Community Policing

1
Community Policing

• Chapter 2
• Inside Police Agencies Understanding Mission and
  Culture

2
Objectives

• Define what a mission statement is
• Know what police spend the majority of their time
  doing
• How the make up of the police force has changed
  in recent years
• What characteristics are attributed to the police
  sub-culture

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Objectives Cont.

• Where the police image come from?
• What a negative contact is?
• What the public expects of the police?
• What dilemma faces law enforcement?
• How discretion fits into the community policing
  philosophy?
• What 3 ethics-checks are?

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Introduction

• While this chapter focuses on police officers as
  professionals, always remember that police
  officers are first and foremost people. They are
  sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers,
  sisters, aunts, uncles, neighbors and friends.
  They may belong to community organizations,
  attend local churches and be active in local
  politics. Their individual attributes greatly
  influence who they are as police officers

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THE POLICE MISSION
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The Police Mission Cont..

• Al police departments must have a mission
  statement
• The mission statement usually defines the purpose
  for its existence
• The mission statement is a written declaration or
  purpose
• The mission statement tells how the agency will
  arrive at its destination
• The mission statement may tell what the police
  department may focus its energies on such as
  crime fighting or identifying problems

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Mission Statements Cont..

• See example of (Aurora Police Dept and LA Police
  Department)
• The mission statement is developed using a
  committee of members of the community and staff
  officers
• The public can identify the type of service it
  expects from the community
• Developing a mission statement that reflects an
  agencies commitment to the public can be very
  meaningful and positive and create a more
  effective police department

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Crime Fighting VS Service

• Should police departments be proactive or
  reactive
• They are often divided on this issue
• All departments have officers who are incident
  driven or reactive who believe their mission is
  handling 911 calls
• They see community policing as a bunch of social
  workers

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Crime Fighting vs Service Cont.

• Officers will always continue to catch the bad
  guys
• Police continue to focus on common crimes such as
  burglary, robbery and assault and the crimes they
  target will contribute to negative
  police-community relations
• However police fail to investigate or arrest a
  businessperson for insider trading, price fixing,
  or cheating on their taxes
• They tend to concentrate on focusing on the poor
  who have no back yards, country clubs, summer
  homes, automobiles, air conditioning and other
  advantages that take them out of the officers
  sight

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FIGHTING CRIME V. SERVICE Cont..

• THE POLICE OFFICERS DOMAIN IS THE STREETS
  THOSE PEOPLE WHO SPEND THEIR TIME ON THE STREET
  WILL RECEIVE A DISPORPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF POLICE
  ATTENTION
• COMMUNITY-POLICING OFFICERS VIEW CITIZENS AS
  CLIENTS BECAUSE THESE OFFICERS HAVE BOTH
  PROTECTOR AND SERVANT ROLES
• ABOUT 25 PERCENT OF OFFICER TIME WAS SPENT IN
  PUBLIC ENCOUNTERS

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NEIGHBORHOOD COPS OR SPECIAL OPS?
THE REACTIVE OR PROAVTIVE CONTROVERSY CAN BE SEEN
IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TWO CONTRADICTORY MODELS IN
POLICING

• COMMUNITY-ORIENTED POLICING (COP)
• COP GREW OUT OF THE PUBLICS DISSATISFACTON WITH
  POLICE FORCES SEEN AS OCCUPYING ARMIES RATHER
  THAN PUBLIC SERVANTS

• SPECIAL WEAPONS AND TACTICS (SWAT)
• TEAMS WERE ESTABLISHED IN LOS ANGELES TO CONTROL
  THE RIOTS OF THE 60S
• SUCH TEAMS ARE BY NATURE, REACTIVE
• VIEWED AS A LINE OF DEFENSE

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Organization of a Police Department

• Usually that of a pyramid hierarchy based on a
  military model
• Command officers and supervisors have complete
  authority of subordinates
• This is one of the reasons for high turnover in
  some departments
• Police Departments are based on a military
  structure of rank
• They also rely heavily on punishment to enforce
  rules of the department

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Organization Continued

• To remain competitive against private policing
  department structures are changing
• The are becoming more of a flat organization
  with less lieutenants and captains.
• Some departments are experimenting with placing
  officers at the top of the pyramid with everyone
  else having a supporting role
• Some departments have eliminated 20of their
  supervision to reallocate the resources elsewhere

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ORGANIZATION CONT..

• THE GREEN BAY, WI POLICE DEPT REORGANIZED.
• ELIMINATED OF RANKS ASSISTANT CHIEF, DEPUTY CHIEF
  AND INSPECTOR
• ALSO REDUCED SUPERVISORY STAFF BY 21
• INCREASED THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS ON THE STREETS
  FROM 135 TO 151 AND WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT ANY
  INCREASE IN THE DEPTS BUDGET
• RESTRUCTURING CAN BE APPLIED TO POLICE DEPTS,
  ESPECIALLY THE SMALL DEPTS
• OFFICERS MUST BE EMPOWERED, MEANING GIVEN THE
  AUTHORITY TO MAKE DECISIONS

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TYPICAL POLICE DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

• CHIEF (TOP MANAGEMENT)
• CAPTAINS AND LIEUTENANTS (MIDDLE MANAGEMENT)
• SERGEANTS (FIRST-LINE MANAGEMENT SUPERVISORS)
• OFFICERS AND SUPPORT PERSONNEL (LINE STAFF)
• Note PRIVATE SECURITY IS THE NATIONS
  PRIMARY PROTECTIVE RESOURCE TODAY
• It outspends law enforcement by 73 and employs
  3 times the workforce
• MANY POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARE TURNING TO
  FLAT ORGANIZATION MEANING, FEWER LTS AND
  CAPTS, AND MORE SGTS AND PATROL OFFICERS

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MANAGEMENT STYLES

• COMMUNITY POLICING USUALLY REQUIRES DIFFERENT
  MANAGEMENT STYLES
• PARTICIPATORY LEADERSHIP
• EACH INDIVIDUAL HAS A VOICE IN DECISIONS, BUT TOP
  MANAGEMENT STILL HAS THE ULTIMATE DECISION-MAKING
  AUTHORITY
• DEMOCRATIC OR PARTICIPATIVE LEADERSHIP HAS BEEN
  EVLOVING SINCE THE 1930S AND 1940S

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Management Styles Cont..

• DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP
• MEANS MANAGEMENT WELCOMES EMPLOYEES IDEAS AND
  INPUT
• DEMOCRATIC OR PARTICIPATIVE MANAGERS ARE
  INTERESTED IN THEIR SUBORDINATES AND THEIR
  PROBLEMS AND WELFARE
• MANAGEMENT STILL MAKES THE FINAL DECISION

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MANAGEMENT STYLES CONT..
OLD AND NEW STYLE LEADERSHIP COMPARED (EXAMPLES)

• PARTICIPATORY STYLE
• PROBLEM SOLVING
• TEAMWORK
• COMMUNITY ORIENTATION
• USE DATA-BASED DECISION MAKING
• BOSS AS COACH TEACHER
• CREATE, INNOVATE, EXPERIMENT
• TRUST EMPLOYEES

• AUTHORITARIAN STYLE
• RESPONSE TO INCIDENTS
• INDIVIDUAL EFFORT COMPETITIVENESS
• PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE
• GO BY THE BOOK DECISIONS
• BOSS AS PATRIARCH AND ORDER GIVER
• MAINTAIN STATUS QUO
• CONTROL WATCH EMPLOYEES

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Management Styles Cont.

• Critics for the police argue that it is
  impossible to operate a department with
  participatory management concepts because police
  manages at all levels are affected by
• Hosts of regulations
• Obstructions by politicians and community leaders
• Regulatory agencies which require departments to
  operate with more of a centralized control

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TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT

• TQM IS BASICALLY A SYSTEM THAT TRIES TO ENSURE
  THAT AN ORGANIZATION MEETS AND EXCEEDS CUSTOMER
  REQUIREMENTS
• DEMINGS 14 POINTS WERE ORIGINALLY AIMED AT
  BUSINESSES, BUT NOW APPLY TO LAW ENFORCEMENT

• TQM APPLIES TO COMMUNITY POLICING, MODERN METHODS
  OF TRAINING SUPERVISING, BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
  BETWEEN STAFF AREAS, FORMING VIGOROUS PROGRAMS
  OF EDUCATION TRAINING

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WHO ARE THE POLICE?

• TRADITIONALLY, THE POLICE WERE A FAIRLY
  HOMOGENEOUS GROUP
• WHITE, MALE, HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATED AND HAD A
  MILITARY BACKGROUND
• TODAY, POLICE OFFICERS HAVE BECOME A MORE
  HETEROGENEOUS GROUP
• POLICE DEPARTMENTS HAVE MORE WOMEN AND MINORITY
  OFFICERS
• THEIR EDUCATION LEVEL IS MUCH HIGHER
• FEW HAVE MILITARY EXPERIENCE
• POLICE ARE ALSO INTERESTED IN HELPING PEOPLE AS
  THEY ARE IN FIGHTING CRIME
• SUCH CHANGES IN THE FORCE ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO THE
  COMMUNITY POLICING PHILOSOPHY
• THE BETTER EDUCATED THE POLICE OFFICERS ARE, THE
  MORE EQUIPPED THEY WILL BE IN TO DEVISE SOLUTIONS
  TO COMMUNITY PROBLEMS

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Ethnic Background of Sworn Officers in US Today
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The Police Culture

• Police are all part of the nations
• largest fraternity
• They develop a unique police
• culture
• They have tremendous power
• over the citizens they serve
• Culture is behavior that occurs
• when supervisors are not present

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Police Culture Cont

• Police have a strong bond or association because
  they have to depend on each other in life
  threatening situations
• Some say the police culture is clannish,
  secretive, and isolated Code of Silence
• 46 of the officers surveyed stated they have
  witnessed misconduct of officers but had not
  taken any action

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Police Culture Continued

• Police feel they are the only real crime fighters
• No one understands them or what police work is
  all about
• They owe 100 loyalty to their fellow officers
• They must often bend the rules to win the war
  against criminals because the courts have given
  criminals too many civil rights
• The public is unappreciative and quick to
  criticize
• Patrol is the worst assignment

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The Police Culture Continued

• Officers expect the public to respect them but
  they resist the authority of their own
  supervisors
• Officers expect witnesses to tell them what
  happened at the scene but refuse to cooperate
  with an internal investigation
• Officers hate gang members who remain silent due
  to peer pressure but refuse themselves to assist
  with internal investigations

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The Police Image and How the Public Views the
police

• NYPD Blue?
• Laid back Andy of Mayberry Image?
• Unselfish, fearless heroes
• Hard hearted brutal oppressors
• Corrupt abusers of power

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How Citizens View the Police

• Some view officers as unselfish, fearless and
  compassionate protectors of the weak and
  defenseless who can uncover the truth and bring
  the guilty to justice.
• Others view the police as people who abuse their
  power and persons they come in contact with in
  the line of duty

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Where the Police Image Comes From

• Television programs, movies, newspapers,
  magazines, books, opinions of friends and family
• Your education level and how you see the police
• Where you live
• Your economic status
• Your gender or whether you are a member of a
  minority group
• If you have contact with the CJ system

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Police Image Cont..

• Image is also shaped by appearance and police
  actions
• The uniform, and the equipment is a very visible
  reminder of police authority (Patches, Badges,
  Sunglasses, handcuffs, nightstick and guns can be
  intimidating
• Officer behavior has a direct impact on image
• Accepting gratuities no matter how small (free
  coffee)
• The manner in which police exercise their
  authority
• Officers attitudes and how the interact, their
  education, professionalism etc

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Public Expectations

• That police should crack down on drunk drivers
• Laws should be enforced against everyone else but
  they are the exception
• They expect police to help them when they have a
  problem

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Police Discretion

• Discretion is making a decision based on an
  individual choice
• Factors include the law and department guidelines
• Officers have to be allowed to make choices to be
  effective and to use common sense
• Officers use selective enforcement whereas as
  they look at all mitigating factors before
  arresting or not arresting Ex writing a traffic
  warning

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Use of Force

• Use of force is necessary to overcome resistance
• Use of force encompasses a wide range of options
  up deadly force
• Departments need very specific policy regarding
  use of force

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Ethics In Law Enforcement

• Law enforcement personnel must be of good
  character who look for fairness and justice
• The manner in which they enforce the law may
  influence the public in viewing the police as
  ethical or corrupt
• Today many departments require police to have a
  college education
• Ethics is a part of training and education
• There is no right way to do a wrong thing

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Ethics Cont

• Remember the three ethics-check questions
• Is it legal?
• Is it balanced
• Will it make me feel good about myself
• Unfortunately some officers value results over
  duty and principle

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The End