Definition of Community Policing
Community policing can be defined as a “philosophy that fosters organizational strategies that support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to address the conditions that result in issues of public safety, such as crime and fear of crime.” (Innes et al.,) This philosophy largely relies on efforts of collaboration between individuals and police departments for the development of solutions to problems and consequently foster more trust in police. The main emphasis of community policing is proactive problem-solving systematically and routinely.
Use of the SARA model by Police Departments (Inclusive of the Detroit department)
Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment (SARA) is a major player that aids law enforcement officers to perceive the process of solving problems in a disciplined and structured manner. This model has become the basis for most police agencies’ training curricula and efforts toward solving problems. The first process in the model is scanning which involves several activities such as identifying the recurring problem that concerns the police and the public, stipulating the effects of the issue at hand, making these issues a priority, ensuring these issues actually exist, ascertaining how frequently they occur, and choosing the issues that will be further examined. The second step is looking into the events related to the issue at hand, ensuring that they are identified and understood, relevant data is identified, the scope of the problem is narrowed, the different resources for developing an understanding of the problem are identified, and the development of a hypothesis on why the problem reoccurs.
The third step is response and it involves activities such as brainstorming for possible solutions to the issue, looking for communities that have similar issues, selecting from the alternative interventions, outlining the response plan, identifying the particular goals that inform the identified plan of response, and actualizing the mapped out actions. The last step is an assessment where a process evaluation is conducted, collecting the relevant data, highlighting the bigger goals, listing what has been achieved, suggesting any new strategies that may be incorporated into the initial plan, and actualizing an assessment that ensures effectiveness.
With the use of this model, the police enforcement officers are required to actively look for problems within their jurisdiction, determine the causes of these problems, and respond by properly integrating resources to address the problem. While the implementation of this model takes up time and resources, the costs are larger to the general public. The police also need specialized training to accurately decipher the underlying causes of the problems and not treat them as just symptoms (Innes et al.,). One of the main goals of the SARA model is the development of long-term solutions to situations that allow the community to police itself. Assessment in this process allows the police officers and other individuals involved in the process to feel a sense of accomplishment for their efforts. Additionally, the benefits of the model outweigh the costs such as the hours and mental efforts. When people are more accustomed to being part of the solution to these problems, they are less likely to cause them. The public will have an increasingly vested interest in their communities. The involvement of other organizations also gives the police more time to focus on major incidents. This model also supports the idea of community-oriented policing and allows law enforcement to fulfill their initially intended role. The SARA model shifts the focus from detaining criminals to the firm solution to issues that are in the present.
The Broken Window Approach
The broken window approach uses the metaphor of broken windows to imply the presence of disorder in neighborhoods. This approach has been implemented in most police departments, and the impact has been seen in police policy all through the 1990s and the influence is still realized in the 21st century. One of the most significant applications of the Broken Window Approach was by the New York Police Department. The police commissioner of the department, William Bratton contended that the issues of aggression in NYPD caused a major decline in crime rates in the city during the 1990s. He began to translate this theory into practice, with one of the steps being assigning catch turnstile jumpers to police officers with plain clothes. This significantly increased arrests for misdemeanors, leading to a dramatic decline in subway crimes. Bratton later introduced the use of the broken window approach that helped to solve issues of “disorderly behavior, street prostitution, public drinking, and attempts to get cash from drivers that were stopped in traffic”(Parks 160). By the time he resigned in 1996, felonies had decreased nearly 40% in New York, with the rate of homicide being halved. All these changes were attributed to the implementation of the broken window approach in the police department. This approach of broken windows has also been implemented in the Detroit police department but not to an entirely larger extent as seen in New York.
How Police Departments work with the community
Police departments work with the community through the philosophy of community policing. The initial step of police departments working with the community is the creation of an understanding between the two parties regarding the role of each in crime prevention. The departments also ensure that police patrols are supplemented using private guards and neighborhood watch guards. Police departments can also take the initiative of establishing community policing victim support centers. This move helps to establish a positive relationship between the police and the community. The police and the community should both take the leap of faith and make commitments toward bringing change. Community policing is a complex process that calls for action at different levels and intense planning to ensure the strategy is well translated into practice.
The problems identified in communities can be resolved better and more efficiently if the community is involved. This includes training the community on the areas that they may contribute in regards to solving issues such as crime rates. Such training programs prepare the members of the community on what they need to do in regards to their contribution to community policing.
How the Detroit Police Department Equates to other departments.
The Detroit police department plays a major role in ensuring the safety of communities, reducing the rate of crimes, and other roles in policing. This department equates to other police departments across the country in several ways. For one, the department embraces community policing to ensure the problems faced in communities. The department invests in community training where members of the public are informed on their role in the philosophy of community policing. This has contributed to a better trusting relationship between the police and the community, making it easier for the community to provide necessary information to resolve issues facing the community. A great police-community relationship means that crimes and other issues will be addressed faster and more efficiently.
The use of community policing can help solve other issues in other police departments in other cities. Research shows that community policing has helped solve a wide range of issues facing communities. The departments in these cities can learn from the use of community policing in the Detroit department, and implement the philosophy in solving major issues such as gang robbery, domestic violence, increased crime rates, and homicides. Implementing these steps will help transform the communities in these cities. It will also help create a better relationship between the police and the public, and eventually ease the efforts of the police in serving the public.
Works Cited
Innes, Martin, et al. “The Story of Reassurance Policing and How It Became Neighbourhood Policing.” Neighbourhood Policing, 2020, pp. 29–55., doi:10.1093/oso/9780198783213.003.0002.
Martin, Richard. “Community Work.” Policing Human Rights, 2021, pp. 169–202., doi:10.1093/oso/9780198855125.003.0006.
PARKS, ROGER B. “Broken Windows and Broken Windows Policing.” Criminology & Public Policy, vol. 7, no. 2, 2008, pp. 159–161., doi:10.1111/j.1745-9133.2008.00499.x.
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