NCJ Number
95636
Journal
American Journal of Police Volume: 3 Issue: 2 Dated: (Spring 1984) Pages: 185-203
Date Published
1984
Length
19 pages
Annotation
A study of a police department, its new chief, and his efforts to bring the agency closer to the community is reported.
Abstract
The new police chief of 'River Bend' initiated efforts to improve relations between the police and the community; for example, to attract women and minorities to police work, he established an employment/career assistance program for qualified applicants; and instruction in human relations skills was instituted as part of junior officers monthly training. In addition, the new chief suggested some general precepts of police-community relations, including the following: every member of the department has a police-community responsibility, and any citizen complaint is a police concern. The chief also developed a crime prevention team, which introduced departmental resources into the community. The team was well received and helped increase citizen cooperation, information, and crime reporting. After 3 years of service, the chief retired, being succeeded by a 25-year veteran of the force. This chief was a master of bureaucratic procedure; he formulated policy according to well-established procedures. Within 2 years, the police department abandoned its commitment to improved police-community relations. As one lieutenant said, 'Camelot is dead.' The styles of the two chiefs are constrasted, and issues facing American police are examined.