NCJ Number
35868
Date Published
1975
Length
350 pages
Annotation
STATE-OF-THE-ART REVIEW OF THE EXTENT AND NATURE OF POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS PROGRAMS, BASED ON SURVEY RESPONSES, FIELD VISITS TO POLICE DEPARTMENTS, AND INTERVIEWS WITH POLICE PERSONNEL.
Abstract
THIS REPORT CONSIDERS WHAT POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS SHOULD BE, HOW IT TIES IN WITH OTHER ASPECTS OF POLICE WORK, WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE, AND WHAT PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE. SOME EVALUATION IS ALSO PROVIDED INDICATING EFFECTIVENESS OF POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING THE CRITERIA FOR EFFECTIVENESS. SURVEY DATA WAS GATHERED FROM POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS (P-CR) UNITS IN OVER 70 DEPARTMENTS WITH 200 OR MORE PERSONNEL, POLICE CHIEF EXECUTIVES, OFFICERS WITH PRIMARY ASSIGNMENTS IN AREAS OTHER THAN P-CR, AND MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICERS (NAPCRO). P-CR PROGRAMS ARE DIVIDED AND DISCUSSED ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING FIVE MAJOR CATEGORIES: POLICE COMMUNITY CONTACTS, INFORMATION DISSEMINATION, CITIZENS INITIATIVE AND CRIME PREVENTION, COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PEACE KEEPING, AND YOUTH ORIENTED PROGRAMS. THE RESULTS OF THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART-REVIEW REVEALED THAT P-CR PROGRAMS AND UNITS ARE FREQUENTLY ISOLATED FROM OTHER POLICE FUNCTIONS, LARGELY LACK POLICE SUPPORT, AND ARE OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD AND MISUSED. AT THE SAME TIME, RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT P-CR WAS NOT ABOUT TO GO OUT OF EXISTENCE SINCE MOST DEPARTMENTS STILL REQUIRE A P-CR UNIT OR, AT THE VERY LEAST, A P-CR OFFICER. IT IS ALSO CONCLUDED THAT POLICE NEED CONCENTRATED IN-SERVICE TRAINING IN SUCH FIELDS AS INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS, GROUP LEADERSHIP, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS A SUMMARY OF THE ISSUES IN POLICE WORK AND POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS, A COPY OF THE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE, A MODEL PLAN FOR TRAINING AND PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT, AND A 24-PAGE BIBLIOGRAPHY ON POLICE COMMUNITY RELATIONS.