Community Policing in Context: Has it Come of Age?

• NCJ Number: 215467
• Journal: Crime Prevention and Community Safety: An International Journal Volume: 8 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2006 Pages: 104-117
• Author(s): Stephen Brookes
• Date Published: April 2006
• Length: 14 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This study used multiple police force site visits to assess whether the community policing style is the current standard policing style in the United Kingdom and to explore the conditions that help or hinder in the emergence of community policing.

Abstract

The key finding is that community policing has not been established as the standard style of policing in the United Kingdom. There is, however, hope that it may have a chance to emerge. Findings illustrated the forward movement from the rhetoric of coactive policing observed during the first site visits to the attempted implementation of coactive policing observed during the second site visits 18 months later. Changes included a focus away from reactive responses and toward locally based problem solving. Leadership was identified as the key feature in this change process. The analysis identified four main factors of police planning that may support coactive policing: (1) the identification of the conditions that need to be addressed; (2) the identification of community safety priorities; (3) the development of a response to the conditions that threaten community safety; and (4) a commitment to locally determined neighborhood policing priorities. The goal of the research was to test the data gathered from the three police forces against three ideal types of policing styles: reactive, proactive, and coactive. Coactive policing is defined as a strategy based on the police working cooperatively with other agencies to identify and address the conditions needed for improved community safety. The research used a multiple case study approach in which multiple site visits over the course of an 18 month period were conducted to three police forces of various sizes. Strategic documents from the police forces, such as 3-year strategic plans and annual policing plans, were analyzed and interviews were conducted with a range of police personnel. The analysis focused on identifying the extent to which the strategic documents and statements of each police force supported the development of a coactive policing style. References