NCJ Number
143952
Date Published
Unknown
Length
45 pages
Annotation
Community policing and problem-oriented policing are examined in terms of their theory and application in police agencies in several jurisdiction and their potential under the regional command model being introduced in El Paso, Texas.
Abstract
Both these concepts represent proactive policing, in contrast to the traditional reactive, incident-driven approach to policing. Police agencies around the country are implementing these innovations to improve their efficiency and effectiveness. In El Paso, as described in a 1992 publication, the police department is on the verge of implementing a new system that will decentralize some of the investigative activities of the current Criminal Investigation Bureau. Decentralization will involve moving certain line and support functions away from central headquarters into the regional command stations. Each regional command facility will have its own investigative unit composed of general assignment detectives and an appropriate number of detective supervisors to coordinate and direct the criminal investigations in that region. Thus, the department envisions a focus on community-oriented policing. This approach represents the appropriate direction for the department. However, line and investigative police personnel interviewed for this study reported that the administration has failed to inform those who will be affected the most and are concerned that the department lacks sufficient officers to carry out the program. Thus, further efforts and an open mind are needed. Police and citizen surveys might aid the process. Footnotes, appended suggested survey instruments, and 16 references