Community Watch Impact on Colleges

COMMUNITY WATCH IMPACT ON COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

Community Policing Neighborhood Watch Programs

The work of Godfrey (nd) entitled: "Assessing the Success of Community-Policing (Neighborhood Watch Program)" states that communities are turning to "community-policing neighborhood watch programs to deter crime in their neighborhoods. This includes the location and elimination of drug houses so that citizens can enjoy peace in their neighborhoods." (Godfrey, nd) Godfrey relates that community policing is a practice that was "developed in the 1970s, a product of the experimentation of rank and file police officers at the street level." (Godfrey, nd)

Major Principles of the Program

The major principles which are stated to distinguish community policing from convention law enforcement are those as follows:

(1) Crime prevention;

(2) Problem-solving; and (3) Partnerships. (Godfrey, nd)

As already stated previously in this review community policing "...supports the systematic use of partnerships." (Community Policing Dispatch, 2008) College and university campuses are stated to be a "rich source of volunteers for law enforcement agencies in higher education settings. Despite being an inherently transient population, the university community can help their campus police departments provide valuable crime prevention and public safety services." (VIPS in Focus, 2009) The College of Lake County Illinois reports that the goals of campus watch are: (1) to encourage extensive community involvement in the reduction of crime and criminal activity; (2) to provide a forum for the exchange and coordination on ideas, concepts and strategies to prevent or reduce crime; (3) to educate members of the College community in crime prevention matters; (4) to focus attention on all issues relating to crime prevention; (5) to share with all segments of the campus community and the campus watch organization matters relating to the continued development of a comprehensive plan for the prevention of crime; (6) to encourage the education of all members of the community in matters which increase personal and community safety; and (7) to encourage maximum cooperation and communication between all community members and the Campus Safety Department toward the goal of crime prevention. (College of Lake County, Illinois, 2008)

IV. Student Volunteers

The work of Gummere (2003) entitled: "Making a Better Place: Planning, Implementing & Managing a Student Volunteer Program" states that community service and volunteering '...directly influence a young person's development of important life skills such as leadership ability, interpersonal and communication skills, critical thinking, and conflict resolution skills. For students, community service and volunteering bridges academic learning with applied settings, integrating theory and research with real world experiences." (Gummere, 2005)

V. Strategies for University and College Campus Public Safety

The work entitled: "National Summit on Campus Public Safety: Strategies for Colleges and Universities in a Homeland Security Environment" states that there should be the establishment of a center for campus safety "...to support the field, foster collaboration and lasting relationships, facilitate information sharing and provide quality education." (COPS, 2005) It is stated that the center should: (1) Improve and sustain the quality of services provided by police, security, and public safety personnel to students, faculty, administrators, staff, parents, business professionals, and others who use and depend on the nation's colleges and universities; (2) Increase cooperation, collaboration, and consistency in prevention, response, and problem-solving methods among agencies and jurisdictions serving the nation's colleges and universities; (3) Provide a centralized clearinghouse for information on public safety related to the nation's colleges and universities and the communities in which they are located; (4) Provide educational leadership and opportunities to those responsible for or who have a vested interest in campus safety and security; and (5) Provide a forum for discussion, debate, and strategic planning among the various public safety, security, service, and advocacy organizations responsible for the safety of the nation's colleges and universities. (COPS, 2005)