Community Oriented Policing vs Problem Oriented Policing

Community-Oriented Policing

Community-oriented policing is an approach to proactive policing that acknowledges and promotes the active involvement of the community in the process of crime prevention. This approach to policing is based on the belief/assumption that effective interactions between the police and community are essential in crime prevention and reduction. In addition to crime prevention and reduction, community-oriented policing is adopted on grounds that it would help enhance people’s perceptions of police departments and personnel. However, there are questions on whether community-oriented policing is successful and feasible, particularly in a community characterized by weak interpersonal bonds. This paper examines the success and feasibility of community-oriented policing in such societies, its similarities and differences with problem-oriented policing, the suitability of the two approaches, and current police relations initiatives.

Success and Feasibility of Community-oriented Policing

According to Worrall (2015), community-oriented policing is a relatively new approach to policing that is founded on the idea that law enforcement officers and citizens must work together in crime prevention and reduction efforts. As a relatively new philosophy of policing, community-oriented policing is premised on the fact that the collaboration between police and citizens helps in identifying creative measures to solve modern community problems. Some of these problems include social and physical disorder, crime, neighborhood decay, and the fear of crime. By promoting the active involvement of the community in crime control and prevention, community policing differs from the view that police alone can prevent and reduce disorder, fear, and crime.

This approach to proactive policing is possible and does not necessarily represent a new concept in law enforcement. Community-oriented policing is possible because it combines conventional aspects of policing with new ideas like community partnerships and engagement, preventive measures, and problem-solving measures. The viability of community-oriented policing is reflected in the success of strategies like a neighborhood watch. The involvement of the community in policing enhances crime control and prevention by lessening the opportunities to commit crimes. As shown in various examples where it has been applied, community-policing is a successful approach to policing. Paez & Dierenfeldt (2019) state that this approach to policing has been found effective in strengthening the welfare of vulnerable groups. This implies that community-oriented policing strategies are successful in addressing some issues relating to crime control and prevention such as lessening the susceptibility of vulnerable groups.

However, community-oriented policing is not feasible in a community with nonexistent and weak interpersonal bonds or those where fear significantly affects citizens. The feasibility of this approach to policing is limited in such communities because it relies heavily on partnerships with community members. Such communities are characterized by weak societal structures and institutions that could affect community partnerships and engagement in crime control and prevention. Given the weak interpersonal bonds and widespread fear, it will be impossible to create trust between the police and citizens, which is essential for community-oriented policing to be effective.

Community-oriented Policing and Problem-oriented Policing

As previously indicated, community-oriented policing is an approach to law enforcement that relies heavily on the development of strong connections and close collaboration between the police and the community. Therefore, police-citizen relations are at the core of community-oriented policing (Przeszlowski & Crichlow, 2018). On the contrary, problem-oriented policing is an approach to policing that focuses on the identification and resolution of specific problems. As the name suggests, problem-oriented policing emphasizes the identification and resolution of problems in society as the premise for crime control and prevention. Community-oriented policing and problem-oriented policing have some similarities and differences.

The similarity between community-oriented policing and problem-oriented policing is that they are both proactive policing approaches. Similar to community-oriented policing, problem-oriented policing adopts a proactive approach towards addressing crime-related issues in a community. As proactive policing approaches, the two concepts are based on the notion that crime can be prevented and controlled by dealing with community problems before they escalate into major issues. In addition, both approaches fall within the umbrella of community policing (Worrall, 2015). However, community-oriented policing is based on community partnerships and engagement as the premise for crime control and prevention. In essence, the effectiveness of this approach requires input from citizens. On the contrary, problem-oriented policing can take place without the involvement of the community. Community involvement and partnerships are not perquisites for problem-oriented policing.

In light of these similarities and differences, the community influences the effectiveness of community-oriented policing but does not necessarily determine the success of problem-oriented policing. Community-oriented patrolling is more appropriate than problem-oriented patrolling in relation to crime control and reduction. Unlike problem-oriented patrolling, community-oriented patrolling helps to identify potential crimes and problems before they occur. While problem-oriented policing is akin to direct patrolling, it is narrow as it emphasizes a specific direction and purpose that could end up ignoring other elements of crime in society.

Where to Initiate Each Form of Policing

The differences between community-oriented policing and problem-oriented policing imply that each form of policing is suitable in different scenarios. Community-oriented policing would be initiated in societies with strong interpersonal bonds and where fear has minimal impacts on citizens. Such settings would be ideal for this approach to policing since it entails working collaboratively with citizens to prevent and control crime. Community-oriented policing would unite the private and public sectors and capitalize on existing strong structures to create community partnerships that enhance the active involvement of community members in fighting crime. Strong structures in the community would make it easier to implement community-oriented policing in an effective manner. The community would benefit from improved crime control and prevention measures.

Problem-oriented policing would be implemented in a community with increased cases of a specific crime or problem. For instance, this approach would be initiated in a community with an escalated rate of youth offending. The implementation of this approach in such a setting would involve learning more about offenders and victims, examining related events, evaluating the effectiveness of current policing strategies, and creating responses beyond conventional policing strategies and practices (Hinkle et al., 2020). The community would then benefit from the establishment of new strategies to resolve the issue and reduced crime.

Current Police Relations Initiatives

Community policing has gained a great deal of attention in modern law enforcement efforts and practices. This great deal of attention is reflected in the establishment of various police relations initiatives in different settings. These initiatives were adopted for various purposes such as improving public perception of the police, crime reduction and prevention, and improve the operations and effectiveness of law enforcement agencies. Recent police relations initiatives in different settings have focused on addressing different crime-related issues.

One type of a current police relations initiative is an intervention involving uniformed patrol officers in New Haven, CT (Peyton, Sierra-Arevalo & Rand, 2019). Under this initiative, uniformed patrol officers make surprise visits to randomly assigned home in 10 police districts across the city. This initiative was adopted as a substitute to the previous dedicated regular walking beats that were stopped because of officer shortage. It was adopted to help enhance the relationship between the police and members of the community. The initiative had positive impacts on the relationship by changing public attitudes towards the police. The surprise visits contributed to the improvement of public attitudes about the police and created trust between police and citizens. However, the initiative would be improved by incorporating an enforcement capacity that would allow officers to identify and deal with crime-related issues. This would help increase a measure of public support and address long-standing concerns affecting trust.

The other initiative is the Community Police Academy (CPA), which is a program designed to provide community members with insights into law enforcement operations. CPA is created by police agencies to help educate citizens or community members on the operations of police (Breen & Johnson, 2007). As citizens become more familiar with police operations, police officers benefit from the knowledge obtained from citizens regarding the community. This initiative has positive impacts on the relationship between the police and the community as it enhances understanding of police operations. While it changes public attitudes regarding police, the initiative can be enhanced by increasing its reach within the community. The program only benefits attendees within a short period of time. It should be expanded to include strategies that seek to reach the entire community for a greater impact.