Community Policing: Looking to Tomorrow

• NCJ Number: 227424
• Author(s): Drew Diamond; Deirdre Mead Weiss
• Date Published: May 2009
• Length: 56 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2005-CK-WX-K009
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
• Sale Source: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Conference Material
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Downloaded, July 1, 2009

Annotation

This report, which is a reflection of roundtable meetings on community policing that occurred in spring 2007, presents police chiefs' and other police leaders' assessment of the current state of community policing as the dominant operating philosophy of most police agencies across the United States, as well as the challenges community policing faces for the future.

Abstract

Section I presents the roundtable participants' views about the current characteristics of community policing and the challenges it faces, along with a summary of their predictions about its evolution in the future. The current assessment of community policing notes that the implementation of community policing has involved the police partnering with the community to address public safety issues and improve the quality of community life. This has required law enforcement agencies to transform their organizational structure, personnel job descriptions, and training, such that the agencies' management and front-line personnel are capable of working with community residents and institutions in proactive problem-solving that addresses identified community public safety challenges. Roundtable participants identified 10 current and future challenges for community policing. These challenges are presented under four domains: the department, the community, the municipality, and the Nation. Section II of this report provides suggestions for how police departments and city leaders can work together to improve their community-policing efforts. The roundtable challenges police departments and city leaders to exert leadership; ensure that rank-and-file officers support the community policing philosophy; cultivate a new generation of leaders; engage the community in a recommitment to the principles of community policing; engage in activities that support a broader community-governance approach to public safety; and institutionalize and sustain efforts. 21 references and an appended listing of roundtable participants