NCJ Number
62206
Journal
Police Review Volume: 87 Issue: 4511 Dated: (JULY 6, 1979) Pages: 1050-1054
Date Published
1979
Length
4 pages
Annotation
COMMUNITY POLICING AS A MEANS OF PREVENTING CRIME IS ADVOCATED, WITH REFERENCE TO COMMUNITIES IN ENGLAND.
Abstract
SOCIAL ORDER MUST BE BASED IN SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS, SUCH AS THE FAMILY, CHURCH, AND SCHOOL, WHICH TEACH MORALITY AND PROVIDE MILIEUS CONDUCIVE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-REGULATING, LAW-ABIDING BEHAVIOR. WHEN SUCH INSTITUTIONS BECOME FRAGMENTED AND INEFFECTIVE IN CONDITIONING SELF-REGULATING BEHAVIOR, WHICH HAPPENS UNDER URBANIZATION AND RAPID SOCIAL CHANGE, A RISE IN DEVIANT BEHAVIOR FOLLOWS. POLICE AGENCIES TEND TO ADOPT A SPECIALIZED, REACTIVE APPROACH TO RISING CRIME RATES, WHICH ENTAILS THE USE OF LARGER NUMBERS OF POLICE TRAINED TO RESPOND TO AND INVESTIGATE CRIMES ALREADY COMMITTED. CRIME PREVENTION IS USUALLY A PERIPHERAL ACTIVITY, DETACHED FROM CENTRAL POLICE FUNCTIONS. UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT CRIME MUST FINALLY BE REDUCED BY ATTACKING SOME OF ITS CAUSES, IT MAKES SENSE FOR POLICE TO FOCUS UPON ACTIVITIES THAT CAN HELP PRESERVE AND BUILD A QUALITY OF SOCIAL INTERACTION AND COMMUNITY MILIEUS WHICH FOSTERS SELF-REGULATING BEHAVIOR. THIS MEANS HAVING REGULAR, DIRECT CONTRACT BETWEEN POLICE AND THE CITIZENS THEY SERVE. IN COMMUNITIES IN ENGLAND WHERE DIRECT CONTACT BETWEEN POLICE AND CITIZENS HAS BEEN FACILITATED THROUGH THE USE OF FOOT PATROLS, CRIME RATES STABILIZED OR DECLINED IN COMPARISON WITH RATES IN OTHER COMMUNITIES. CITIZENS ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE HAVE ALSO CHANGED FROM NEGATIVE TO POSITIVE. COMPREHENSIVE PREVENTIVE POLICING ALSO REQUIRES THAT POLICE COOPERATE WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ORIENTED TOWARD COMMUNITY SERVICE AND COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT. THIS PERSPECTIVE OF THE CENTRAL FUNCTION OF POLICING REQUIRES POLICY CHANGES THAT WILL AFFECT POLICE TRAINING AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION. (RCB)