Foundation Of Effective Community Policing Programs

By Brenda Thompson


Community policing has been applauded for enhancing security in neighborhoods and reducing tensions between law enforcers and ordinary citizens. Its effectiveness depends on how well it is planned and organized in a particular neighborhood. Effective Community Policing Programs should ensure that they meet the following, among other conditions that have been deeply researched and ascertained to deliver results.

The program should enhance trust between police and the community. Law enforcement agencies should trust in the words of the citizens and allow them deal with some of the issues. People should also trust that the engagement and information they give to police officers will enhance security and well-being in their neighborhood. In the absence of trust, there will be tussles with law enforces and people will fail to report crimes of confrontations.

The community should engrave localized routines and values in their program. This is why such a program is formed to address local issues. There are routines and cultures that are specific to people of a certain area. While they might be regarded as unacceptable in other areas, police need to know that this is your tradition. However, these issues and values must be aligned to national values. It ensures that there is no conflict during law enforcement.

Technology should form part of an effective program today. People should be allowed to call police and report incidences. Police should be ready to use body cameras to record incidences in order to enhance trust and transparency. Recorded videos should be admissible as evidence with a particular threshold. Technology makes everyone a partner in enhancing civility in the society.

Engagement between police and people in a neighborhood is inevitable if law and order are to be maintained. Continued engagement diffuses tension because the two entities are not strangers to each other when an incident occurs. Police will not be regarded as masters and neither will people be viewed as subjects. Continued engagement creates mutual understanding of the role of each individual in the society. It restores dignity and mutual respect.

Priority should go into awareness creation and training. People must know their role in keeping the society they live in safe. Police should also understand the rights of citizens and responsibility of a law enforcer in any situation. It means that each knows his or her boundary. Solving problems will be simplified and de-escalation of issues will be easier.

While police are integrated into the society and its programs, they should be accorded the dignity they deserve. Do not put them at risk through injuries or make false alarms. While you are supposed to regard each other with mutual respect, there is a level where the policeman has the final say. This policeman is not answerable to the people but to law and his superiors.

Community policing is supposed to solve localized problem. At the bottom of your program, you should have the issues that bother your neighborhood in mind. Understand the role of police and responsibility of citizenry. When both parties are engaged, it is easier to develop an effective program.




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