NCJ Number
128652
Journal
Public Policy Report Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Dated: (June 1990) Pages: complete issue
Date Published
1990
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Community policing has largely developed as an effort to stem community deterioration in urban areas. Research suggests that community policing can reduce public fear of crime and increase both citizen and police satisfaction.
Abstract
Community policing represents a shift from reactive, incident-driven police service to a proactive, problem-solving approach. Objectives of community policing programs include reducing the amount and fear of crime in the community, increasing citizen satisfaction with police services, and increasing police officers' job satisfaction. Such programs have proven their effectiveness in terms of community satisfaction, reduced fear of crime, effective problem-solving through the use of police officers as community liaisons, reduced crime rates, and increased job satisfaction among police officers. When community policing programs succeed in establishing a liaison rule, they can also be effective in reducing the sale and use of illicit drugs. Challenges and problems faced by community policing efforts relate to community deterioration, the protection of minorities, determining the community's role in the policing process, and the weak liaison role sometimes played by police officers. 50 references and 4 endnotes