Global Community Policing

Problems and Challenges

Arvind Verma,Dilip K. Das,Manoj Abraham

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2012
• ISBN:
  9781466575899
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Law
• Subtopic: Criminal Law
• Index: Law

In nations all over the world, community policing has been found extremely beneficial in improving public confidence in the police. Community-oriented policing and police-citizen cooperation is now the accepted framework for all progressive police departments. Drawn from the proceedings at the 2010 International Police Executive Symposium (IPES) in

Community Policing Theoretical Problems and Operational Issues	1
DAVID W. PURDY

The Creating, Caring, and Feeding of Community Policing

Community policing is not the panacea of all ills, but very close if properly developed, implemented, and cared for by all stakeholders. We have often heard that history repeats itself. Is it true? This researcher believes history does repeat itself, and also firmly believes that we have an obligation to learn from history and arm ourselves with the best weapons available as we look toward the future. History holds answers to prevention and cures for future events when we really study it correctly. For example, the United States does not want any more terrorist attacks, but there still exists a high probability the United States will be exposed to attempts. History also reveals a style of policing that may effectively address the future threats and challenges—community policing.

This chapter addresses how to design, implement, and support community policing based on lessons learned from history. There is discussion on responding to changes in our social, cultural, economic, technological, political, and global environments. Each environment impacts our policing philosophy, operational activity, and organizational responses, and modifications should be based on lessons learned from history. The perspective also changes depending on the particular position or role played in the organization. Capturing these various perspectives provides clues for solutions and the development of a high-performance organization. The author/presenter’s experiences in implementing community policing in three U.S. cities and one international country are shared throughout the chapter. Upon its conclusion there is both clarity and the stimuli for more discussion.

There is reflection and sharing of personal and professional lessons learned by the author during his career of 40 years in law enforcement, with special attention to the development of community policing. As a police chief in three U.S. cities, he has established community-oriented policing. He then took his expertise to Jamaica where he assisted in a project putting community policing into practice and reality on international soil.

Community policing is a natural extension of the process of reform and modernization for any police service agency. It does not matter where in the world the process is initiated, the principles that follow still apply. Failure to follow the building instructions may result in failure or at best lack-luster performance. This would not be an acceptable outcome for the citizens.

What is community policing? This is an appropriate point to explain what community-oriented policing is and the key components that make it so effective. It is called community policing, community-oriented policing, and community-oriented policing and problem solving all interchangeably. Community policing is not a specific program, but rather a philosophy. It becomes an organizational strategy that has partnerships as its cornerstone. There is no “one size fits all” community policing formula. Community policing must be designed and tailored for each specific community. The community policing this police commissioner initiated in Nebraska was different than the strategy used in Washington, which was modified for the plans applied in Michigan, and different yet again in the community policing designed in Jamaica.

Remembering that community policing is not an exact program where one size fits all is important throughout the process of establishing it in your communities. The analogy of buying a business suit or new uniform is helpful. The need for a new suit or uniform is recognized by either yourself or someone else—internal or external. Some source has noticed or assessed the present condition of your suit or uniform and found it ill-fitting, in need of repair, perhaps soiled or stained from excessive work, or faded to a totally unrecognized color. Accepting the fact one needs a new suit or uniform moves us to another process. An assessment determines the type or style of the suit that satisfies the intended and articulated purpose. Then one shops for a tailor—an engineer to design and build the specified suit. Finally, one will try the suit on for size and the tailor makes the last adjustments to confirm a good fit. In the case of a community the process is the same. The need is recognized by either the government or the citizens complaining and demanding changes in service delivery. The government finds a partner to complete an assessment of what is needed and how to create the product. Another body is contracted to design the program and build the new model. Final adjustments are made during implementation, and it is presented publicly. The point is: Community policing must be individualized and tailored to the individual community based on the needs and uniqueness of the community involved. One size does not fit all communities.

Any tailored article requires proper care and attention in order to fulfill the original intention. Periodic adjustments and cleaning are important to keep it looking its best. Over time we all find that the tailored business suit begins to not fit properly. It may become too small or too loose, or perhaps worn out in places. Any of these conditions may result in a new assessment that major repairs are necessary or even a reengineered new suit. The same is true for our community policing models. They must be given what is referred to as proper care and feeding, and evaluations performed periodically to ensure proper functioning and satisfactory performance.

Community policing has gained prominence over the past two decades, but in the United States the reality is we have actually returned to a more traditional style of policing that predates most of us. This is a reference to what was known as the “old beat cop” who policed the American cities of yesteryear. The beat officer knew everyone and everyone knew the beat officer. That was a time when citizens truly liked and supported their police officers. With that type of relationship between the police and the people the information was free flowing. It is important to note that community policing does not suggest or equate to “community spies,” as it is so translated in some countries. But rather, community policing is a partnership between the citizens and the police working toward safety and an enhanced quality of life for all. Going back to the example of fighting terrorism via community policing, the exchange of communication produces information and intelligence that may prevent an incident or protect the community. Keeping in mind that the terrorists may actually live among us prior to inflicting their wrath upon us, the knowledge and awareness of the community police officer becomes our likely early detection point. With proper training and the community policing partnerships, our fight against terrorism is strengthened.

Many people view community policing as merely a soft-on-crime approach to policing, and this could not be further from the truth when properly embraced, implemented, and empowered. The logical question in the United States is: If the beat cop was so effective, why did American police departments move away from it? Frankly, the benefits and effectiveness were not recognized at the time. Police administrators were looking for ways to use technology and more modern response methods. The new technology of the era included two-way radios and police squad cars. No longer did police officers walk to calls and utilize police call boxes on street corners, thus removing the officers from opportunities for frequent contact with the people.

Sure officers could respond quicker and air-conditioned police cars were more comfortable. But the police became robotic in their daily patrols. The dispatcher would tell them where to go, when to go, and what they should do when they arrived. Then the dispatcher would even tell them when they should be finished because another call was holding. They didn’t have portable radios, so they were relegated to staying inside their cars because they would be disciplined for missing radio calls. The end result was less time on the street and reduced public contact. The cars became barriers to public interaction.

Another realization was the fact that crime rates continued to climb year after year. It didn’t matter how many police cars we had or even whether we had portable radios. We were obviously very adept at taking calls from the public, dispatching police officers, completing reports, and documenting crime.

It became apparent across the country that something different had to be done. What we were doing we were doing very well, but we were having no impact on the runaway crime affecting every region of America. Progressive, forward-thinking police and social experts reinvented traditional policing, giving birth to modern-day community-oriented policing.

As we discuss the components of community policing you will see the similarities to the previously discussed traditional beat officer. Today’s community policing creates partnerships with stakeholders in the community and then works on problem-solving efforts. It is essential that the community is clearly defined and police officers are specifically assigned to long-term involvement with a specific community, enabling them to become very knowledgeable of people and problems in that community.

Community policing, in order to be most effective, needs to be the philosophy and strategy for the entire police agency. Many departments have established community policing units that become specialty units within the department and assigned to specific service calls. With this model the public can become confused over differing responses. In some agencies the police officers are classified as first responders, or patrol units assigned to answer primary calls for service in beats, and a second classification is the community police officer who handles the “other” calls for service. Too often this creates an “us versus them” mentality and an avenue for the first responder police officer to decline dispatched calls for service, stating they are community policing type calls. Then the community policing officer throws a call back indicating it sounds more like a first responder or normal patrol call. This game discredits the department and many calls actually go unanswered, thus doing a disservice to the public. This is not acceptable.

As a police chief, this practitioner has implemented community policing in several police departments. Each was based on a department-wide, jurisdiction-wide basis where every police officer was a community policing officer. They all respond to every type of call for service. Such a shift in a service delivery model required a significant effort in training, orientation, public education, political support, and decentralization of police operations.

Now let us discuss the building of this new policing model. The logical place to start is, of course, at the beginning. The caution at this point from past experience is to take your time and do it right! Many have probably heard the saying “Measure twice and cut once, instead of measuring once and cutting more.” This is so true in this process, yet we often make haste in the beginning and actually set the process on the path of failure. The first step is to build a solid foundation that will help guarantee success and sustainability. Because of its basic core components and flexibility, the U.S. model of community policing has a wide range of applicability and can be adopted in diverse international communities.

Building the infrastructure and community support takes time. A good, solid foundation is required to make community policing a successful venture. On average this practitioner dedicated three years to the process of fielding a community policing model. And it was well worth the wait to ensure it was built correctly. If done correctly, the police agency benefits, as does the community, from community policing.

Our analogy of the need for a new business suit started with a recognition of the need for a new suit of clothing. Awareness came from some event or perhaps an in-depth study. But there must be a detailed analysis to guide and support the process. Identifying a great solution for the wrongly identified problem does not produce satisfactory results. It is essential to analyze so we know where we are and what we are heading into and why. Basically, what is the climate?

There is a reason you are looking at this option—we call that a clue! Follow up on it and do what police do well—investigate. Explore via every resource available to ensure a correct answer. Simply put, the problem is the key to the solution. Possibly citizens feel oppressed or abused by police/government, citizens don’t report crimes or about being victims, or they are isolated. Look for answers based on lessons learned from history. Possibly services have shifted out of reach or there has been a return to previous political or abusive issues.

Some basics need to be dealt with early in the process for an orderly development of community policing. Obviously, the geographic boundaries need to be established. Use logical, recognized boundaries, considering natural barriers and obstacles that might impede service delivery. Also consider political alliances, ethnicity, gang or criminal territories, and religious groups that may impact policing and community interaction. There is nothing wrong with diversity, but if the situation is at a conflict stage it will be more difficult to perform community building. The boundaries limit the workload and help narrow problems to a manageable size. The clearly defined boundaries also provide for better accountability, as areas of responsibility are known by all and specific officers and community leaders are assigned to specific areas.

Ideally, the community and political leaders will come together and search for the total picture of the current situation and conduct a thorough assessment with representatives of all groups, parties, diversities, and political persuasions. The police executive must demand this type of process and become the catalyst for change. Most importantly, there needs to be a sincere desire to succeed in the best interest of the people.

Early warnings are strongly advised! Let us now break the discussion down into what this executive calls the “three spirits” associated with establishing community policing. Experience has demonstrated that they each can take on a life of their own—thus the term spirits—and will make or break the program.

Spirit number one is the police. It is vitally important to openly discuss the assessment or reason that has led to the recognition of needed change or concern. They need to know the real picture and have a clear understanding of the situation. Depending on where in the organization the person is stationed, he or she will have different views or concerns. He or she will react differently. The results of this candid discussion may also suggest the need for more research or additional surveys of the community, the total community. It is critical to correctly identify the issues and problems in order to respond effectively.

What would you expect the reaction to be from the staff? Be prepared by thinking through all the possible scenarios before the meeting. They will run the range of reactions from minimal to the extreme. There will be confusion and disbelief because this may be the first time they actually recognize that the public might not respect them in their professional role. This will be difficult for some who take it personally, and management needs to be prepared for the various reactions in order to address damage control.

The most common reaction will be the fear of change. This will impact the most numbers and is a fact in all organizations. People just do not easily embrace change. They will often fight it and refuse to accept the reality of the situation. This can impair forward progress and should be dealt with immediately, with sincerity and positive posturing. Some police personnel will argue that we should not trust the public and stay the present course. Being in denial is counterproductive. Employees will rally around any hope of maintaining the status quo. This will divert their attention from the task at hand. Along with this reaction is the belief that the public is not adequately informed and unable to assess the police services. Other members of the police agency just won’t care what the public thinks. This is very revealing while providing insight into the real problems between the police and the public they are sworn to serve. Many will even view the public as “criminals” in an attempt to discredit them. Denial is one more common reaction, much like deflecting criticism.

Do not be surprised if officers display a lack of self-confidence and a fear of being exposed. Part of this may be associated with fear of losing their job or facing exposure for possible corruption. This is fear of the unknown, and let’s face it—police officers can be very paranoid at times. The “everyone’s out to get us” syndrome is real. One summary of reality often discovered is that the public doesn’t trust the police and the police don’t trust the public. This may actually be the heart of the problem. Each of these reactions is very telling, suggestive, and confirming. A careful review of their reactions will directly correspond to the public’s view.

Different members of the organization will also develop preconceived notions about the impact of the change process. The work faced by each level of the organization will be assessed differently, depending on where they are in the agency. The executive level will see this as a great opportunity, while the administrative staff interprets it as a tremendous amount of new work coming their way. And the new tasking may be very unfamiliar to them, causing anxiety. The progressive, proactive executive will embrace the new mission as an excellent time to rebuild or reengineer the police service. This would include new positions, rotations, promotions, demotions, growth or reduction in staff, staff development, mentoring opportunity, new tools and technology, building public support, gaining respect from political leaders and the community, and pride in service to the community. All of these are real outcomes and not necessarily bad for any organization.

The level just below the executive has different perspectives on the impact. Whether real or perceived, they must be planned for and adequately addressed very early in the process. Failure to properly prepare the agency at all levels may prove disastrous. Middle managers will view this change as increased work they may not be prepared for, a chance for individual promotion, a fear of being replaced or eliminated from the organization, internal turmoil and friction between management and line employees running up and down the chain of command and across the organizational chart, conflict among subordinates and labor groups, and opportunity to enhance service delivery or failure to thrive.

The first-line supervisors will find themselves in the middle between management and street-level police officers. They will be encouraged to support management while struggling with personal conflict and friendships within their subordinates. These are some of the most critical players in the entire process from start to finish to aftercare. Support personnel like clerks, records workers, radio communication personnel, and secretaries will feel overloaded at times, and minimized or marginalized at other times. They may feel involved and fully engaged or totally left out.

As one may easily see from this discussion, there are significant challenges and issues requiring quick and certain action. Missteps at this stage can derail the shift toward community policing. The key is education, education, and more education. Educate the entire police body. Leaving any employee at any level out of this process creates a weakness in the end product. Everyone in the organization should receive a thorough explanation of the proposals, the issues, the goals, and the importance associated with this movement. Employees will need reassurance, support, and even “grieving” time as the agency transforms. The grieving process is often omitted, and it may be the one essential step that could bring success or failure. Change is hard on people and affects them differently, the same as a death might. They are moving from a comfort zone into the unknown zone.

Along with education there are extensive training requirements for all personnel. Each will gain new responsibilities, and this mandates good training so as to properly equip them for success. Give them the tools to succeed. In order to maintain the expectations communicated through community outreach and programs, police will require ongoing training and support. We must prepare them for success.

Ways to provide keys to success are by developing effective police training programs after identifying appropriate training needs. Remember the catalyst for this change is the clue! This may involve such things as on-site assessments, community meetings to acquire local issues and knowledge, talking to police officers, and talking with personnel throughout the ranks and in civilian positions as well as in different agency units. Look for basic training in police skills and tactics since good street-level policing is essential to building public trust. Then seek to identify community policing-specific training, such as public relations, communications skills, collaborative processes, problem-solving models, and community intervention techniques.

Another key to success is the provision of solid support from top down and across all lines. Some of this will be expanded later in this discussion, but this pertains to change...