Question

A 19-year-old African American male living in an upper-middle class suburban neighborhood in Fremont, California, reported that he was stopped and questioned four times in two weeks by different officers. On one occasion, the conversation went this way:

Officer: What are you doing here?

Teen: I’m jogging, sir.

Officer: Why are you in this neighborhood?

Teen: I live here sir.

Officer: Where?

Teen: Over there, in that big house on the hill.

Officer: Can you prove that? Show me your I.D.

On another occasion, when he was jogging, a different officer stopped him and asked (referring to the very expensive jogging shoes he was wearing), “Where did you get those shoes?” When the boy answered that he had bought them, the next question was, “Where do you live?” When the teen answered, “in that big house on the hill,” the officer apologized and went on his way.

How can community policing be incorporated into this community to meet the needs of a better community-policing partnership?

Answer 1

The movement toward community policing has gained momentum in recent years as police and community leaders search for more effective ways to promote public safety and to enhance the quality of life in their neighborhoods.

Community policing strategies vary depending on the needs and responses of the communities involved; however, certain basic principles and considerations are common to all community policing efforts.

Policing strategies that worked in the past are not always effective today. The desired goal, an enhanced sense of safety, security, and well-being, has not been achieved. Practitioners agree that there is a pressing need for innovation to curb the crises in many communities.

The implementation of a community policing strategy is a complicated and multifaceted process that, in essence, requires planning and managing for change. Community policing cannot be established through a mere modification of existing policy; profound changes must occur on every level and in every area of a police agency—from patrol officer to chief executive and from training to technology. A commitment to community policing must guide every decision and every action of the department.

Implementation plans will vary from agency to agency and from community to community. The most appropriate implementation method will depend, in part, on internal and external conditions facing the agency.