NCJ Number
191951
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 28 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2001 Pages: 40-42,44-48,49
Date Published
October 2001
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This article examines recent community policing initiatives.
Abstract
At the heart of community policing is the belief that meaningful change can occur when law enforcement agencies empower officers to make decisions, think creatively, and work closely with their communities. Law enforcement agencies throughout the country are designing and implementing programs to take advantage of the community policing concept. Some police departments have created community action teams that concentrate their efforts on specific neighborhoods with high levels of economic distress or urban decay and crime activity. Other police initiatives include: foot patrol of local businesses; liaison officers in middle and high schools; a senior citizens' police academy; a special operations unit to suppress gang activity; a peer jury program in which adolescent volunteers assign community service projects to non-violent first offenders; senior advocate officers who work with older adults to educate them on crime prevention techniques; and a carrier watch program in conjunction with the U.S. Postal Service, in which carriers watch for signs of problems and notify the police department of suspicious activity.