NCJ Number
162105
Journal
American Journal of Police Volume: 14 Issue: 2 Dated: (1995) Pages: 3-20
Date Published
1995
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article describes the background and characteristics of public-private police cooperation in Philadelphia's Center City District.
Abstract
The Center City District is designed around the premise that cleaning and surveilling the 80 blocks within Center City Philadelphia will reduce the "signs of crime" perceived by residents and visitors to the area, increase the perception of greater surveillance of public places, and reduce actual victimization in the area. Community-service representatives are distinctively uniformed private-sector employees who function as public concierges and a paid town watch within the Center City District. They carry radios and first-aid equipment, along with information regarding the many attractions in and around Philadelphia. They act as goodwill ambassadors and as the "eyes and ears" of the police. These representatives undergo a rigorous selection process, followed by an extensive 10-week formal training process. Philadelphia police officers conduct some of the training, and it is during this training that public police and private security make their initial contact. The Central Police Division supplies all police services to Center City Philadelphia. The daily operation of the Center City District is a creative collaboration between public police and private security. The groups share office space and occupy common locker facilities. The day and evening shifts hold joint roll calls addressed by police and community-service representative supervisors. Police supervisors carry both police and community- service representative radios; any community-service representative can contact police operations in the substation via radio. Although it may be premature to evaluate the long-term effects of the public/private police collaboration in this project, statistical evidence shows the impact the project is having on certain types of crime in the district. Between January 1992 and January 1993, reported assaultive crime in the Center City District declined significantly, while some property crimes categories increased, most notably theft. The crime rate for the District has yet to be assessed. The article also discusses the future of the collaboration between public and private police. 7 notes and 19 references