NCJ Number
75061
Date Published
1973
Length
19 pages
Annotation
The Menlo Park police force (California), which is democratic, demilitarized, and emphasizes problemsolving over making arrests, is successful at reducing crime and enjoys good police-community relations and police performance.
Abstract
The Menlo Park police are trained to handle some police work as social workers. Although police social work is frowned upon by many police chiefs and is untraditional, reports from the late 1960's show that the police actually spend most of their time in activities for which social work training is useful, such as quelling domestic battles and performing various services for citizens. Menlo Park is an average American town of about 30,000 with racial problems and poverty as well as middle class neighborhoods. Its emphasis on social work was established during and after riots in the late 1960's when a young police officer with a military background and an interest in sociology took command of the force. After taking his officers out of uniform to increase public respect, he abolished the police military structure to bring the community and police closer together; widened the authority of each management level; and made line officers more professional by upgrading training, education, and pay. Examples given of Menlo Park officers in action show that they are thorough, interested in the community, do not make unnecessary arrests, and handle disputes with sensitivity. The Menlo Park crime rate is lower than or equal to that of other cities, and crimes such as burglary are receding. Although some blacks accuse the police of racism, the chief is quick to redress bad police behavior. Finally, although wholesale copying of Menlo Park's reforms by a big city force is impractical, application of some reforms has reduced crime in at least one big city ghetto. Classroom exercises and a reading list with 10 cited works are provided.