NCJ Number
208887
Journal
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology Volume: 19 Issue: 2 Dated: Fall 2004 Pages: 30-48
Editor(s)
William U. Weiss
Date Published
2004
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This article analyzes the types of officer problems and problem officers that can harm community policing efforts.
Abstract
The success in adopting an effective community policing model in a growing number of jurisdictions is based on whether citizens view their police forces as approachable protective resources or as hostile armies of occupation. The legitimate use of competent police authority is a vital issue in the success of community policing. This article outlines some common forms of officer problems, encompassing a wide range of behavior, from tardiness and failure to complete reports on time to brutality, extortion, and murder. To address these problems entails several solutions, such as departmental commitment to adequate selection, training, and socialization of officers, thereby creating a force of competent and flexible law enforcement problem-solvers. Police managers have the ability to influence the behavior of their marginal personnel in the direction of enhanced competence and performance by adopting best practices identified in this article. References