NCJ Number
192966
Date Published
2002
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This chapter considers the forms that community influence in crime control may take under the philosophy of community-oriented policing as America moves into the 21st century.
Abstract
In the first decade of the 21st century, a large number of police departments claim that they have adopted the community-oriented policing philosophy; however, it is difficult to determine whether departments are actually committed to the community policing concept or are just attempting to assume the image of political correctness. It does appear that many police departments are being influenced by the community policing strategy and that the community policing concept has had an influence on policing in the first decade of the 21st century. Community policing takes seriously the concerns and input of citizens who live and work in the community, as well as the resources that they bring to strategies for crime control and community safety. Police recognize that they need the assistance of citizen volunteers if they are to keep crime under control. There has been an increase in direct citizen participation in the effort to keep crime and neighborhood disturbances under control. Avenues for enhancing such participation are citizen police academies, community advisory councils, civilian oversight of the police, and the privatizing of police services. Privatizing of the police includes establishing guard forces for public housing, directing traffic, and providing security and crowd control for civic centers and publicly owned buildings. 15 references