NCJ Number
192794
Journal
Police Practice 2000 Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Dated: 2000 Pages: 105-150
Date Published
2000
Length
46 pages
Annotation
This article examines the community policing approach to crime prevention.
Abstract
At the Fifth International Police Executive Symposium, representatives from 21 countries discussed how community policing can prevent crime. Symposium participants considered different approaches to crime prevention, the extent to which the programs produced the desired results, and difficulties encountered in implementing and maintaining those prevention programs. Participants concluded that community policing was an effective means to achieve crime prevention in some countries. However, in other countries, political, social, and economic conditions prevented implementation of community policing to any great extent. Symposium representatives considered prevention of crime and unacceptable behavior perhaps the most important challenge before the police. When the police are unable to provide this, some citizens have turned to private agencies. The failure of the police to truly incorporate community policing concepts or develop well conceived crime prevention strategies, and their inability to gain the trust of the community are all factors that fuel the trend toward private protection. The article states that the crux of the problem is the inability of police organizations to change themselves, and their resistance to change. References