NCJ Number
168843
Journal
Crime & Justice International Volume: 13 Issue: 6 Dated: July 1997 Pages: 4-6
Date Published
July 1997
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The history and the future of community policing are examined in this article, and the author dates the origin of contemporary community policing back to the 1940s when two university professors were instrumental in establishing the first police community relations training programs in the United States.
Abstract
In the 1950s, police human relations training followed in the wake of post-World War II race riots. In the 1960s, demonstrations and riots associated with the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War mitigated against the police turning away from militaristic policing tactics. In the 1970s, team policing was lauded as an alternative to traditional bureaucratic law enforcement. Also in the 1970s, police foot patrol experiments were initiated. Since the 1970's, research undertaken by think tanks and universities has contributed to the growing literature on community policing, and community policing courses are offered at the Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy. In addition, the Crime Control Act of 1994 authorizes funding for municipalities to hire additional police officers for community policing duties. Further, researchers and academics in the United States have consulted with other countries to assess varied community policing programs. 2 photographs