Community Policing
Nicole McAfee
Community Policing Chapter 3
It is important to be a part of strong community. Communities that have strong values usually have a strong foundation against crime and work together to lower crime rates in their area. Community refers to the specific geographic area served by a police department or law enforcement agency and the individuals, organizations and agencies within that area. Community also refers to a feeling of be3longing a sense of integration, a sense of shared values and a sense of “we-ness”. Research strongly suggests that a sense of community is the glue that binds communities to maintain order and provides the foundation for effective community action. It also suggest that shared values, participation in voluntary …show more content…
In fact, former President Jimmy Carter noted: “America did not invent human rights. In a very real sense, it is the other way around. Human rights invented America.” Although traditional policing has most often dealt with high crime levels by stricter enforcement (zero tolerance), “get tough” policies and a higher police presence, police usually have little ability to change things for the better in the long run. Cracking down on crime usually results in displacement. The community in which the crackdown occurs may be temporally safer; however, forced by the increased police presence and increased likelihood of arrest, criminals usually just move their operations, often a few blocks or miles away, making adjacent communities less safe. Traditional police tactics often fail because the causes of crime in communities are complicated and linked to a multitude of factors including environmental design: housing age, type and density; availability of jobs residents; level education; poverty level; family structure; demographics; mobility; and perhaps other unidentified factors. Demographics include a population’s size, distribution, growth, density, employment rate, ethnic makeup and vial …show more content…
Communities have been undergoing tremendous changes in the past half century. The greatest growth has been the Hispanic population, growing from six percent in 1980 to double that in 2000. The black population grew one percent. The United States is also experiencing a widening of the gap between those with wealth and those living in poverty. The Middle class is shrinking, and the gap between the “haves” and the “have nots” is widening, resulting is a bifurcated society. The following trends in the United States are likely to continue: The minority population will increase, the white dominance will end; the number of legal and illegal immigrants will increase, and the elderly population will
Community Policing Chapter 3
It is important to be a part of strong community. Communities that have strong values usually have a strong foundation against crime and work together to lower crime rates in their area. Community refers to the specific geographic area served by a police department or law enforcement agency and the individuals, organizations and agencies within that area. Community also refers to a feeling of be3longing a sense of integration, a sense of shared values and a sense of “we-ness”. Research strongly suggests that a sense of community is the glue that binds communities to maintain order and provides the foundation for effective community action. It also suggest that shared values, participation in voluntary …show more content…
In fact, former President Jimmy Carter noted: “America did not invent human rights. In a very real sense, it is the other way around. Human rights invented America.” Although traditional policing has most often dealt with high crime levels by stricter enforcement (zero tolerance), “get tough” policies and a higher police presence, police usually have little ability to change things for the better in the long run. Cracking down on crime usually results in displacement. The community in which the crackdown occurs may be temporally safer; however, forced by the increased police presence and increased likelihood of arrest, criminals usually just move their operations, often a few blocks or miles away, making adjacent communities less safe. Traditional police tactics often fail because the causes of crime in communities are complicated and linked to a multitude of factors including environmental design: housing age, type and density; availability of jobs residents; level education; poverty level; family structure; demographics; mobility; and perhaps other unidentified factors. Demographics include a population’s size, distribution, growth, density, employment rate, ethnic makeup and vial …show more content…
Communities have been undergoing tremendous changes in the past half century. The greatest growth has been the Hispanic population, growing from six percent in 1980 to double that in 2000. The black population grew one percent. The United States is also experiencing a widening of the gap between those with wealth and those living in poverty. The Middle class is shrinking, and the gap between the “haves” and the “have nots” is widening, resulting is a bifurcated society. The following trends in the United States are likely to continue: The minority population will increase, the white dominance will end; the number of legal and illegal immigrants will increase, and the elderly population will