NCJ Number
179796
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 47 Issue: 9 Dated: September 1999 Pages: 103-105
Date Published
September 1999
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The Israeli Police are trying a new strategy, community policing, that emphasizes collaboration with local government authorities and community agencies and the decentralization of operational powers.
Abstract
The essence of the approach is that local police forces work together with local social agencies to pool resources in the fight against crime. Varied experience with community policing models worldwide have provided the Israeli Police the information needed to implement community policing. The Israeli Police define community policing as an organizational and cultural philosophy in which the central focus of policing activity is the person. Basic premises of the Israeli approach are: (1) Crime and delinquency develop within a specific social environment; (2) Crime and fear of crime greatly influence citizen quality of life; (3) A strong healthy community can reduce crime and act as a controlling agent; (4) Partnerships in the community enable cooperative resource utilization; (5) Local authorities and municipalities have an important role in controlling and reducing crime; and (6) Law enforcement agencies must meet community needs and priorities, taking into account changing conditions and situations. Main components of the Israeli community policing approach are identified, as are tasks of the Community Policing Unit situated at National Police Headquarters. The role of local police departments in the delivery of community policing services is considered. 1 photograph