COMMUNITY POLICING-
HISTORY AND PERSPECTIVE
WHAT IS COMMUNITY POLICING ?
• An agency specific philosophy and
management approach that promotes
community government and law
enforcement partnerships, pro-active
problem solving and community
engagement to address causes of fear of
crime and other community issues
Community Policing is:
• A way of doing business
• Addresses problems at community level
• Involves partnerships
• Thinking strategically-acting preventively
• Augments traditional policing efforts
Community Policing is not just:
• social work
• foot patrol, bike patrol
• a specialty unit or just for some officers
• a program that replaces traditional policing
efforts
• SOFT ON CRIME
ROOTS OF COMMUNITY
POLICING- SIR ROBERT PEEL
• Founded the London Metro. Police Dept.
• Early 1800’s
• patrol beats
• “Bobbys”
Peel’s Principles of
Policing
“…the police are the public and the public are
the police; the police are the only members
of the public who are paid to give full-time
attention to duties which are incumbent on
every citizen in the interest of community
welfare.”
Sir Robert Peel, 1829
Political Era (1870-1930)
• Slums, poverty, filth,crime
• New York first police department
• Beat Cop developed
• Corruption began
Reform Era (1930-1970’s)
• Police sever from all external influences
• Change policing methods
• Fighting crime-primary task
• Preventive Patrol-more officers
• Rapid Response
• Investigations
• Ranks of Officers
• Policies and Procedures
Modern Era (1970’s-present)
• Several studies conducted
• Previous detachment- isolation
• Policing became something done for rather
with community
• 911 developed Friendly P.D..
lo ve
• Police effectiveness We
ou
r job
questioned
Community Era (1980-Present)
Authority: Community support, Law &
Professionalism
Function: Broad provision of services
Organization: Decentralized
Relationship w/Community: Close
Role: Work w/community as professionals
within the law
Law Enforcement Culture
• Cul ture i s:
– the way we think
– the way our minds
organizes information
– how we act out our moral
and social identities
– our “common sense”
– “what every fool sees”
– is the consequence of our
shared thoughts,
behaviors, beliefs, and
values.
Improving response time to
emergency calls greatly
increases the likelihood of
arresting criminals.
Perception or reality ?
PERCEPTION
Foot Patrols do not reduce
crime, but they make the citizens
feel safer.
Perception or reality?
REALITY
Random patrol does not directly
increase an officer’s chances of
arresting a criminal.
Perception or reality?
Reality
Public cooperation is more often
responsible for solving crime
than police activities are.
Perception or reality?
REALITY
BROKEN WINDOWS
• Abandoned building
• Eventually one window gets broken
• If not replaced, others will become broken
Police Response to Theory
• Take small signs of disorder seriously
• Deal with minor problems
• Deal with small time offenders
• Take care of physical disorders
BENEFITS OF COMMUNITY
ORIENTED POLICING
Increased Effectiveness
Officer Self-Actualization
Improved Communications
An Increase in Community Support for
Department Programs
BENEFITS OF COMMUNITY
ORIENTED POLICING
Increased Opportunities for Creativity
It Provides Officers a Better Place in
Which to Work
BENEFITS OF COMMUNITY
ORIENTED POLICING
It Provides a Stronger, Safer and More
Friendly Community in Which to Live
It Provides for a Closer Working
Relationship with Other Agencies
Questions?
NEXT UP
• Problem Solving as a Culture.
• Discussion of the SARA model.
• Putting Problem Solving to Work.
Problem Solving
• Finding short term solutions
• Finding long term solutions
• Identify “root” causes of problems
• Identifying and concentrating on the
conditions of the problem
Crime Prevention
• Identify Crime issues and conditions that
enable crime to occur
• Educate and train the community how not
to be victims of crime
• Empower the community to take on a
shared responsibility regarding their safety
and quality of life
