Community Policing Chapter 3

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Community PolicingChapter 3

• Understanding and Involving The Community

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Objectives

• To look at what we call a community or lack of
  community
• To look at crime and violence in our communities
• To look at the organizations and institutions
  within a community
• Examine the role of the Criminal Justice System
  in community policing

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Community Defined

• Community might be
• Images of your hometown
• Images of a specific block where you live
• A neighborhood
• A small town where everyone knows everyone
• Example Mayberry

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Community Defined

• Can also be a group of individuals living in an
  area under the same government
• Augusta-Richmond County
• Could even be referred to society as a whole-the
  public

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Community

• Also refers to a social group or class having the
  same common interests

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Community Defined

• Refers to the specific geographic area served by
  a police department or law enforcement agency and
  the individuals, organizations and agencies
  within that area

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Community

• Refers to
• A feeling of well being
• A feeling of belonging
• A sense of shared values
• A sense of we-ness

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Types of Neighborhoods That Exhibit Different
Levels of Well-being

• Integral Neighborhood
• Well manicured lawns
• Well maintained buildings
• Shows a high level of pride
• Citizens Interact and Support one another
• Link to outside organizations Ex-Rotary Club,
  Civitan Club, Moose Lodge, PTA, Parks and
  Recreation etc..

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Parochial Neighborhood

• Residents share similar values and cultures
• They take care of their own without calling the
  police

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Diffuse Neighborhood

• Diffuse neighborhoods have much in common but
  seldom interact
• This limits their ability to solve problems

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Stepping-Stone Neighborhood

• Consists of small single family residences
• People tend to move out quickly
• People tend to get involved in community
  organizations

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Transitory Neighborhood

• Residents move often and have little in common
• The neighborhood lacks any cohesion

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Anomic Neighborhood

• Characterized by isolation and alienation
• People accept victimization as a way of life
• Community police officers must know the type
  neighborhood they are dealing with to determine
  the appropriate strategies

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Broken Windows Phenomenon

• Theory invented by James Q. Wilson
• One broken window in the neighborhood gives the
  impression that no one is in charge
• That no one cares
• If left un-repaired in both nice neighborhoods
  and run down ones people will think it is ok to
  break more windows and crime will flourish

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Broken Windows Indicators

• Abandoned cars with no license plates parked on
  the street
• Smashed cars
• Un-mowed lawns
• Piles of trash
• Graffiti
• Incivilities such as rowdiness, drunkenness,
  fighting, prostitution, abandoned buildings, and
  liter

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Communities and Crime

• It is very difficult to maintain community
  policing when the neighborhoods have antagonistic
  relationships between residents and the police.
• The media has portrayed the police as constantly
  dispensing unfair justice
• TV constantly display a presence of violence
  where at least 4 people have to be killed for the
  show to be any good
• Children learn that violence is acceptable

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Communities and Crime Cont..

• Many things affect the crime rates in a community
• Economy
• Unemployment
• Residential mixed with commercial buildings
• Density of the population
• Family Structure
• Infrastructure
• Local Economy
• Ethnic and racial composition
• Police have very little affect on the factors but
  must look to other government agencies for help

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Community Demographics

• Demographics refers to the individuals who live
  in a community and includes
• Population size
• Distribution
• Growth
• Density
• Employment rate
• Ethnic Make up
• Average age
• Education and Income

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Community Demographics Cont.

• Policing smaller communities is very difficult
  because police have fewer resources
• In small communities more people know each other
  which gives a better sense of community
• Density of the population is important because
  the more dense the more aggressive the people
  become

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Community Demographics Cont.

• Vital statistics are also important to factor in
• What is the average age of the residents?
• How many are single-parent families?
• What is the divorce rate?
• Level of education?
• What is the drop out rate?
• What is the of latchkey children
• What is the education level of the officers that
  patrol the neighborhood
• Are there great disparities in income?

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Rapidly Changing Population

• Communities will continue to change rapidly
• The rich are getting richer and the poor are
  getting poorer
• The middle class is shrinking and the gap between
  wealthy and poor is widening

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Rapidly Changing Population Cont..

• Predictions are that
• Dropouts and unskilled worked will have a more
  difficult time in finding a job
• Number of kids failing in school will escalate
• Those persons incarcerated in the 90s will be
  released causing high unemployment
• Fatherless children will increase
• Communities will be abandoned when officials
  think they are beyond help due to gangs, high
  crime rates, substance abuse, and housing
  abandonment

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Organizations and Institutions Within the
Community

• Effective policing requires involving social
  services, schools, health services, businesses,
  employment offices and other government agencies
• This encourages citizens to cooperate in
  controlling crime
• A good relationship between the schools in the
  community and the police is vital

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Public-Private Policing Interaction

• There must be a good working relationship between
  public and private security
• Many police departments are using security
  agencies to answer alarms to lower their
  operating costs
• Unfortunately police often view security
  employees as poorly trained and poorly paid who
  cannot land a police job

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The Criminal Justice System

• Many times law enforcement become discourage when
  judges hand out lighter sentences or probation
• The community only sees the police in action but
  seldom sees the courts and corrections
• The public has a negative opinion of the courts
  because
• They fail to process cases quickly
• Give out inconsistent plea bargains
• Allow judges too much time on the bench (tenure)

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Restorative Justice

• This type of justice advocates restitution to
  the victim
• Practice started in 2000 BC
• Was practiced in the 12th century where the king
  stated fines would be paid to the state
• Today we want a balanced system where damages to
  the victim can be restored as soon as possible

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Citizen Community Involvement

• Today we tend to hold on to our money, time and
  talent because community resources are stretched
  to the limit
• Citizen community involvement now takes the form
  or civilian review boards, citizen patrols, and
  citizen police academies

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Civilian Review Boards

• In large cities there is more openness to officer
  complaints
• Those that use civilian review boards hold the
  police accountable to the citizens
• There are many people for and against use of such
  boards
• Advocates for the boards says the use of the
  boards deters police misconduct

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Citizen Patrol

• This is becoming increasingly popular
• Neighborhoods form a patrol and work with police
  to identify drug dealers and other criminals
• Because of fear of retribution there is a citizen
  exchange program where someone who does not live
  in the neighborhood helps with the patrol

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Citizen Police Academies

• The 1st Citizen Academy began in Orlando Fla in
  1985
• Citizen academies help citizens understand the
  day to day operations of a police force
• Citizens begin to see officers in a more positive
  light
• This keeps a positive working relationship open
  between the public and the police
• Ride Along Programs- People learn how the police
  do their job and can foster a better appreciation
  and opinion to other members of the community

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The End