Is "Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving" a Viable Strategy for Law Enforcement to Prevent Violence Between Natural and Foreign Born People of Hispanic Origin?

• NCJ Number: 177774
• Author(s): Thomas P. Fitzmaurice
• Date Published: May 1998
• Length: 19 pages
• Corporate Author: California Cmssn on Peace Officer Standards and Training
• Sale Source: NCJRS Photocopy Services; POST Media Distribution Ctr
• Publication Format: Dissertation/Thesis
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examines the extent of fratricide among natural and foreign born Hispanics in California communities and the viability of community-oriented and problem-solving policing as a violence prevention strategy.

Abstract

The study identifies four distinct factors that appear to have a significant impact on the inter-national origin violence cycle: demographics, nature of violence, Hispanic culture, and policing type used for crime prevention. The study indicates that Hispanics are at higher risk than non-Hispanic whites to be violent crime victims and that the role of culture is very complicated. A serious point of contention between foreign and natural born Hispanics relates to how foreign born Hispanics perceive natural born Hispanics and look down on them for no valid reason. This situation is often compounded by drug and alcohol abuse by the Hispanic population. Further, pressures in the living environment of foreign and natural born Hispanics often lead to frustration that is taken out on loved ones and neighbors, and such frustration is a major predicator of fratricide in the Hispanic community. Community-oriented and problem-solving policing (COPSP) is a beneficial approach to violence prevention because it requires law enforcement to be responsive to community needs and concerns and also involves collaboration with the community. Recommendations on the use of COPSP as a violence prevention approach are listed. 39 endnotes