NCJ Number
163559
Journal
Campus Law Enforcement Journal Volume: 25 Issue: 6 Dated: (November/December 1995) Pages: 29-32
Date Published
1995
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the benefits and features of a decentralized structure for community policing on a college campus.
Abstract
The consolidation of services and "flattening" the organizational structure of campus police agencies will foster a participative atmosphere in which employees will develop and enhance productivity and effectiveness. To have a successful community policing program, the concept must be internalized and have the commitment of the entire agency. Participative management should be a central characteristic of community policing. In such a management style, subordinates share in decisionmaking that impacts their jobs, and they are always informed of the real situation. It includes total awareness of an organization's morale and cultivates access to managers. Employees are counseled, trained, and developed, and effective communications are a priority. Under participative management, change is encouraged, errors are accepted as inevitable, and good work is acknowledged. The implementation of the community policing concept involves a number of factors. First, the community must be educated in crime awareness, recognition, and prevention. Second, the visible presence of the police in the community not only deters crime but facilitates a working relationship with the members of the community. Third, mediation by department personnel with individuals or groups in the community breaks down barriers. Fourth, the use of referral and diversion to agencies outside the formal criminal justice system is suitable for family matters and juvenile and drug cases. 10 references