Community Policing and Community Safety and Security

lodge Policing and familiarity Safety and shelterWhat, if anything, prat confederacy policing do to decrease offensive activity and improve society safety and security?Introduction art object an original concept of friendship policing whitethorn be found in what is referred to as the Peelian Principles (the practice of practice of law be the people and the people are the natural law1) sophisticated comments have become frequently more complex. A comprehensive definition genuine by the United States division of Justice, describes it as a ism that promotes operational strategies, which support the systematic use of partnerships and fuss solving techniques, to proactively deal the immediate conditions that give rise to usual safety issues such as crime, kind dis narrate and care of crime2.In this essay an attempt is make to evaluate current confederation policing practices to determine if they present a practicable strategy to reduce crime and improve communit y safety and security.Policing in the 21st CenturyWhat has made death penalty the community policing philosophy surd has been that, while the words serve and protect appear in the mottos of umpteen police quarters/ helpers throughout the world, the changing social order of the middle 20th snow coupled to advancing technology saw the police become more isolated and disconnected from the communities they were ostensibly serving and protecting. At the same time, crime and social disorder left society vox populi threatened and, to an extent, aban maked jumper lead to an us and them scenario emerging within twain the police and society. The police were seen, at best, as crime fighters and, at worst, instruments of the separate attempting to enforce order.Academic papers in the late 20th atomic number 6 saw the emergence of Zimbardos broken windows theory3 and Wilson and Kellings (1982) work distinguishing between crime and the fear of crime leading to what was ultimately terme d zero tolerance policing. While made in certain areas, this onslaught throw out entrenched the us and them expectation and served to alienate large portions of certain communities. Furthermore, by the end of the 20th century the increased global focus on human rights, transparency and function required a more holistic approach to addressing crime, safety and security.Fundamentally, the work conducted by Zimbardo and Wilson and Kelling correctly identified psycho-socio aspects of modern living except, at that time, the reception by authorities failed to take into consideration that the issues could not be dealt with simply by the police acting in an enforcement or crime fleck role. Furthermore, while law enforcement and crime fighting remain important functions of the police, novel research indicates that one third of incidents that police respond to are social work as opposed to crime related (Karn, 2013)4.In considering reactions to these issues it was recognized that collective cleverness subscribe toed to be developed with the community reinforcing wanton control mechanisms over itself in partnership with the police that could, when required, act as a law enforcer, mediator or conduit to other means of assistance. Community policing has thus emerged as a mechanism through which collective efficacy can be developed or reinstated in communities.In essence, public safety, security and policing change from being police business to being everyones business5. make this collective efficacy through a community policing programme is, however, some(prenominal) complex and time consuming requiring a fundamental change in both the philosophy and practice of policing using a decentralised and proactive, worry solving approach to the work carried out by the police which, in number, is supported by community operate onment and through partnerships with other agencies (Mackenzie and Henry, 2009). more specifically, the changes that are required cannot simply be a modification of live practices but rather requires actual changes to be made from senior care through to front line officeholders.Requirements for rough-and-ready community policingFor community policing to be potent, the priority has to be the establishment of mutual trust which is required for efficient fundamental interaction. Where this trust is missing, no amount of legislation or policy documents ordain be able to progress effective police/community interaction.For example, in South Africa, the Interim Constitution requires the establishment of Community law of nature Forums (CPF)6 which is further strengthened through the South African Police Service puzzle out of 1995 which formally directs the functions of the CPFs at station level. So while at that place appears to be intent at the highest political level to implement community policing, the implementation has been described as largely symbolic (Pelser, 2000)7 with little being done to ensure the est ablishment of close mutually beneficial ties between the police and community. This stems partially from the history of the country which saw a paramilitary force acting as law enforcers for the government activity thereby alienating much of the population. The transition to a police service saw some spot elements required for community policing to be enacted, such as decentralisation of authority, but the police service has of yet been largely unable to effectively engage with the majority of communities.Establishing this trust with the community cannot however take place unless there are changes changes brought around to the traditional bottom- vote out management styleuse in the police. While strategic implementation requires policy decisions to be made at senior levels and direct downwards, a bottom-up approach is required if meaningful community intricacy is to be achieved. This requires a restructuring to empower and support the front line military officer who interacts wi th the community on a daily basis so that the officer is in a position exercise initiative and make decisions that are both relevant to the community and supported by police management. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to ensure that the officers engaged in community policing receive specialised training in a variety of non-traditional law enforcement disciplines such as conflict solution, mediation and engagement in culturally diverse environments. In addition to human resources, financial resources are similarly required to ensure an effective community policing programme. Government funding is lordly to ensure that problems identified by the community are met in an effective and timely fashion. If this does not occur, the trust required exit be gnaw and the perceived usefulness of the community policing officers to the community will be undermined. At the same time, community resources can also be tapped to supplement government funding, whether these resources are human, financial or other in-kind contributions. By mobilising the community to make some element of financial responsibility collective efficacy whitethorn also be catalysed. The Impact of Community Policing on Crime, Safety and SecurityRecent studies have shown that higher numbers of police does not needfully lead to a reduction in crime (Bradford, 2011)8 indicating that more focussed interventions, as opposed to to sheer numbers, are required. This along with overall moves to change the police has led, internationally to a move away from reactive policing towards a more proactive approach with a focus on problem orientated policing ( garbage down) and intelligence-led policing (ILP) and being observed.Problem orientated policing fits with community policing strategies as it focusses on tackling problems identified by local communities and developing an understanding of these problems9. This includes determining why they are occurring and identifying appropriate courses of actio n that can include actors beyond the police. This approach has been recognised as being effective in reducing development and perceptions relating to antisocial behaviour (Quinton and Tuffin, 2006)10.The approach most often used to mystify POP is known as SARA (scanning, analysis, response and assessment). SARA has proven effective in problem solving as it breaks a complex concept down into easy to manage steps. In the scanning bod, problems are identified, prioritised and stakeholders identified thereby providing a valuable opportunity for the community engagement. In the analysis phase the dynamics, cause and effect of the problem are identified which leads to a response being developed that is specific to the issue at hand. Finally, the actions taken need to be assessed to determine if the problem has been permanently resolved and that the response contributed to the resolution (clegg et al, 2000)11. By following this model, in addition to resolving issues of concern, trust wi th the community can be developed and strengthened. Importantly, police attention is focussed on issues that are of community concern and not based on political priorities received from central government or one-sided analysis and prioritisation by the local police force/service itself. Recently, the civil unrest that developed in Ferguson, Missouri following the killing of Michael Brown could have perhaps been avoided if effective police community engagement mechanisms based on POP/SARA had have been in place.While POP has proven effective in addressing crimes that directly and visibly impact a community, organised crime poses no less of a threat but, due to its often clandestine nature, communities may not be aware of its existence within their neighbourhood. From a policing perspective, intelligence-led policing has proven an essential and effective tool in addressing organised crime. The investigative techniques applied to ILP such as telephone intercepts, informers and underc over operatives may appear, at basic glance, to run contrary to the goals of community policing. However, where effective community/police interaction takes place, the community can be made aware of the existence of crime of this nature and local knowledge may prove useful to investigators, be it from victims, witnesses or even perpetrators. The goal however should not be to turn the community into informers but, based on shared interests, provide a service to the benefit of their community.Once a relieve oneself, the issue of trust is of paramount importance with the community feeling free to share information and confident that the police will act on that information in a responsible and effective manner.ConclusionCommunity policing is a complex and time consuming endeavour however there are clear benefits to be gained from the implementation of performance programme. Through the development of trust with the community the police will gain access to a larger amount of informati on that can be useful in the identification of and arrest of offenders. That however cannot be the bushel purpose of community policing or where the key value lies.Through the procession of collective efficacy, communities can start acceptinggreat responsibility for issues of their own safety and security, leading to the police not always being the first or altogether responder to a variety of problems. In this way, many social order issues can be dealt with through informal mechanisms that may or may not involve the police which as a result can allow the police more opportunity to focus on sorry issues raised by the community. Furthermore, the police are also in a strong position to raise criminal issues, whether petty or of a more serious nature with community, explain the police response and, if possible, trick out a course of action that is effective and agreeable to all.Increased police community contact can also be used to fan out a variety of local issues whether they b e of a political, social, ethnic or cultural nature, there by reducing intra or inter community tensions and creating a greater feeling of safety and security for all involved.1 Police Reform Power to the People, The Economist, 2 December 20102 Community Policing Defined, US Department of Justice at www.cops.usdoj.gov, e030917193 accessed on 02 September 20143 Zimbardo, P.G. 1969 The Human Choice Individuation, conclude and disorder versus indivduation, impulse and chaos, Nebraska Symposium on Motivation Vol 17 237-3074 Karn J 2013 Policing and Crime Reduction, The Police Foundation, Pg 75 Pelser E, Schnetler J, Louw A, Not Everybodys Business Community Policing in the SAPS Priority Areas, EU Pg 66 Rakgoadi P (1995) Community Policing and Governance, Centre for the necessitate of Violence and Reconciliation, Pg 27 Pelser E, 1999, An Overview of Community Policing in South Africa, in Clegg I, Hunt R, Whetton J (2000) Policy advocate on Support to Policing in Developing Countries, University of Wales, Pg 1148 Bradford B, 2011, Police Numbers and Crime Rates Pg 7 accessed at justiceinspectorates.gov.uk on 5 September 20149 Karn J 2013 Policing and Crime Reduction, The Police Foundation, Pg 1910 Quinton P, Tuffin R 2006, Neighbourhood Change the Impact of the National Reassurance Policing Programme Pg 159 accessed from policing.oxfordjournals.org at the Periodicals Section, LMU on 05 September 201411 Clegg I, Hunt R, Whetton J (2000) Policy Guidance on Support to Policing in Developing Countries, University of Wales, Pg 187