Community Based Policing: Using Self-Efficacy To Combat the Fear of Change

• NCJ Number: 155712
• Journal: RCMP Gazette Volume: 57 Issue: 4 Dated: (April 1995) Pages: 21-27
• Author(s): S L Geldart
• Date Published: 1995
• Length: 7 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: French; English
• Country: Canada
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

This article describes the role change in a medium-sized Canadian police department from a reactive incident-driven response to a proactive community-based model.

Abstract

The traditional model of professional policing encourages isolationism and dispassion, tactical training, and incident-driven policing. The community policing model, on the other hand, espouses shared responsibility between police and community, measures effectiveness in qualitative terms, and revolves around shared problem identification and problemsolving. In addition to operational skills, officers are trained in facilitation, empowerment, crisis intervention, and group dynamics. Many self- efficacy theories, such as those developed by Bandura, Eden, Leiter, and Johnson can be used in designing a community policing model and related training. Bandura's guided mastery modeling seems appropriate in terms of raising officers' self-efficacy while reducing resistance or fear of change. 16 references