NCJ Number
114649
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 55 Issue: 12 Dated: (December 1988) Pages: 48-50
Date Published
1988
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The Orlando Police Department (Florida) addressed deteriorating police-community relations, violence toward police in housing projects, and youth gangs within the projects through a team of two officers operating out of a neighborhood police office.
Abstract
The police identified four areas on the west side of Orlando characterized by organized gang activity and adversarial encounters between police and residents. Due to a limited budget, only two officers were initially selected for a program of team policing in one neighborhood of public housing. A police office was established in the apartment complex. Within the first 2 weeks of the operation, open drug dealing disappeared from the area, and residents began coming to the officers with information and problems. After 1 month, residents were volunteering their time to assist in operating the police office. The two team officers organized various activities with the residents to help build positive relationships, including sporting events, a Christmas party, a general education development class, and a birth education class. The team progressed toward achieving its goals of resident fear reduction, rigid enforcement of drug laws, the eradication or redirection of gang activity, and the restoration and maintenance of order. Based on the success of the old team, two new teams were established to serve similar housing areas with similar gang problems.