Ways to Get Community Involvement in Community Policing Efforts to Reduce Crime and Increase the Quality of Life

Ways to Get Community Involvement in Community Policing Efforts to Reduce Crime and Increase the Quality of Life

This paper discusses the strategies to increase community engagement in community policing endeavors to reduce crime and improve the standards of living. The central focus of the paper is on highlighting youth problems and potential solutions. The progress toward community policing has achieved impetus in the present moment. Community leaders and police seek effectual ways to encourage community safety and the standards and quality of life in the country and communities. Policing officials, sheriffs, and chiefs are presently evaluating the modifications in orientation, business, and operations that would permit them to support the societies in which they offer their services through enhancing quality and standards of the services they offer (Mackey & Levan, 2011).

Community Policing Strategies

Communication between police and communities serve in various ways. The community relies on the police, to reduce chaos and support in the period of crisis. On the other hand, police depend on the community, to inform about the crime and give valuable information and details essential for police to sort out and solve the issue and respond to community problems. In general, community policing is somewhat different from conventional central departments of police that perform imprudent policing. Communities policing mainly focus on decentralized police arrangements that perform proactive policing, implement the problem-solving approach. In this decentralized structure, police efforts show close affiliation with the communities where they offer their services (Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services, 2010).

Significance

Many politicians and police officials have emphasized on community policing to a high degree. This is because of the shifting nature of the violence, crime, and chaos, and altering characteristics of the communities (Scott, 2001). The altering nature and increased level of violence and crime observed during the Western countries in the 1970s and 1990s reinforced police to find more effectual processes to control crime. It is very necessary that fighting crime, curbing crime, and growing mind-set of personal security need assurance from the public and the police.

Effectiveness

Various aspects exist affecting the effectiveness and implementation of community policing. The factors entail the structure of police organization and community and culture collaboration. Nonetheless, it can be squabbled that the significant aspect affecting the efficiency of community policing is the vagueness of the notion itself. Community is not a sole police program or tactic; it is a compilation of approaches and methods that contribute a similar viewpoint or collection of standards about the anticipated function of police in the community, and hence apply in a whole host of different approaches (Thurman & Jamieson, 2010). Following are some widespread ways to develop community involvement in community policing endeavors to minimize crime and improve quality and standards of living:

Foot Patrol

Increase in police presence not merely avert crime, however, it also facilitates the patrol officer to remain in touch with the community. This facilitates the officer to get information about ...