NCJ Number
226097
Editor(s)
Deborah Spence
Date Published
July 2008
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This issue addresses the recruitment challenge for law enforcement agencies, the sharing of gang prevention strategies through a network of local law enforcement agencies, procedures for 2007-2008 public safety officer Medal of Valor nominations, a new program to combat child sexual predators, a response to the complaint that community policing is “soft” on crime, and a new report on crime prevention research.
Abstract
The article on the recruitment challenge addresses resources available for assisting law enforcement agencies in recruiting persons qualified to engage in community policing, as well as guidelines already available. The Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services (COPS) is currently promoting a shift toward identifying service-oriented recruits that looks beyond the traditional pool of military, ex-military, and criminal justice majors to various untraditional curriculum majors, second-career individuals, and other service-oriented fields, as well as a focus on minority and female populations. Another article describes how 13 California cities have developed a network for sharing strategies on gang prevention. Among the network’s activities are the development of citywide strategies that blend enforcement, prevention, and intervention; the creation of partnerships with urban leaders in advancing local antigang strategies; identifying programs and policies that work and do not work; and identifying and recommending State and Federal policies and practices that support community-based approaches to gangs. This is followed by an announcement of COPS launching a new funding program for 2008 that aims to assist local governments in locating, arresting, and prosecuting child sexual predators and exploiters. In challenging the claim that community policing is “soft“ on crime, an article argues that by strategically enforcing laws, improving the understanding of what causes crime, leveraging partners to bring additional resources to bear on crime and disorder, and encouraging innovative comprehensive responses to crime, community policing is “tough” on crime.