NCJ Number
136516
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 61 Issue: 5 Dated: (May 1992) Pages: 7-12
Date Published
1992
Length
6 pages
Annotation
An effective community policing effort requires the support and commitment of the police department, citizens, elected officials, community agencies, and the media.
Abstract
Community policing is both a philosophy and an organizational strategy. Community policing requires a permanent assignment of community policing officers to defined beats where they have the opportunity for daily interaction with area residents. A police department's commitment to community policing must be reflected in the police personnel management process. Support and input should be sought from all levels of police personnel. Such participatory management will build consensus in the department for community policing. To achieve citizen support for community policing, administrators must develop a plan to educate the public about the virtues and tradeoffs of this approach. This means talking to civic groups, issuing press releases, and placing articles in community newsletters. To address the concerns of elected officials about community policing, police administrators must educate politicians on the criteria of community policing. Police administrators must also involve community agencies in the planning and implementation stages. The diagnosis of each neighborhood's strengths and weaknesses followed by the development of solutions is essential. Also, because of its proactive approach, community policing provides the department with an opportunity to enlist the media to educate the public about what the department is doing.