Community Policing

There are several initiatives that the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD) is engaged in that are related to community crime prevention. Social development is a key feature of these initiatives. CPD prides itself in using problem-solving approaches when combatting crime, and is heavily involved in youth engagement. The Police Chief has placed emphasis on targeting at-risk youth and bridging the gap between youth and police. The Chief also stresses the importance of a working relationship with community citizens as well as with businesses and city departments.

In a community effort to keep families safe, homes free of burglaries among other residential and environmental safeguards, citizens have taken the initiative to be pro-active in crime prevention efforts. Important goals such as the deterrence of crime, popular programs such as, Neighborhood Watch, have been established with the hopes to provide safer communities. According to Wilson, R., Brown T.H, & Schuster, B. (2009), “the Neighborhood Watch program is a popular community effort that encourages citizens to work with local law enforcement to report any suspicious criminal activities.” For the most part, neighborhood watch programs post signs in their residential areas to alert potential criminals from victimizing the area. Furthermore, Wilson, R., Brown T.H, & Schuster, B.

Community members must be active to identify problems and brainstorm solutions to these issues. Community crime prevention techniques listed by the BJA include: community policing, neighborhood watches, comprehensive programs (i.e. Weed and Seed), and Ad hoc law enforcement activities (BJA, 2014). This research paper will focus on a number of community crime prevention programs; including the program’s goals, how the program is executed, and effectiveness of the program. By the end of the paper, readers should gain knowledge of community crime prevention programs and relate to how the programs assist their communities involving relationships between police and citizens, improving the quality of the community, and overall crime prevention in the community.

Community oriented policing is a philosophy that directs police operation, management and strategies. The model emphasizes on establishing a partnership between community and police and solves problems that directly affect the needs of the involved community (Chappell, 2009). The model of policing promises that coordination between the police and community relations will assist to reduce crime and fear and improve relations between the two, facilitating faster responses to distress calls and routine calls for service. One of the significant objectives of the community based policing is to create a working partnership between the community and police (Alpert & Dunham, 1986). Additionally the community can evaluate problems and come up with solutions and implement the services that are genuinely community based.

Also, it builds the image of police force in that the police end up being effective and reliable agents of fighting crime (Campbell police department, 2003). According to Kratcoski, and Edelbacher (2008), community policing definition carries four elements. These elements include: involvement of community members, being centered to the community, focus to the crime cause and solving problems, and redefinition of policing goals with the major goal being to improve the quality of life of the community members. The policing incorporates the philosophical and specific approach. On philosophy, it is assumed that the community members have eminent capability in preventing and curb... ... middle of paper ... ... further have a burden of establishing the various parameters of operation to meet the goals of community policing (Police executive research forum, n.d).

P... ... middle of paper ... ...nd apply for funding to obtain technology needed in deterring and preventing criminal behaviors. Conclusion Creating community policing units creates a better quality of life for low and middle income neighborhoods that are vulnerable for crime. Through the collaboration of social service agencies, community leaders, the police, and an effective strategy; community policing will have a positive impact on reducing neighborhood crime (Peak, 2009, p. 179). Moreover, law enforcement will need to bridge their relationship with community members. It is even more imperative that organizational leaders discover and eliminate any and all barriers that impede the ability to deal with cultural differences.

and abroad. This strategy follows the research that a little chronic offending criminals who do most the crime and will be punished to stop the crime. This strategy can be used with crackdowns or specific target of groups of people and or gangs. This can be used by giving those who follow the rules social service and employment opportunities, which is where community policing could come in and serve the community after the criminal activity has been targeted. This can show the police are here to help as well as fight crime and the trust of the community won 't be lost after the crackdown.

They could possibly learn this from a citizen’s police academy if this an option for them in the city when they look at policies and procedures. This allows the public to give tips and advice that maybe the agency hasn’t looked at it in that way which could lead to a crime being solved. Having this transparency in the agency will help with the police accountability because it will tie the community with the agency and allow them to solve the problems as a whole instead of allowing the ‘Thin Blue

In community policing, officers need to work with citizens to put a clamp on crime. In the past officers have tried to solve all the community issues on their own (Ortmeier, 2006). However, it came to be that officers who are essential to the citizens, was also vice versa. With community policing, it focuses on relationships of trust, with cooperation between both. The theme of community policing is that the law enforcement can be more attentive, proactive, and community sensitive (Greene, 2000).

This strategy can be used with crackdowns or specific target of groups of people and or gangs. This can be used by giving those who follow the rules social services and employment opportunities, which is where community policing could serve the community. This can show the police are here to help as well as fight