NCJ Number
134975
Date Published
1991
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This paper examines the constructive role of community policing in addressing crime, drugs, and disorder in black, inner-city communities.
Abstract
The introduction notes demographic and economic changes that have placed whites and blacks in different crime categories perceived differently by the criminal justice system, which makes the entire system vulnerable to charges of discrimination. The paper then proposes community policing as a means of improving the racial climate in law enforcement. A comparison of traditional policing and community policing shows that community policing changes the fundamental nature of the relationship between people and their police from mistrust and hostility to mutual respect and trust. Whereas traditional policing patronizes the community by establishing the police as the experts who have all the answers, community policing empowers average citizens by enlisting them as partners with the police in efforts to make their communities safer places. The community policing philosophy rests on the organizational strategy of deploying line officers permanently in beat areas, where they can operate as generalists and community-based problemsolvers. In contrast to the reactive approach of traditional policing, community policing focuses on problem identification, analysis, and resolution which aims to structure the environment and influence behaviors so as to prevent crime and upgrade life in the community. 26 footnotes