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 peoples 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...

…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.

In conclusion, proactive policing approaches have become essential in modern law enforcement initiatives toward crime control and prevention. Community-oriented and problem-oriented policing are examples of proactive policing approaches adopted by modern police agencies and departments. Community-oriented policing is centered on community partnerships and engagement as well as developing trust between the police and citizens. On the contrary, problem-oriented policing focuses on the identification and resolution of problems facing the community in relation to crime. As evident in this discussion, community-oriented policing and problem-oriented policing have some similarities and differences. These differences make them ideal…