NCJ Number
137271
Date Published
1990
Length
38 pages
Annotation
This analysis of the planning and implementation of community policing in the police department of Aurora, Colo. concludes that police managers who intend to introduce community policing should consider seven crucial issues.
Abstract
First, the police chief must be dedicated to the importance of adopting community policing and must be both visible and credible. In addition, the chief must be willing and able to capitalize on opportunities to facilitate change. A second critical variable is the leader's ability to stabilize and maintain the setting after the initially exuberant phase of the new program. Other crucial issues are the need to gauge the pace and degree of change, the need to obtain meaningful participation in the program, and the need to understand and address resistance. To address these and other issues, the Aurora Police Department received technical assistance from the National Center for Community Policing which is located at the Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice. This assistance provided a framework for initial training, community and employee surveys, and an internal mechanism for monitoring the effort. The effort has involved many changes in police policies and procedures in Aurora and demonstrates the need for police agencies to address the issues of community involvement, political influences, and fiscal constraints. 8 references