Community Oriented Policing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Community Oriented Policing - Essay Example One major aspect of this approach is the effort to prevent crime rather than just addressing it after the fact. By focusing on the role of police and the community in recognizing factors that lead to crime and resolving those issues rather than just relating to a crime scene, prevention of crime can be the final result. The philosophy behind this system is full-service personalized policing, working with citizens to identify and solve problems (California, 2008). Studies have shown that the main strategies commonly used in the police department-rapid response, reactive arrest, and random patrol-do not necessarily deter crime (OJJDP, 2004). No matter how quickly an officer responds to a crime scene, injury is often caused within seconds and response time has no real benefit in preventing the crime. Reactive arrest, in response to observed and reported crime, should discourage an individual from committing a similar crime in the future, but that has not been the case, especially with the number of juveniles engaged in crime. Reactive arrest has little effect on juvenile crime. The third strategy, random patrol, is not what the community considers the best use of police resources. The chance of apprehending a criminal by chance has not warranted random patrols as a system of crime deterrence. WitNew Approaches to Crime Prevention With the present efforts to include members of a community in the prevention of crime, COPPS is being put into place throughout the United States. With quality contacts between police and citizens, less crime will occur and knowing what causes crime will minimize occurrences of crime. Some of the benefits realized by this innovative system are as follows (OJJDP, 2004; California, 2008): Surveillance of residential neighborhoods by residents themselves can deter crime. Police can gain information from informal interactions with residents. Interaction with residents also improves residents' ability to protect themselves. When the public respects the police and are confident of police protection, likelihood of crime is reduced. Community involvement establishes new public expectations of and measurement standards for police effectiveness. Involvement requires constant flexibility to respond to all emerging issues. It decentralizes police services/operations/management. It shifts focus of police work from individual incidents to addressing problems identified by the community. The main areas of concern that might lead to crime in a community are based on population, age, economic standing, type of housing, community interaction, employment and education. One area in which crime is most likely is in low-income housing complexes. This type of housing has incurred low esteem through its lack of attractive design and proper maintenance. There is a sameness about this type of property that does not encourage pride of place. The people who live in these units are often unemployed and lack specific skills. Depression, drug dependency, and alcoholism are apt to exist because of inability of tenants to raise their standard of living. Anderson (2001) offers Spelman and Eck's model of three components necessary for crime to