NCJ Number
134906
Journal
Police Journal Volume: 65 Issue: 1 Dated: (January-March 1992) Pages: 10-20
Date Published
1992
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Effective police-community relations are essential if the police are to prevent and detect crime. To sustain this relationship, the police must understand the workings of the social system and their position within it.
Abstract
The flip side of this relationship is that crime is facilitated in societies which lack effective police-community interaction. Public opinion about crime and the usefulness of police is key to determining the quality of relations between the police and the community. When the public voluntarily assists the police in all ways possible in the fight against crime, and the police recognize the citizens' right to monitor and even criticize police actions, the foundation for lasting and productive relations is laid. Class and status, which are often used to identify criminals in the community, are major determinants of the extent of social participation in the police-community relationship. But negative views of the role of police, and problems of police neutrality and ideology, continue to plague police-public relations. Some solutions suggested by this author include community policing, enhanced professionalism and accountability on the part of police, an improved public image of police, the institutionalization of police community relations, and the contribution of other influential institutions including the mass media, the family, the church, and the general educational system. 20 notes