NCJ Number
147804
Journal
Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice Volume: 9 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1993) Pages: 289-302
Date Published
1993
Length
14 pages
Annotation
Police agencies are adopting a wide range of programs as part of a move toward community-based service delivery, and community policing (CP) represents one approach to facilitating police investigations by involving the community.
Abstract
As a prominent innovation in contemporary policing, CP emphasizes community involvement in crime control strategies. The extent to which CP has been implemented ranges from minimal changes that merely involve citizens in crime prevention programs to major structural and cultural changes that radically alter the way in which the business of policing is conducted. The implementation of CP and the degree of change required pose a major challenge to most police agencies. Police criminal investigation divisions are especially resistant to change. Further, CP requires better educated, self-managed, and creative professionals who can mobilize the community to solve problems. In CP, policing strategies need to be reassessed, particularly with regard to leadership, organization, training, and accountability. Criminal investigators must work closely with police officers on the street. Examples are given of the successful decentralization of police detectives and other specialized investigators and of unsuccessful CP efforts. 16 references