by Terry L. Besser
Assistant professor and extension sociologist
Iowa State University Extension to Communities
Imagine a town where the sheriff knows all the people by name, knows their background and is well respected by them; a town where the sheriff hardly ever resorts to violence to conduct police work and usually can talk people out of aggressive acts; where threats to community safety are almost always anticipated and prevented; and where people are involved in the maintenance of community safety by looking out for each other.
If I told you that in this imaginary town the sheriff doesn't carry a gun and his gun toting deputy is allowed to carry only one bullet in his breast pocket, you could probably guess that I am referring to Mayberry, S.C., the popular TV town of the 1950s. This idealized picture of law enforcement in Mayberry is the pattern for a modern real life innovation in law enforcement called "Community Policing."
Actually the Andy Taylor style of law enforcement was not unusual for the time. Between the 1950s and the present time, cities and towns developed a system of law enforcement that took officers off the streets and put them into squad cars that roamed the city. As crime in the 1960s skyrocketed, officers armed and shielded themselves from the dangerous elements in the community. Eventually they walled themselves off from the whole community.
This modern law enforcement system assumed full responsibility for public safety, thus removing average citizens from involvement. Soon people only encountered police officers when they were in trouble, victimized by crime, involved in a disturbance or implicated in illegal behavior. The officer was no longer a person known and respected as an individual. Instead he or she has come to symbolize feelings of insecurity caused by fear of crime, frustration due to what some think is an ineffectual system or/and anger caused by incidents of inappropriate use of police power.
Current feelings of insecurity are caused by many factors and the modern system of law enforcement is at most only partially responsible. Nonetheless, police departments and justice systems make easy targets for blame. The community policing movement arose as a response to dissatisfaction with police business as usual.
Community policing is based on a philosophy which encourages partnership between police and the community so that they work together on solving problems of crime and fear of crime, thereby enhancing the quality of life in the community. The emphasis is on dealing with underlying causes of crime and fear rather than merely responding to the symptoms. Six "P"s are at the core of the "new" system: philosophy, personalize, partnership, permanent place, proactive and problem solving. Although community policing itself is not universally applauded by law enforcement professionals, almost all systems have adapted some of its principles.
Law enforcement officers in community policing systems are assigned a placeŅa district or a neighborhood. They get to know the people, the organizations and the physical layout in that place. They work with youth, householders, business owners and others in the area to deter crime (lighting, landscaping, locks) and to encourage people to look out for each other. They collaborate with local agencies to mobilize resources in the fight against crime. They use problem solving, mediation and conflict resolution skills to head off potentially violent situations. The hope is that mutual trust and respect will emerge between the people and the officers within an area.
Community policing has stimulated creative approaches to public safety. Officers are encouraged to live in the areas they patrol. In some areas, officers are given free or low cost housing as an inducement to live in troubled neighborhoods. Neighborhood police stations, bicycle patrols and foot patrols are ways for officers and citizens to get to know each other, and ways to encourage law enforcement personnel to take a special interest in the safety of a concise defined area. COPS and JOCKS is a program that links police officers with high school athletes, Seniors and Lawmen Together teams up service agencies, police officers and senior citizens, and in Caldwell, Idaho, the Youth Accountability Board is a group of citizens and youth who works with kids who have been arrested for first time offenses. Of course, the DARE program is a well known example of police-school partnership to prevent substance abuse.
The similarities between community policing and Andy Taylor's sheriff's department are striking. Andy made it all look effortless though, and nothing could be further from the truth. Community policing requires a different philosophy of law enforcement, extensive training for officers and active involvement of public officials and citizens. We are not able to go back to the idyllic days of life in Mayberry (assuming those days ever really existed and that anybody wants to live that way), but we can regain the feeling of safety in our neighborhoods and communities.
Community policing offers a new approach to achieving that goal. For more information, contact your local law enforcement agency or The Community Policing Consortium, 1726 M Street N.W., Suite 801, Washington, D.C., phone 800-833-3085.
Contacts:
Terry L. Besser, ISU
Extension Sociology, (515) 294-6508
Del Marks, ISU Extension
Communication Systems, (515) 294-9807
