NCJ Number
150097
Date Published
1993
Length
23 pages
Annotation
The Montgomery County, Maryland, Police Department's Operations Committee is responsible for recommending strategies to increase community participation in community policing efforts and for delivering community policing services.
Abstract
The Operations Committee is tasked with developing strategies to address four objectives: (1) develop a process in which the community shares responsibility for resolving problems; (2) reduce fear of crime and conditions that contribute to crime and disorder; (3) establish adaptable strategies for responding to community concerns; and (4) recognize and ensure that the county's diverse cultural, social, and economic communities participate in community policing. Factors necessary to perform community policing are identified, and a process known as SARA (scanning, analysis, response, assessment) is described for problem resolution at the community level. Concepts linked to community and problem-oriented policing are examined, as well as the importance of police and citizens working together. Consideration is also given to empowerment, accountability, adaptability, and the relationship between community characteristics and crime. An appendix contains information on the Montgomery County Police Department's Advisory Committee for Community Diversity.