Policing strategies that may have worked well in the past are not always effective today. Both the level and nature of crime in this country along with the ever-changing character of our communities are causing police to seek more effective policing methods. In addition, the social fabric of our country has changed radically. The family unit is not always as stable as it once was. Single working parents and even two-parent families are finding it difficult to spend enough time with their children. Churches and schools are not always able to fill the void. Therefore, in this rapidly-changing environment, the concept of community policing is taking hold.
In it’s simplest terms, Community Policing is bringing police and citizens together to prevent crime and solve neighborhood problems. Police get a better sense of resident’s needs. This helps residents feel more trust in their police. Residents and police work together to achieve a common goal – a safer neighborhood, a safer community.
It basically just takes a willingness to communicate with each other to foster a spirit of teamwork and cooperation. Police are more effective when they can depend on the residents for help in both crime prevention and in solving community problems.
The police officer makes a special effort to get to know the business people and residents to learn the community’s concerns and ideas. This input from the community helps the police do a better job and improve the quality of life. The police also work closely with schools, churches and civic groups by providing speakers or participants for meetings, educational programs tailored to the specific needs of a special group and ways residents can prevent crime.
The citizens develop a relationship with their police and it fosters better communication. Residents have a say in police setting their priorities, less fear, a better understanding of what police do and an improved quality of life.
Creating this constructive partnership requires energy, creativity, understanding and patience of all those involved, but it can and will work. The foundation for the concept is trust, which will enable police and residents to work together to produce solid achievements. The police cannot do it alone. Residents and business people are beginning to recognize that they also must accept responsibility for keeping their communities safe. Communities must take a unified stand against crime, violence and disregard for the law. Police must help build stronger, more self-sufficient communities in which crime and disorder will not and cannot thrive.
Police have learned that crime-control and crime-fighting tactics need to be augmented with strategies that prevent crime and reduce the fear of crime, which has become a very significant problem in itself. By getting the community involved, Police will have more resources available for crime-prevention activities, instead of being forced into a largely after-the-fact response to crime. Activities such as meeting with school, church and civic groups, and much more, are all steps designed to foster and enhance citizens and police working together – the concept of “Community Policing.”