Carroll Buracker & Associates, Inc. has been evaluating and assisting in implementing community policing in every region of the U.S. for more than 18 years. In more than 120 law enforcement studies, community policing has been an integral part of the work.

Since this site can also be accessed through www.communitypolicing.com, the firm receives numerous inquiries from students and police officers who are charged with researching, developing, or implementing community policing. This site provides some basic information about community policing and the work of Carroll Buracker & Associates, Inc.

History

During the past 45 years, there have been three rather distinct eras characterizing the nature of programs designed to improve relationships between police and community. These eras are described as the Community Relations Era, the Crime Prevention Era, and the Community Policing Era.

Programs Philosophy 2009 Foot Patrols Bicycle Patrols Motorized Patrols Resident Patrols Beat Coordinator Total Quality Management (TQM) Qualitative Outcomes Cultural Diversity Training Community Policing Era Partnership Holistic Approach - Partnership with Residents, Businesses, Government, Schools, Churches - Decentralized Services - Beat Coordinator Proactive Initiatives Expanded Role of Police/Residents Empowering Beat/Residents Two-way Strategy 1990 Motorized Patrols Saturation Patrols Productivity - Traffic Arrests - Calls for Service Management by Objectives Operation ID Environmental Design Rape Prevention Crime Prevention Era Education One-way Strategy Reactive to Requests Team Policing Target Hardening Education Focused Objectives 1975 Motorized Patrols Management by Objectives Sensitivity Training Police Athletic League Minority Recruitment PCR Units Community Relations Era Understanding One-way Strategy Human Relations Reactive to Requests Dialog/Communications 1960

Carroll Buracker and Associates, Inc.

Carroll Buracker & Associates, Inc. has assessed community policing in more than 80 cities and counties and provided community policing training in major U.S. cities over a ten-year period. In many communities, community policing is more a concept than a reality, and there is much more talk about it than action. High hopes for it are apparent, particularly as expressed by elected officials. A substantial number of police practitioners are less enthusiastic and more skeptical, but prepared to explore its possibilities. The rhetoric and literature of community policing are rich in principles such as "empowerment" and "partnerships," but in need of more thoughtful discussion about dealing with and overcoming the very formidable obstacles to successful implementation of these principles. A number of progressive police chiefs have implemented outstanding community policing initiatives.

Community policing is essentially a philosophy of policing supported by a number of operational principles which seek to achieve harmony where people live and work. This goal is indeed a lofty and noble one. The pursuit of harmony can take many forms, including those embodied in the more common definitions of community policing goals such as preventing and reducing crime and the fear of crime, and establishing and maintaining higher levels of societal order. Harmony, however, in the context of community policing, can also refer to the promotion of good things and not just the prevention of bad things. For example, the orchestration of an effort designed to transform a vacant lot in a neighborhood to a playground would have the effect of enhancing the quality of life in that neighborhood.

Although community policing programs may go by a variety of different names, they all possess the basic framework described above. That is, a policing philosophy with guiding operational principles designed to attain a peaceful and secure place for people to live together.

Elements of Community Policing

The key elements of community policing are partnership, empowerment, problem-solving, community involvement, accountability, leadership and service orientation. Very briefly,

• Partnership - The police form partnerships with residents, the private sector and governmental officials.
• Empowerment - Patrol officers are given power and authority that have traditionally been reserved for supervisors and executives. Citizens are taught how to strengthen their ability to fight crime and disorder and become equal partners with the police.
• Problem-Solving - Police officers go beyond traditional styles of policing where police activity was primarily directed by calls for service and actively address the root causes of crime and public disorder.
• Community Involvement - Citizens are active participants in problem identification, analysis, and problem-solving.
• Accountability - The police and the community are responsible to each other for carrying out certain responsibilities.
• Leadership - Police executives will set the tone for the organization and will provide the appropriate leadership to ensure that each member is actively involved in community policing.
• Service Orientation - Police officers will emphasize providing services to the community and making the proper referrals for services the police do not provide.

Implementation Dynamics

Although there are a number of barriers to implementing community policing, four barriers identified by Carroll Buracker & Associates, Inc. are formidable: the police officer, the residents, the police culture, and specialized units. These barriers are not insurmountable and do not apply to all police agencies.

The Police Officer

Police do not have any special expertise in the formation of partnerships, nor are they particularly experienced in the field of community organizing so necessary for community involvement, nor are they accustomed to being empowered to the extent required in community policing.

The Citizen/Resident

A second barrier to be overcome in pursuit of the successful implementation of community policing pertains to the citizen/resident. Community policing is highly dependent upon community involvement, one of its key elements. Residents, unlike police officers and other government officials, are not paid for their involvement in improving the quality of life in neighborhoods. Time to be devoted to such activities is time taken away from work, family, friends, day-to-day chores, and personal interests. Commonly, there just isn't much time left. The two-career lifestyles in families have reduced the time for volunteerism in communities. (Time and training certification has also impacted volunteerism in the fire/EMS service.)

Police Culture

A third barrier to be overcome pertains to the police culture. In referring back again to the key elements of community policing - partnerships, problem-solving, community involvement, accountability, empowerment, service orientation and leadership - the prerequisite knowledge, skills, abilities, and other personal characteristics (e.g., attitudes) are extensive.

In 2009, police departments, by and large, are not selecting, training, supervising, evaluating, promoting, disciplining, or rewarding personnel for their community policing role.

Critics of community policing, especially those who believe that all police should be SWAT personnel, may use the term 'Soft on Crime.' In progressive police agencies, community policing does include strong enforcement initiatives by a police agency. When this part of community policing is understood by beat officers and detectives, CBI has found more acceptance of community policing throughout a police department.

Specialized Units

The fourth barrier relates to the establishment of specialized "community policing units." More successful community policing initiatives observed by the staff of CBI in police departments incorporate the entire department into community policing: receptionist, records personnel, 9-1-1 call takers, dispatchers, beat officers, detectives, specialized officers, supervisors, and staff officers.

In more than a few police agencies, specialized 'community policing units' have caused major friction between the beat officer and officers assigned specifically to community policing. A central concern of the beat officer: they work shift work, nights and weekends when most of the crime problems (including domestic disputes) occur in a community; however, the specialized 'community policing' officer often works primarily day hours and is off on weekends. In one agency reviewed by CBI, all community policing officers assigned to a specialized unit received 'new' police cars and worked hours of their choice (typically day work Monday through Friday). A number of the officers in this specialized unit had only two years of police service. More importantly, there was no job description for personnel in this specialized unit.

Program vs Philosophy

In the experience of CBI staff, it is not unusual to hear from members of a police department about their community policing "program," such as bicycle patrol. Community policing is more than a program. As noted previously, community policing represents a philosophy of policing; a philosophy that stresses human dignity for all persons, partnerships with stakeholders, and values in a police agency.

Community Policing Training

Frequent criticisms of patrol officers interviewed by CBI staff (includes every region of the U.S.) is that the community policing training often pertains to human relations; the training is only given because it is mandated by the state; the instructors have not worked as beat officers; there are no 'problem solving' exercises; and there is limited interaction among the participants.

Community policing plans and training provided or recommended by CBI are tailored to each specific municipality and include several key components.

Community policing training has been provided by Carroll Buracker & Associates, Inc. in every region of the U.S.

Beyond the Badge - Community Policing Training Video