Community Policing

Community policing involves a rethinking of the traditional role of the police and the restructuring of the police organization. The concept has several different emphases. Some police departments focus on building community alliances. Other departments emphasize the identification and solution of community problems. Others concentrate on improving the quality of life within communities. The key is flexibility and basing the particular program on the needs of the community. The cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach demonstrate that different approaches to community policing can produce vastly different results.

The community policing strategy used by the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) stresses the problem-solving approach. Community policing dovetails into the city's neighborhood improvement strategy program, with the common goal of improving the quality of life. Instead of being merely reactionary to community problems, the LBPD seeks to address the long-term factors that lead to criminal activity. Toward this end, the police department uses a four-step process that involves scanning, analysis, response, and assessment. At the scanning stage, a police officer identifies an issue and determines if, in fact, there is a real problem. In the analysis stage, the officer collects information from various sources inside and outside the department in an effort to produce solutions. In the response stage, the department implements the perceived solutions. And in the

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ment (LAPD) has a community policing department that emphasizes community alliances. The LAPD's community policing program was developed in 1991 after the Christopher Commission (the independent commission which studied the LAPD after the Rodney King beating) recommended that the department should, among other things, adopt a community-based policing model. Then Police Chief Willie Williams, hired after the Christopher Commission made its recommendations, enthusiastically supported community policing but cautioned that it would take from seven to 10 years before the concept could be fully implemented into the department. The community policing model that developed under Chief Williams designated a specific senior lead officer for each of the city's neighborhood districts. The senior lead officer functioned as a contact person for his or her community. Members of the community enjoyed direct voice-mail access to these officers and were encouraged to report problems or raise issues. For example, a block captain from a Neighborhood Watch group would call the senior lead officer about a particular problem. The officer would go talk to the residents who were having the problem, and formulate solutions. In addition, the senior le

Category: Government - C