Community Policing Stage Assessment Model for Implementation Planning and Organizational Measurement, Final Report

• NCJ Number: 193413
• Author(s): Dan W. Fleissner
• Date Published: 1997
• Length: 62 pages
• Publication Series: NIJ Research Report
• Grant Number(s): 95-IJ-CX-0044
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)

Annotation

This is the final report of a 1996 research project that examined the merits and validity of a stage assessment model as a management tool in the organizational change required to implement the community policing model.

Abstract

The research plan included the identification of several "advanced" community policing cities and the documentation of their transition to the new approach. On-site visits were then conducted to analyze their change process and determine whether these cities progress through a set of developmental stages. The four sites selected for intensive data collection were Boston, MA; Charlotte-Mecklenburg, NC; St. Petersburg, FL; and Tempe, AZ. In order to provide some measure of objectivity in reviewing each department's programs, a number of the basic models of community policing were reviewed to identify their major components. The community policing model adopted for this study had the following components: link with the community, expanded/broadened role and function of the police, systematic problem-oriented approach, focus on outcome measures and results, and management and organizational changes. All of the departments indicated they had passed through a number of stages as the implementation process evolved over the years. Based on the implementation evolution of the agencies studies, the concept of a multi-stage development model was determined to be valid. The stage assessment matrix proposed involves the following stages: awareness/discovery, experimental/exploratory, commitment/understanding, and proficiency/ renewal. Each of these stages is described for the following aspects of community policing: police/community partnerships, evaluation approaches, police officer deployment, the use of technology, long-term assignments for officers to neighborhood areas, communications with city agency staff, organizational structure, financial planning and budgetary control, planning, training, role of police officers, problem-solving approaches, level of creativity in problem-solving, personnel performance measures, communications with community groups and citizens, and management philosophy. 19 references and appended supplementary information