This paper examines how metropolitan police departments can apply traditional marketing techniques to improve their public image in an era of widespread distrust. Beginning with a historical overview of American policing from the 1950s through the early 2000s, the paper traces how civil unrest, high-profile incidents of brutality, and media coverage have eroded public confidence in law enforcement. It then analyzes specific PR strategies employed by departments in Los Angeles and Cincinnati, highlights community-oriented policing as a core marketing tool, and concludes with actionable recommendations for improving police–community relations through media partnerships, officer training, and transparent communication.
The paper demonstrates the use of historical contextualization to support a contemporary policy argument. By tracing the deterioration of police–community relations through specific research findings (the Kansas City Patrol Experiment, victimization surveys, Presidential Commission reports), the author establishes a causal chain that makes the case for marketing-based interventions both logical and evidence-based rather than merely opinion-driven.
The paper opens with a problem statement and brief introduction, followed by a historical survey of policing from the 1950s through the Rodney King era. It then addresses the media's amplifying role in police misconduct before pivoting to current marketing strategies being deployed by specific cities. A recommendations section translates the analysis into concrete steps, and the conclusion draws on survey research to reinforce the public's actual preferences regarding officer behavior.
The days when people trusted police officers simply because they were police officers are over. In today's society, the image of law enforcement has been damaged by incidents like the Rodney King beating, the Rampart corruption scandal, and other incidents of excessive force, racial profiling, and corruption.
Even the courage and heroism shown by New York police officers following the terrorist attacks of September 11 has not been enough to change the general negative image of police forces in metropolitan areas. Nationwide, police officers are adopting a traditional marketing approach to policing in an effort to counter this negative image.
Throughout history, as times have changed, it has often become necessary to alter the policies and practices of policing. Strategies that worked in the past frequently do not work in the present. The desired goal of an effective policing policy is an enhanced sense of safety, security, and well-being. As the social climate of the United States changes, policing has adjusted to pursue different interests and goals.
Technological developments have been a key factor in the evolution of police agencies since the 1950s (Goldstein). The expanding role of automobiles replaced the era of walking and bicycle patrol. During the 1950s, an effort was made to improve criminal investigation and crime control, making these major functions of police agencies. The era marked the initial use of motorized, radio-dispatched patrol. In addition, police presence began to be considered a highly effective method for reducing crime (p. 54–55). By the 1970s, rapid telephone contact through 911 systems allowed police to respond quickly to crimes.
After World War II, immigration and migration from rural areas to cities initiated an era of growth and urbanization in the United States. Television became very popular during this period, bringing into American living rooms images of change across the country — many of them showing police responding to demonstrations connected to the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War.
The assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and President Kennedy further fueled riots and fires in most major cities. The country was dissatisfied, and the police were widely seen as the enemy.
The innovative ideas, protests, and social upheaval of the 1960s and 1970s created a full-scale social movement that changed policing in fundamental ways. Antiwar protesters, civil rights activists, and other groups were demonstrating, protesting, and rioting across the nation.
Police forces were faced with overwhelming situations and were poorly prepared to handle them. Focusing on and improving policing policies became a major goal of this era. Unfortunately, protesters took advantage of the situation, using police reactions to amplify their messages. Police became targets of hostility, which ultimately led police leaders to thorough reflection and analysis.
Citizens felt that police responses were excessive in their use of force and "mob-like." The public believed the police had no respect for the community. The National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (Eck) noted that the relationship between police and minority groups was abrasive and contributed to tension and disorder. "The police in their pursuit of professionalism had lost touch with the citizens they were sworn to protect" (p. 114).
During this period of widespread protest — encompassing civil rights, anti-racism, veteran benefits, and war prevention — the police force was unable to manage the nation's state of unrest. Between 1968 and 1973, three Presidential Commissions made numerous recommendations to change policing in the country. Agencies of the U.S. Department of Justice, working with police departments across the country, played a key role in stimulating, supporting, and disseminating research and technical assistance. Millions of dollars funded criminal justice education, and federal agencies supported a wide variety of police training, conferences, research, and technology upgrades.
Research on policing became a major focus in the 1970s, and many findings challenged prevailing police practices and beliefs. Funded victimization surveys, for instance, documented the existence of large amounts of unreported crime. Police agencies became aware that only a fraction of crimes were being reported and began seeking ways to interact more effectively with their communities.
One experiment revealed that randomized patrolling had a limited impact on crime or citizens' attitudes, prompting police leaders to develop alternative uses for patrol personnel (Kelling). A separate report showed that, in most cases, rapid response did not help solve crimes (Kansas City). That study revealed that a large portion of serious crimes is not deterred by rapid response, demonstrating a need for formal call-screening procedures to differentiate between emergency and non-emergency calls.
By 1980, Team Policing emerged as a method to reconnect officers with the community. "During the 1980s, the idea of professionalizing police had become widely accepted as an end in itself. As a result, there was a growing emphasis on technical training and accountability to the organization. While this emphasis on professionalism may have been an improvement over earlier practices, it did not end corruption and misbehavior by police. Most importantly, professionalism did little to bridge the gap between the public and the police. An atmosphere of mutual mistrust was as strong as ever" (FLETC).
In the early 1990s, the world watched videotape of Rodney King, a Black man, being beaten by Los Angeles police officers. This caused an enormous riot and reinforced the notion that America remained a deeply racist society. It also forced police forces across the nation to reexamine their conduct. A new focus was placed on preventing negligence and improving the screening of police officers. The country demanded a well-trained and effective police force.
Studies show that Americans want police officers who are polite and friendly and who treat them with respect. According to Huang and Vaughn (1996), the majority of American citizens hold positive attitudes regarding the friendliness of the police. However, as with other elements of police image, the public is not uniform in its assessment: respondents who were younger, unmarried, male, and Black expressed the least favorable opinions.
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