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Community Policing: Is It Working?

NCJ Number
139420
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 19 Issue: 10 Dated: (October 1992) Pages: 34-35,70-72
Author(s)
K W Strandberg
Date Published
1992
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Interviews with law enforcement personnel in several jurisdictions revealed strong support for community policing and optimism about its future, with mixed views regarding whether it costs the same or more than other alternatives.
Abstract
Community policing is not a specific strategy; instead, it is a philosophy that crosses departmental lines and focuses on a commitment to working with the community to solve the host of law enforcement and social problems facing our society. Officials in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Prince Georges County (Md.), Detroit, and Houston report positive community reactions to community policing, as well as signs that it is accomplishing both crime prevention and reduction. Proponents also argue that community policing costs no more than alternatives, although some note that it involves initial investments because it is labor-intensive. Law enforcement professionals also believe that police agencies will increasingly use community policing and that it has benefits both for economic development and the quality of life in communities. Photographs