What is Community Policing?

Are you familiar with the term “Community Policy”? Have you heard about community policing on the radio, or the internet?

Community policing is a police philosophy and organizational method to provide more effective police services to your community.

In the 1970’s and 80’s, a lot changed for the police departments. They became more professional, they focused on gaining control, organizing and becoming more efficient. However, problems within the community still keeps rising.

Even though the police got better and faster in responding to calls from the community, crime rates still kept going up. Police had less contact with community members and the community experienced them as distant and less interested in their concerns.

One of the guiding principles of Community Policing is that the police and community will work together and the community’s values and concerns will guide the police department’s focus and actions. Crime prevention is the real focus of community policing.

Community Policing emphasizes building relationships between police and community members. It holds great promise for community member participation. The police will encourage the community members’ participation and listen to the majority’s concerns about public safety to facilitate crime prevention in the community.

Community Policing is not on crime. Police officers will continue to apprehend criminals and enforce laws.

Community Policing has two core ideas:

• Community Partnerships is building a mutually trustful and respectful relationship between law enforcement and community members.
• Problem Solving means to uncover the basic issues facing a community and to develop and implement creative solutions to those problems.

Crime prevention is at the heart of Community Policing. It helps the police to prevent crimes from occurring.

Virginia Hoff

Virginia Hoff is a former police officer with over 20 years experience, and currently acts as the Senior Security Writer for Be-Safe.org.

Her expertise include Home Security and Family Protection.