NCJ Number
164174
Date Published
1996
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This address suggests how other components of the criminal justice system can learn lessons from the effectiveness of the community policing strategy for the provision of public safety.
Abstract
There are three basic lessons from the development of community policing that can be applied to the rest of the criminal justice system. Community policing has taught use to view the community as a full partner, to focus on solving the problems that matter to the community, and to pay attention to little things. The first lesson is to view the community as a full partner in producing public safety. One of the implications of this lesson for other components of the criminal justice system is that prosecutors should interact more with the community. In Portland (Oregon) this has been achieved by establishing neighborhood district attorney offices. Prosecutors in these offices become authorities on the legal and safety problems of the community and seek to apply the law in ways that will enhance community safety. Implications of community involvement also include the development of community-impact statements in sentencing and the use of positive community ties in the supervision of offenders in the community. The second lesson for the criminal justice system from community policing is to focus on solving specific problems that are important to the community. One example of such problemsolving is the use of drug courts as a means of addressing the problem of drug abuse among offenders. This consists of judicial actions designed to help offenders overcome their drug problems and change their criminal behavior. The third lesson from community policing is to pay attention to the little things. This lesson can be applied through such means as administrative tribunals that focus on relatively minor behavioral deviations from the law. Such tribunals can focus on less serious deviant behaviors and devise effective remedies.