NCJ Number
53812
Journal
CRIME ET/AND JUSTICE Volume: 5 Issue: 4 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1978) Pages: 308-317
Date Published
1978
Length
10 pages
Annotation
IT IS ARGUED THAT ALTHOUGH REDISTRIBUTION OF POLICING SERVICES (I.E., TEAM POLICING, NEIGHBORHOOD POLICING, OR COMMUNITY POLTCING) MAY BRING OVERALL BENEFITS TO A COMMUNITY, IT MAY AMPLIFY CLASS BIAS IN POLICING.
Abstract
PROPONENTS OF COMMUNITY POLICING USUALLY IGNORE THE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THIS TYPE OF POLICE SERVICE DELIVERY. THE POLITICS OF POLICING REFERS TO CONCERN WITH POLICE SERVICES AS THEY REINFORCE THE VALUES, INSTITUTIONS, AND HUMAN BEHAVIORS ON WHICH THE PRESENT SOCIAL ORDER RESTS OR AS THEY CHALLENGE THOSE VALUES, INSTITUTIONS, AND BEHAVIORS. IN THIS SENSE, THE EFFECTS OF REDISTRIBUTION OF POLICE MANPOWER ARE NOT EQUALLY SHARED BY THE COMMUNITY. ZONES OR TEAMS FOR COMMUNITY POLICING ARE OFTEN CONSTRUCTED ALONG CLASS LINES FOLLOWING THE SOCIAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE COMMUNITY, AND POLICE INTERACT DISPROPORTIONATELY WITH THE LOWER CLASSES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. COMMUNITY POLICING IS USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH A 'PATERNALISTIC' RATHER THAN PUNITIVE ROLE FOR POLICE. THE EMPHASIS IS ON CRIME PREVENTION AND SERVICE. POLICE STEREOTYPE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEIR RESIDENTS AND ATTRIBUTE GROWING CRIME RATES IN A NEIGHBORHOOD TO A NUMBER OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS. THEY CHARACTERIZE LOWER CLASS COMMUNITY RESIDENTS AS THOSE PERSONS WITH SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN NEED OF TREATMENT, CONTROL, SURVEILLANCE, REINTEGRATION, AND COUNSELING, AND VIEW MIDDLE CLASS RESIDENTS AS THOSE PERSONS IN NEED OF PROTECTION, ADVICE ON SECURITY, AND POLICE PRESENCE. WHILE BOTH POLICE RESPONSES MAY BE SEEN AS PATERNALISTIC, THEY ARE POLITICAL RESPONSES AND ARE DIRECTED TOWARD THE INTERESTS OF THE MIDDLE CLASS. THE LOWER CLASS IS BEING 'HELPED,' BUT NOT NECESSARILY IN LINE WITH THEIR INTERESTS. THESE INTERESTS BEING PROTECTED ARE PROBABLY SIMILAR TO THOSE OF THE MIDDLE CLASS--NEED OF PROTECTION, INFORMATION, AND POLICE PRESENCE. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)