Community Police,

Community Policing evolved from a desperate shout from the public for law enforcement hears their needs for a stationary presence in high crime areas. While some officers practice traditional motorized patrol, consistent with Reform Era practices, other officers are encouraged to engage in proactive problem solving and foster improved community relations. It is unclear, however, whether genuine differences exist between those in community policing and those in more traditional police roles(Pelfrey,2004). They have greatly improved the quality of police services in our country, as well as the public understands of this complex profession (Kerlikowske,2004).

Community Policing Philosophy

The development of community policing was all contingent on if the community residents embraced the shared responsibility with police personnel. The community policing philosophy stresses that the responsibility for the maintenance of order in a community must be shared by both the police and members of that community.

Shared responsibility insisted frequent and sustained communication, which is crucial in building mutual trust and cooperation between community residents and police personnel. In addition, shared responsibility requires that community residents become more actively involved in crime prevention through activities such as reporting crime and organizing community watch or patrol groups. Shared responsibility also requires police to respond to the crime-related problems that community residents have identified as important. Finally, police must demonstrate respect for all community residents. Shared responsibility typically translates into officers being given the time to attend community meetings, conduct foot patrols, and otherwise informally interact with community residents. It also means that officers are assigned "permanent" bears so that they can get to know the community and the community can get to know them (Rohe, Adam & Arcury 2001).

Community policing also stresses crime prevention. Where traditional policing largely involves responding to calls for service once a crime has been committed, community policing involves identifying the hidden conditions that lead to crime and then organizing efforts to alter those conditions. In this sense, community policing has a problem-solving point of reference that typically involves the collaboration of police personnel, community residents, and other public and nonprofit organizations in the development and implementation of community improvement projects. These projects may range from the demolition of a "crack house" to the cleanup of a local park or the development of recreational programs for local youth. Police personnel are provided with the skills and the time to work on these projects. However, officers in some communities are often left wearing the hats of all three collaborative components. This overwhelming responsibility can lead to early officer burnout. Finally, the community policing philosophy stresses increased officer discretion over how they perform their jobs so they can be responsive to community concerns and build community trust. Within reasonable limits, they must be given the flexibility to handle problems in a way they believe will be most effective, rather than by a rigid set of rules and procedures. Officers are asked to be creative in finding ways to address community problems without routinely placing an offender under arrest. The media, politicians, and sometimes the community have reservations of the police discretions for arrests in community policing. They express concern that this could lead to racial profiling, police corruption, and/or abuses of power (Rohe, Adam & Arcury 2001).

In an effort to help advance community policing in the USA, the federal government created the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). COPS promote community policing through a variety of initiatives, including its Regional Community Policing Institute program (RCPI). At least one of the 28 RCPIs, the Western Regional Institute for Community Oriented Public Safety (WRICOPS), aids law enforcement agencies