Exploring the Limits of Collaboration and the Fragility of its Outcomes: The Case of Community Policing

• NCJ Number: 309682
• Journal: Public Administration Review Dated: May 2024
• Date Published: May 2024
• Author(s): Andrea M. Headley; Vaiva Kalesnikaite
• Grant Number(s): 2015-R2-CX-K030
• Agencies: BJS-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)

Annotation

This paper reports on a study to determine the limits of collaborative community policing when it came to resources, reach, expectations, implementation, and power balance; the paper lays out the research methodology and findings, noting how leadership and critical incidents can influence whether community policing activities really lead to gains in police-community relations.

Abstract

Understanding collaboration between the government and community leaders or organizations is essential for effectively delivering services and creating public value. Interorganizational collaboration is particularly salient in communities of color when considering how historic exclusions of marginalized voices have inhibited equity. This study draws upon 88 in-depth, semi-structured interviews on collaboration (and its limits) between the police and community in Hartford, Connecticut, US. Using this context, the findings highlight the limits of collaborative community policing with regard to resources, reach, expectations, implementation, and power balances. Moreover, even after overcoming challenges, the translation of collaborative actions (e.g., community policing) into social outcomes (e.g., police–community relations) is fragile. For instance, leadership or critical incidents can influence whether community policing activities actually lead to gains in police-community relations. Taken as a whole, this study demonstrates how collaboration unfolds with community organizations, how it impacts police–community relations in communities of color, and the limitations thereof. (Published Abstract Provided)