U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Developing a Neighborhood-oriented Policing Style (From Community Policing: Rhetoric or Reality, P 121-134, Jack R Greene and Stephen D Mastrofski, eds. -- See NCJ-115735)

NCJ Number
115742
Author(s)
T N Dettmeier; L P Brown
Date Published
1988
Length
14 pages
Annotation
The Houston Police Department bases its operations on a philosophy of neighborhood-oriented policing (NOP), which entails community involvement in all policing activities that directly impact the quality of community life, the structuring of service delivery to reinforce the strengths of the city's neighborhoods, and community input into policymaking in areas affecting the quality of neighborhood life.
Abstract
NOP represents a philosophy of policing designed to make the beat officer an integral part of the city's neighborhoods. NOP evolved from within the department through the use of a technique called the Executive Session, which involves a series of dialogues within the department. As characterized by members of Executive Sessions, NOP represents a philosophy rather than a program that aims for a responsive policing style dependent on the quality of daily interactions between the police and the public. Active participation of neighborhood residents is crucial to the successful implementation of the NOP philosophy. The Houston Police Department recognizes that NOP is not a new concept in policing. While it requires a gradual shift in emphasis from one operational role to another, it also requires a change in the role of upper management, together with efforts that transcend program boundaries. Note.