NCJ Number
38437
Journal
CRIME PREVENTION REVIEW Volume: 4 Issue: 1 Dated: (OCTOBER 1976) Pages: 6-12
Date Published
1976
Length
7 pages
Annotation
THIS ARTICLE SUGGESTS THAT CRIME PREVENTION IS BEST ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE COMMUNITY - AN 'US' RATHER THAN A 'WE/THEY' RELATIONSHIP.
Abstract
A POLICE DEPARTMENT CAN CREATE SUCH A CLOSE UNION WITH THE COMMUNITY ONLY IF IT IS SENSITIVE TO IT AND TO ITS NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS. BEFORE A POLICE DEPARTMENT CAN BE SENSITIVE TO THE COMMUNITY, IT MUST BE SENSITIVE TO ITSELF - TO ITS OWN ORGANIZATION. IT IS THE THESIS OF THIS ARTICLE THAT ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT CAN HELP A POLICE AGENCY BECOME SENSITIVE TO ITS AND FINALLY TO THE COMMUNITY. ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT (O.D.) IS AN ACTION-ORIENTED PHILOSOPHY (NOT ANY ONE DEVICE OR TECHNIQUE) WHICH SAYS THAT AN ORGANIZATION WILL BE BETTER ABLE TO PERFORM ITS FUNCTION IF ITS PEOPLE CAN TRUST AND HELP ONE ANOTHER. IT ALSO STATES THAT AN ORGANIZATION MUST BE ADAPTIVE TO A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT, AND THAT TO ADAPT, THE ORGANIZATION MUST LISTEN TO ITS MEMBERS AND ITS CLIENTELE. THE DAVIS, CALIFORNIA POLICE DEPARTMENT IS DISCUSSED TO ILLUSTRATE THE PRINCIPLES OF O.D., THE PROCESS BY WHICH THEY WERE IMPLEMENTED, AND COME OF THE BENEFITS DERIVED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)