NCJ Number
136515
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 61 Issue: 5 Dated: (May 1992) Pages: 2-5
Date Published
1992
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Police must form partnerships within the community to combat the pervasive violence in America, and police executives must assume a leadership role to make this happen.
Abstract
The Centers for Disease Control lists a number of factors that contribute to the epidemic of violence in America; namely, immediate access to firearms, alcohol and substance abuse, drug trafficking, poverty, racial discrimination, and cultural acceptance of violent behavior. The police alone cannot adequately address these factors, but police executives must assume leadership in rallying the community to bring all its resources to bear on the violence that is destroying lives and communities. Community policing is designed to use police officers as facilitators and leaders to organize and coordinate community efforts to address crime causes. Just as community policing establishes a new role for the patrol officer, so it also sets a new role for the police chief. Police executives must contact other leaders of community organizations such as churches, businesses, and schools to develop a network that will bring community resources together in a rational and well-planned attack on all factors that contribute to violence in the community.