priorities set by law enforcement administrators, while problem-oriented policing tends to focus more on immediate street-level problem identification catalyzed by officer-community engagement.

Examples of ILP Applications

• Narcotics Control:

  • ILP has been effectively utilized to target drug markets and known offenders through comprehensive strategies that incorporate community intelligence and collaboration.

• Vehicle Insurance Fraud:

  • Law enforcement has harnessed ILP methodologies to identify and tackle community issues related to insurance fraud, advancing public awareness and deploying targeted enforcement efforts.

Fusion Centers

• Purpose:

  • Fusion centers serve as critical mechanisms for facilitating efficient information sharing and analysis across various law enforcement and government agencies, creating a more interconnected law enforcement response.

• Goals:

  • These centers aim to enhance crime fighting capabilities, encourage community input through tips and advice, and promote informed decision-making among law enforcement executives based on real-time intelligence and situational awareness.

Evidence-Based Policing

• Definition:

  • Evidence-based policing employs scientific research methodologies to evaluate police effectiveness and efficiency, ensuring that policing strategies are grounded in data and proven practices.

• Historical Context:

  • Advocated for by police researchers since the 1990s, evidence-based policing calls for the application of rigorous research findings to guide policing practices and department operations.

• Implementation:

  • Organizations, such as the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing, work to translate research outcomes into actionable insights that contribute to more effective policing strategies.

Police Support Functions

• Administrative Tasks:

  • Police support functions encompass a variety of administrative tasks, including personnel services, internal affairs, budgeting, record-keeping, communication, and training functions—essential for maintaining departmental operations and efficiency.

• Support for Citizens:

  • Police departments engage actively in community programs, providing essential advice on safety measures, protection strategies, and fostering community trust and support.

Improving Police Productivity

• Definition:

  • Improving police productivity refers to enhancing order maintenance and crime control efficiency through various innovative strategies.

• Cost-saving Measures:

  • Departments can achieve significant cost savings by implementing:

  1. Consolidation: Merging smaller agencies to improve service provision and resource management.

  2. Sharing Resources: Promoting cooperation between agencies to optimize resource deployment for mutual benefits.

  3. Civilian Employees: Utilizing civilian personnel for administrative functions to reduce costs associated with full-time law enforcement staffing.

  4. Special Assignments: Training officers for specialized roles to enhance resource allocation while maintaining primary duties effectively.