Community policing, which also can be referred to as neighborhood policing, is a concept or strategy of policing which is based on the idea that, with the help of the members of the community through identification of suspects as well as bringing of certain mishappenings or unlawful occurrences to the notice of the police force, crimes in our communities can be reduced to a reasonable extent. However, this can be attained only when an effective interactive system exists between the police force and the members of the community.
However, it is important to note that, without the existence of an effective interactive system between the two parties involved here, which is the Police force and the members of the community, the whole idea of community policing will be very abstract or unrealistic. It is for this reason that the Police force is given some training or sensitization to properly prepare and tune them to the concept of valuing the contribution of the community to the success of their work. Also, with community policing, the members of the Police force end up doing more community work either than the conventional Police activities hence the need for more Police personnel in practicing the concept of community policing.
One very important reason why the community serves as a very important asset when it comes to community Policing is the fact that the community involves various individuals who share the same interests and are also governed by the same laws. Now before we continue, let us take a critical look at what actually a community is or what the word community refers to. A community can best be described as a group of people having common rights, privileges or interests, or living in the same place under the same laws and regulations.
What I would really want us to pay particular attention to in the definition above is the aspect that talks about the fact that t however people in a community are governed by the same laws and regulations can also have a common interest. Therefore if it is the common interest of members of a community to have a crime-free community as well as having everyone obey the rules governing the community, then there will be no doubt that members of this community will never feel reluctant to report on or give any necessary information to the appropriate quarters when any act of lawlessness is committed in the community.
However, this deals with half the requirement for the effective running of the system of Community Policing. The other half of the work needs to be done by the members of the police; this will be elaborated on later in this paper.
The role of the Police force in the practice of Community Policing is of no doubt of very much great importance. They are generally expected to be able to retrieve the right information from the public, correctly interpret them, and finally using them to solve the crime. However, this task is not an easy task as there can be co many hindrances from both the members of the community and members of the police force themselves if the necessary precautions are not put in place.
Before we probe further, I would also want us to look generally at the basic functions of the Police force. The Police Force, which can also be referred to as a law enforcement agency, basically detects crimes, apprehend suspects or offenders, and provide concrete evidence, which helps in the passing of judgment at the law court. There are two main methods deployed in detecting crimes; either by surveillance or by interrogation.
Whichever one is adhered to at any point in time depends on the nature of the crime committed. Whatever evidence or information obtained during or after investigating a crime is then matched with existing laws of our communities. Now, moving back to the two main methods of crime detection, surveillance which is one of them, as stated earlier on, is one of the earlier methods adopted to detect criminal activities. However, it becomes the best option only when the location and time of a crime to be committed can be pre-determined. However, any surveillance must be legally backed.
Now let’s take a look at the method of interrogation, which I want to dwell on since it has got a link with Community Policing, which is the subject under steady In this paper. This is because, with Community Policing, the Police Force needs to interrogate members of the community if they are to obtain any information which will be relevant to the solving of the crime. With the issue or strategy of interrogation, one particular problem it can pose to the work of the police is when the information required to solve the crime is not readily available; and this could be as a result of the defect in the method being used by the Police Force to interrogate.
This can cause very serious problems to the Community Policing system. That is why adequate training of the Police personnel becomes a very important prerequisite to run such a system effectively. Another problem that could prevent the free flow of important information as far as the solving of a crime is concerned can be guilt on the part of the one being interrogated. Another important aspect is when it involves an eyewitness. Eyewitness identification is one thing that must be considered carefully, and the credibility of the identification must be properly tested and proofed to ensure that no error occurs, as that might come with very serious consequences.
In totality, Community Policing is a whole and totally different concept either than conventional Policing and, in a way, can be referred to as more of community service, and this brings about a big question; whether or not the Police Force is ready to deliver a high-quality community service. Therefore, it is important the police try as much as possible to research deeply into the needs of the public and incorporate these needs into their programs and services as a law enforcement agency.
It is also important the Police force understand that their services or activities go a long way to affect the social environment of our communities, and so they have to perform their duties in an unbiased manner, open-mindedly, and as much as possible be sensitive to the concerns and problems of the members of the community. Interpersonal communications and critical thinking must also not be left out. From my personal point of view also, community Policing is a very good idea and should be encouraged everywhere. It provides us with the right antidote to solving the problem of rising crime rates in many sectors of the world. The most important thing is to ensure all the necessary structures required to effectively run this system are put in place and effectively managed.
References
Community Policing. (n.d). Wikipedia. Web.
Leadership Effectiveness in Community Policing, by Linda Royster Beito, Indiana: Wyndham Hall Press (1999 Book) ISBN 1-55605-290-1.
Community. (n.d). McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Web.
Fairness and Effectiveness in Policing by Committee on Law and Justice (2004). National Academic Press, p. 24.
Policing. MSN Encarta. Web.