Community-Oriented Policing, can the public effectively help?

br Community-Oriented Policing and the Role of the Public Community-oriented policing is a relatively new movement based on the idea that police can be more accepted , respected , and effective when they are active members of the community in which they live and work Police officers are assigned to work in the areas in which they live , so they become a recognized , trusted face in the neighborhood . Neighbors feel invested in the police officer they know him and his family outside of his job , in social and every-day settings like going to the

pharmacy or to the grocery store . Some members of the community may even go to church with the police officer in question . Yet , during the workday , this officer is a continued , official presence in the community , and the idea is that his neighbors will know they can trust him and will come to him freely with problems and concerns they may be having . Community-oriented policing is meant to increase trust in police officers among the general public

In community-oriented policing , police officers are commonly assigned to walk a beat , rather than driving around neighborhoods in their patrol cars (Skogan , et . Al , 1999 . This harkens back to the days of old when officers freely wandered neighborhoods , keeping an eye on things and getting to know the neighbors . This method of patrolling is further intended to increase trust in the police officer from the general public . Police who are on a community-oriented policing beat will naturally be more open-minded and compassionate when problems in the neighborhood arise , because they are personally invested in the people of the neighborhood , having gotten to know them and become a part of their lives

Community-oriented policing officers are also often trained in the special personal skills that such a position requires the likelihood of officers receiving this sort of training varies according to the particular police districts . When such training occurs , officers are taught things like how to be open-minded , unbiased and sensitive to the issues people are having in their community (Poulin and Nemeth , 2005 Listening and understanding skills are also important qualities for an officer in this position to have . Empathy , compassion , and sincerity are essential to gaining the public 's trust . Skills in problem solving , planning , critical thinking , and interpersonal communications are all a part of the daily job of a community-oriented police officer

Community-oriented policing developed as a backlash against what was coming to be seen as uncaring , unfeeling , and often power-hungry police officers . With increasing instances of police brutality , the public was coming to view police officers as adversaries to be looked upon with suspicion and loathing , rather than as trusted friends and partners in keeping the community safe . When the public looks upon its police officers in this manner , it is actually more difficult for those police officers to do their jobs , as the public will not be very forthcoming with information about crimes being committed in the area and will be reluctant to contact the police at all...