Community Policing?

Philosophydaddy

Philosophydaddy

Active Member
What do you think about community policing? As in, a cop patrols a particular neighborhood so that officer has an opprotunity to get to know the community and can, potentially, police more effectively. It's the idea of cops "walking the beat." Do you think that would affect the public's perceptions about police activity?
 
I think there is a feeling of segregation. The police are a brotherhood unto themselves & the people are concerned about the power the police have. There's no connection. Incorporating police into the community in ways separate of crime will help foster relationships that will benefit both sides. It's easier to talk to a police officer about crime in your neighbourhood if you know them & it's a lot more difficult for an officer to shoot/run over/assault someone first before knowing the score. Especially when you had a friendly conversation with them last week.
 
I agree with Joan. I also think people within the neighborhood who might not otherwise approach the police, might come forward to someone they feel they know, with information about situations that need to be investigated. Also, it can teach the children within that community that the police are there to protect them, not simply to haul people off when there is a problem, and it might help them to have another positive role model.
 
Diane Lane said:
I also think people within the neighborhood who might not otherwise approach the police, might come forward to someone they feel they know, with information about situations that need to be investigated. Also, it can teach the children within that community that the police are there to protect them, not simply to haul people off when there is a problem, and it might help them to have another positive role model.
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I think these are the two most important parts of this concept. With the police riding around in their patrol cars, not talking to people, most of the interactions they have are negative. This fosters an us vs them mentality that seems to be pervading police culture. I think there needs to be a move back to having cops walk a beat, be a part of their community, not an occupying force. SWAT needs to be a special unit like the "S" signifies and only called in on active shooter/hostage situations. They need to be a dedicated unit that doesn't get used unless that kind of firepower is needed (though I don't believe that SWAT units need to be disbanded altogether, they have a purpose, they just need to get back to that purpose).
 
It depends on the area, but community police in some areas is necessary especially in immigrant areas, as locals will understand the culture and language. In the UK you only have them in big cities or estates where they are needed. In small towns or villages most people know the police and work together in the neighborhood. That's the difference between small towns and cities, and community policing can bridge that gap that now exists.
 
In theory this could build better relations with cops but it will end in complacence. It happens all the time. When someone works in a community for a really long time and actually gets to know the people, he won't be as vigilant as he would be if he was patrolling "alien" streets. Criminals would know that too and use that knowledge to their advantage.
 
I can't say for sure, but I believe this is taken into consideration, and the police are rotated every so often, and cycled into new areas. I think that would be a good procedure, if it isn't in place, not only for the reasons stated by @Rainman, but also so that the trust that's been built between the officers and communities could generalize to the entire force, not simply to one or two officers. Also, it would be good for the officers to gain knowledge about more than one area, because it could prove helpful when backing up those working in those areas, as well as giving them additional information about resources in various locations, so they could share that with citizens.
 
Rainman said:
In theory this could build better relations with cops but it will end in complacence. It happens all the time. When someone works in a community for a really long time and actually gets to know the people, he won't be as vigilant as he would be if he was patrolling "alien" streets. Criminals would know that too and use that knowledge to their advantage.
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That's a mighty mean 'glass half empty' argument you got there. If I'm going to be realistic criminals run that game whether they know the officers or not. A criminal is going to behave like a criminal unless they personally make a change. Depending on how prolific a criminal & whether this is their street they are aware of who is on shifts & when they normally come around. Jail rarely detours criminals. Police rarely detour criminal. Don't you think an officer having a real man-to-man conversation would speak louder than the prior two examples? I sure hope so.
 
I think it depends on the kind of neighbourhood. In poorer areas where crime occurs pretty often I'd imagine such policing might be looked upon with distrust, the police officer might even put himself at risk by doing so. However in richer suburbs I imagine that such an act of policing would be pretty welcome since people would feel more safe.
 
I can see this working in helping police and community relations. There's usually a lot of suspicion around the police, largely due to ignorance. Sometimes let's face it, the police also have their own preconceived ideas about a certain section of the community. Perhaps closer interaction would lead to a lot of understanding and cooperation between the parties concerned, by dispelling a lot of myths and untruths.
 
One thing I have found interesting about my current neighborhood is that about half of us welcome the police, and the others don't. The ones who don't aren't criminal masterminds, as far as I know, but they are ones who do things that could result in tickets, at least, if not potential jail time (driving within the neighborhood carrying alcohol and/or guns, smoking pot, letting underage children drive their golf carts, shooting guns within the city limits, etc.), and so they urge the rest of us not to call the police when there's an issue, and pooh pooh the idea that the loud noises we hear at night are gunshots. They prefer to deal with problems within the group of neighbors, rather than involving law enforcement. I can understand that to a certain extent, but I'm starting to wonder if this is a slippery slope. From what I've seen and experienced of high crime neighborhoods, this could be how the distrust and often negative feelings about the police start in those neighborhoods. I'm sure the attitudes I'm seeing from those within my area that don't want the police called, or involved here are being passed along to their children, and, actually, some here grew up in this very development, so perhaps those attitudes were passed down from their parents.
 
Patrick said:
I think it depends on the kind of neighbourhood. In poorer areas where crime occurs pretty often I'd imagine such policing might be looked upon with distrust, the police officer might even put himself at risk by doing so. However in richer suburbs I imagine that such an act of policing would be pretty welcome since people would feel more safe.
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Actually I think community policing would be the most effective in poor or high crime neighborhoods. It's been said that a police officer's most effective tool for preventing crime is their pad and pen. This is the idea that knowing who/what/when/where/why stuff happens can lead officers to be in the right place at the right time.

Now imagine a scenario: a cop arrives on scene to a group of two - three guys who are acting suspicious.
In case 1: the cop is a patrol cop and arrives in his car. He doesn't know these individuals and they don't know him.
In case 2: the cop is walking their beat when they happen to witness these guys and their suspicious activity.

In either case, maybe the guys are planning on performing a crime, maybe they aren't but I would bet money that the encounter would probably be a lot less hostile in case 2. This is because the cop walking the beat has probably seen these guys around, maybe talked to them individually in a social manner while on their beat. With that history, even if it was just once or twice, there should be a bit of respect between the officer and these guys which should lead to a calmer confrontation. The cop probably would greet the group in a friendly manner and if they aren't actually up to anything, the situation goes back to being a social one in a matter of just couple minutes.

Case 1 I think is more hostile. The cop doesn't know these guys, these guys don't know the cop. The officer probably greets them in a friendly manner and asks what's going on but there is an inherent level of distrust there. These guys are probably thinking that this cop probably wouldn't have even gotten out of his car if he didn't suspect something so now we are being investigated. If they are innocent, that right there leads to upset feelings and already things are off to a bad start. That's just the way it goes it seems.
 
When I hear the term "community policing", I instantly think of the country's volunteer Community Support Officers who are the butt of much ridicule here in this country. they are frequently labelled as being "too stupid" for police academy and not "proper coppers".

It's been quite some time since the days of the friendly neighbourhood bobby. Police these days seem sort of anonymous - you never see the same one twice in my area.
 
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