NCJ Number
11330
Date Published
1972
Length
466 pages
Annotation
REPORT ON A PILOT POLICE PROJECT TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY RELATIONS WHICH FUNCTIONED FOR HALF OF ITS DURATION UNDER THE CONTROL OF ELECTED COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES.
Abstract
DURING THE FIRST 18 MONTHS OF OPERATION, THE PROJECT FUNCTIONED WITHOUT AN ELECTED CITIZENS BOARD. HOWEVER, THE SECOND 18 MONTHS THE PROJECT WAS CONTROLLED BY THIS BOARD. THE EXPERIMENT PERMITTED A GREATER INTERPLAY OVER THE PROFESSIONALISM VERSUS POPULISM ISSUE THAN MOST POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS (PCR) PROGRAMS ALLOW DUE TO COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND BECAUSE A BLACK MILITANT BECAME CHAIRMAN OF THE CITIZENS' BOARD. AN EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT OF MANY ASSERTIONS MADE BY MINORITY GROUP LEADERS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPERTS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RACE AND EFFORTS TO IMPROVE POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS WAS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WASHINGTON, D. C., HAS THE HIGHEST PROPORTION OF BLACK POLICEMEN IN THE COUNTRY. THE CHANGE FROM HAVING A LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPERT DIRECT POLICE INSERVICE TRAINING TO HAVING AN ELECTED CITIZEN'S BOARD DO SO PROVIDED AN UNUSUAL OPPORTUNITY TO OBSERVE HOW CITIZENS MIGHT USE SUCH TRAINING IF GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY. INCLUDED IS A REVIEW OF EXISTING LITERATURE ON POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS, A DISCUSSION OF THE PROJECT'S HISTORY, INCLUDING SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TARGET AREA POLICE AND CITIZEN POPULATION, AS WELL AS A DESCRIPTION OF THE INSERVICE TRAINING COMPONENT OF THE PILOT PROGRAM A STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH STRATEGY FOR EVALUATING THE PROJECT IS INCLUDED. DURING THE PERIOD OF EVALUATION (SEPTEMBER 1968- JULY 1971) THE PROJECT WAS UNABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENT ITS MAJOR GOAL OF REDUCING TENSIONS BETWEEN THE AVERAGE GHETTO RESIDENT AND POLICEMAN. THE EVALUATORS STRONGLY QUESTION THE EFFICACY OF THE CURRENT EMPHASIS UPON IN-SERVICE TRAINING, INCREASED PROFESSIONALISM, AND ELABORATE POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS UNITS WITHIN POLICE DEPARTMENTS. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT COMMUNITY BASED AND CONTROLLED POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS UNITS BE INSTITUTED. THESE UNITS WOULD BE COMPARABLE TO, BUT MORE ENCOMPASSING THAN EXISTING UNITS WITHIN POLICE DEPARTMENTS. ALSO INCLUDED ARE TABLES INDICATING CITIZEN AND POLICE ATTITUDES, AND STATISTICS INDICATING POLICE AND CITIZEN CHARACTERISTICS. THE APPENDIXES CONTAIN THE RATIONALE AND DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLE DESIGNS FOR COMMUNITY SURVEYS, AND QUESTIONNAIRES AND INTERVIEW SCHEDULES USED IN THE STUDY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)